BevLive: Slash J, Day 1

This was at least as hard a trial as the Big One. The outrun is shorter at about 500 yards but the sheep appear to be more determined. They are very tough to get off the top. This combined with a deceptively tricky outrun has ended many runs without the sheep ever coming down the field.

Once the fetch is finished, and some of them take a very long time as the sheep fight and split up in an effort to get back to their buddies in the holding pen, the turn is daunting. The sheep split at the turn and take every opportunity to get into the crowd and off the field. Many of them successfully alas.

The drive isn’t big but it’s very flat and again deceptive. The panels are metal and I found it very hard to judge where I was and managed to miss what should have been an easy second drive gate. Especially easy as I had seen about 30 people miss it the same way I did, duh!

Needless to say they shed (any single) very easily. But it’s a desperate struggle to get them reunited before they escape the field. Hemp did heroic work after his shed getting his sheep back together for the pen. Didn’t matter as I believe I put too much dog pressure on them and never got them in. Sure not my dog’s fault. He was hot and tired but never failed in his duty the many times he had to head them back to the pen.

It’s really tough sheep and trials like this that remind me how marvelous these dogs are. It’s easy for me to forget how good any run is when what I’m seeking is the perfect run. I was very proud of my “also ran” today.

The low scores reflected the tough going. I think Vergil Holland and Scott won with a 72 Jean Gellings and her dependable Star were second with 70 earned in all that wind last evening. Again I’m not sure as I didn’t see the scores at the end. There was hardly any wind today and the hearing seemed pretty good.

We finished the open at 5:30 and ran 20 Nursery dogs. We will run all young dogs tomorrow.

On a personal note I took Meg with her big cut to Baker, Montana and got her sewed back together. She has never evidenced any lameness or concern about the wound and would happily run all about. Alas, I have scratched her from the nursery. Too bad she won the last one and I was hoping to try her again. Only dog I have whose won anything here!