BevLive: at the Boudreau’s

So I arrived at one of my favorite places at 12:30 on a beautiful, sunny, albeit windy afternoon. I’m at Bud and Sarah Boudreau’s ranch in the spring time. Its wonderful. Covered in short grass prairie with the wind moving the grass like waves.

Bud bought a small flock of sheep to entertain his guests. He let Joe and me out on his three tame, practice sheep. They were much too light for Joe accustomed to pushing the heavy Colorado sheep about. Within three minutes I had two in the hills and one 300 yards away in a swamp. Not a very auspicious start to our Dakota adventure.

Bud saddled his horse and rounded the sheep up for us and held them 450 yards away on top of a big hill. Odinn nailed the outrun completing it with a dandy lift. Unfortunately when they came out of the hollow on the fetch we were back down to two sheep. Bud from his higher vantage point saw her run through the middle and pull one poor dear down twice until she finally stayed down. Then Odinn very nicely fetched the remaining two.

Bud reset them and the second time was the charm. A good outrun and steady fetch. I only have two days here. I’m going to really concentrate on trying to get Odinn ready for these next two trials and run her in Hemp’s place.

Later in the evening I took Nel and Joe out on four of the lambs. I let Joe get a feel for them and he backed himself off and settled down nicely. Nel is working them much too cautiously. I will work her some more tomorrow.

Tom and Carla arrived at 6:00 in convoy with Dennis and Jean Gellings having joined up with them in Sturgis. Carla brought the results of the last days running. Robin French and Bill won with Jeanine Van de Merwe in second followed by Alan Mills and Linda Tesdahl tied and Hemp and me in 5th. I didn’t see Jeanine’s run but Robin’s was very nice.

So off to bed. Tomorrow will be all of us wearing out poor Bud’s sheep and showing off our young dogs. I got Joe as a puppy from Dennis and Jean and they have his two littermates. I’m very curious to see how they all stack up to my lovely boy.