BevLive: EID Classic, Double Lift

Another beautiful cool night. The days here may be uncomfortably warm, but the cool nights make up for any daytime discomfort.

We got started at 8:00 with the double lift runs. Jenny Glen was the first runner, timing out in the shed. We had all agreed that the sheep had not been easy to shed all weekend and with their scant regard for people were likely to make the international shed very hard.

Jenny was followed by two fairly quick retires, and I was up with Mirk.

Great first gather and a perfect turnback. But he let the sheep get away from him on the lift. We never caught them until the post. I was not happy with another poor performance from my golden boy. No shed put an end to any hopes of a recovery from our awkward start.

Scott ran and after a poor second gather managed to get a shed, but no pen. Stormy and Roy had a good run done in again by a crossover and poor second fetch, no shed. And I was up with Hemp. What a guy. Great gathers and drive. We had some trouble with the shed, out of the ring more than once, very sloppy, but we got it and the pen. I was really proud of Hemp–he had a collardSuffolk ewe try to go over him, and more than once he turned her back with a small lunge. Very nice of him. Scott and Ian both had better finishes than Hemp on subsequent runs, but Hemp's great outwork carried the day for us. Peter Gonet had a great run going with his young dog, but a nasty ewe put an end to their hopes when his dog ran out of patience on the shed.

Hemp first, Scott and Maid second, Ianand Peg third. Mirk finished 6th. Stormy was 8th. Thanks to all of Ian and Joanne's efforts there were great jackets and vests for the top six finishers. What a great trial. Really tough competitors, but all of them very welcoming to a visitor from the states.

I'm at Dale Montgomery's now with Chris Jobe. We're going to work here and spend the night. Then back to Stormy's for me.

Wonder where Amanda is?  She can't be having as much fun as I am!