Amanda: dreaming of Swift justice

After all the drama last year about the Prairie Fire Plate, after we could visualize Jim Swift, hunter gatherer, presenting his darling wife with the pride of Beach, North Dakota, after we saw him, and me cave, after we saw Allison Holmes triumph, making the Prairie Fire Plate Texan (by way of Canada), what will they do next? Who will forget Roz running half way out the Big One outrun, lying down, and saying she didn’t feel well? Christ. Who will forget Swifty pleading with his dog to look back, and him taking that sheep by the face instead? Moment. The couple of days were exhilarating. I hope there is a plate there to try to win this year. Maybe it’ll be Swifty’s turn. Maybe this will be my year. I’ll bet he is practising right now–double lifts, lie downs, come byes, and aways. Same with Allison Holmes. The footing will be good in Colorado and Texas. And I bet their sheep are all through lambing. Advantage. I bet their dogs are running hot.

The losing sheepdog hand’s solace is that there is always another day. But not to have things too gone with the wind, I think we should talk to the management of the Dakota trials and implore them to have other Prairie Fire things for prizes so that all hope isn’t dashed for the forty or so handlers who do not win overall, like Swift and me. Something for second. A little consolation Prairie Fire plate for winning a trial. Not all the eggs in the final basket. I don’t think I’ll be able to go to Beach this year and buy some of my own when I lose, like I did last year.

As you see, the pottery visually resonates with the prairie, making it the perfect covetable prize for the Dakotas Write to Rene Lebree. Write Joni Swanke. Petition for more Prairie Fire. Petition for more chances at glory. Jim Swift will thank you. His wife will thank you. I will thank you. But the Beach potter had better build up her inventory.

I looked at a series of pictures from Joni Swanke’s Facebook. There was Jim Swift, practising at the Strang Ranch in Colorado, just like I speculated he might be doing. It seems impossible to practise enough to clean his clock, with every sheep I own with a lamb or two in tow. And he has the advantage of daily running on western finewools. Honing his skills. I wonder if I should arrange to stop at the Prairie Fire place on the way, since I will not make it on the way back. Pre purchase seems a little bleak for outlook, so I think I’ll take my chances on the trial, Swift practising notwithstanding.