BevLive: The Bluegrass (the end)

I’m sure you are all hanging on the edges of your seats wondering how my Saturday went! I’m happy to report it went better than my Friday.

We started out the day at 6:45 by being up second in the nursery with Meg. She had a nice draw on the Greenwell sheep. These are the … more active of the two novice flocks. She ran out well and kept her head all around the course. She was followed by Alison Holmes and Britt also acquitting themselves with distinction. I’m particularly interested in this pair as it was my admiration for Britt that caused me to get my new puppy, Becca, a full sister to Britt.

Joe, running later was not so clever. His outrun was tight on the top as is his current method and his sheep very strongly objected. Very poor run but a good pen at the end. For a boy who never penned a sheep before the beginning of the month he is getting quite useful at the pen, something best seen on today’s reluctant penners. Joe did great at the Bluegrass. He is lacking in training but I’m really enjoying our current efforts.

Nel was up in the open in the late morning during a time of pretty happy sheep. She did a good job with a good group. Her run was marred by her inexplicably failing to come in on our first shed attempt. I doubt we will win any prizes but it was nice to put a good run together.

My last Bluegrass run was with Meg again this time in the ranch. She drew great sheep and had a great run. I was very proud of her. I don’t know our score as by that time we were packed and ready to drive.

Our departure was slowed by the failure of my air conditioning to work. I couldn’t face Missouri and Kansas with no air. Happily Herbert and Don Whittington were able to fix it. Sort of a miracle cure as we checked the fuses and then it worked.

After that I drove. And drove some more. I’m parked in a Cabelas just west of Kansas City. A long drive but I’m more then half way to the next trial in Colorado and we’ll get there in the daylight tomorrow night.

Can’t report much on the doings at the BG as I mostly just ran my own dogs and packed today. It was getting very warm when I left so I don’t know how long the good sheep were going to last.

The trial is run on unbroke lambs and it doesn’t take much to turn three lambs crazy. It takes quite a bit to return them to sanity. My dogs could manage the sane ones but we sure couldn’t do anything with unhappy ones. They take a deft touch we just didn’t have this year. Hope we have it next year.