Amanda: Soldier Hollow (Double Lift)

Things didn’t go that well for me at Soldier Hollow on the final day.

Monty had by far the more desirable draw, in the morning cool, following a rare rain in this neck of the woods. He went out on the first difficult outrun with about three helps. He lifted well and fetched straight to the panels, when he hesitated for some unknown reason and the sheep missed the fetch panel on his side. We brought them past it and he went back like a rocket, but I let my myself reconsider the missed panel and my concentration lapsed for one ridiculous moment and missed Monty heading too tight up the field. Worse, he was behind a tree and I couldn’t see him to properly correct him until he had nearly crossed. A gaffe, on my part and his. Since the rest of his run went like clockwork, I almost wanted to poke my eyes out with a dull spoon. He finished with a 133 with two major errors.

Dorey was less fortunate draw-wise, picking up the end of the running in the fifteenth spot. The cool was replaced by incredible heat and the sheep were awkward. I had a decent start with a single redirect and a pretty good fetch. When they came through the panel, the sheep darted exhaustward and she stayed with them, rather than flanking right. When she did stop, she was totally obscured by those darn spruce trees. I gave her a look back and tried to see her. Couldn’t. Everyone says she was just waiting for a direction. I finally gave it to her and she shot back well for the second group. After that the heat and pressure mounted in spades. We missed a couple of panels and at the shed, a single beat me. We got it off only to have it rejoin at the pen.

I am heading to Meeker tonight