The Crones' Chronicle

We’ve just returned from Monte Vista, Colorado, site of the Nicomodes Sheepdog Trial. Although Liddy and Linda weren’t on their game this past weekend, we all had a great time anyway! The sheep were tough and the field was deceptively tricky to even attempt to stay on-line. We got around the course each day…even made our sheds and one pen! But, no cigar. As they say, “that’s dog trialing!” Back to the drawing board and trying to chalk up our 10,000 hours of practice!
PS Lisbeth and I got in TWO rounds of golf in Monte Vista. Cute little 9 hole course with some very difficult greens. And,…inexpensive, too!
Thanks Dan and Tina for your hospitality! And, special thanks to Dan for letting me work sheep at his ranch! Time well spent!

Just returned from Kelley Creek in Huntsville, Utah. Had a really wonderful time. The folks at the Farm sure know how to treat us handlers and our dogs! Thanks to all who worked so hard behind the scenes to make it a success.
Here is a little postcard-video of what it all was like (plus top ten results in Open).

In early June, we took a trip up to Bowman, North Dakota for the Slash J and The Big One Sheepdog Trials. Awesome trials. Long outruns, drives, etc. and three range ewes. Incredibly challenging. Beautiful country. Nice weather. Had a very wonderful time. Here’s some film footage of one of Liddy’s runs. She ran her heart out and then some. What a good girl she is! Brought me sheep three out of the four trials and got around the course and to the shedding ring and/or pen three out of the four trials. At Slash J she placed 5th in a 3-way tie (ultimately 8th based on outwork). So, not too shabby for the girl’s fourth trial in Open!

Lisbeth also started a “tapas night” tradition while at The Big One. Looking forward to the next one!

Special thanks to all the organizers of the trials and all of the crews! Job well done!

Definitely try this one. Good mental practice during down times while waiting for your turn to run! It’s a hoot!

July 12, 2009 — Lebanon, Oregon

This is the first year for this trial held just five miles outside of Lebanon, Oregon.  Dave Murray acted as host on this beautiful rural property owned by Ken and Connie Wallings.

Camping parking was tight, but the huge, gorgeous, rolling hills that made up the trial field more than made up for any inconvenience anyone may have felt.  Shade was plentiful for those who needed and wanted it.  Here are a few photos of the area.

The course and the sheep were challenging but doable.  Biggest obstacles were the two island of trees on either side of the course.  The young and inexperienced dogs ran the first day.  The initial cross-drive panel placement provided a trickier turn around the gate than Dave had anticipated for the dogs.  The gate was quite close in to one of the side  tree and brush islands.  Consequently, dog and handler had to be pretty quick around the gate in order to avoid pushing the sheep into an irretrievable brush escape.  By the time nursery dogs ran, this piece had been rectified.  Making the experience much more successful for the younger guys.  Days were hot, but we ended every day with plenty of time to relax with dogs and kick back with friends.  Nice trial, Dave!  I’d definitely say it was worth it!

July 5, 2009 — Scio, Oregon

Woslston Farm is the site of the Sheep Thrillz Sheep Dog Trial outside of Scio, Oregon.  Ian and Raven Caldicott are the hosts.

The field at Sheep Thrillz SDT

Another unfamiliar trial.  Another unfamiliar camping area.  We decided to drive into the area a few days early to investigate the trial grounds.  We arrived at Wolston Farm just in time to hear Bev Lambert presenting a clinic.  It felt awkward to hang around and Ian was setting sheep.  So, without his help, we took a look at the field and a got a sketchy idea of where we’d all be camping.  Unlike Washington, the trial grounds here are flat, wide open, and backing up to a slight slope to a tree covered hill.  The camping area is perfectly flat and offers  fairly easy access for most trailers and motor homes. However, if this trial got the numbers of RVs we are used to seeing at trials, it could quickly become cheek-to-jowl generators and barking dogs.  We decided that camping on the trial grounds was doable.  However, temperature predictions were nasty: mid nineties by the weekend.  The Blue Ox RV Park, where we were staying at the moment, was okay with our dogs and offered a nice park right next door where we could exercise the dogs.  We decided we’d keep the RV site at the park–with the 50 amps for air conditioning– and commute the 18 miles out to the Scio trial grounds.

The gallery area

The handler’s meeting was set to happen at 7:30 a.m. However,  it was another hour and a half before things actually got going.  The sheep hadn’t been moved up to the set out pens and a variety of other pieces of equipment hadn’t been put into place. The pro novice, nursery, and novice classes were run on the first day of the trial. I’m not used to this schedule. More often than not, these classes are run later in the trial.   By running after the open class, the sheep become more “dog broke” for the less experienced dogs.  The course director and the judge also  have an opportunity to evaluate overall conditions and create a course  more in keeping with the abilities of the young and less experienced dogs. So, running first seemed a bit odd to me.  I knew that  this weekend two open runs would culminate in a double lift finals.  But, I thought that the nursery and pro novice classes would fall inbetween the two individual open runs and the double lift finals–giving the dogs a full day of rest before heading into the double lift.  Apparently my opinion doesn’t carry any weight, because that’s not how things were organized!

Linda and Liddy at the exhaust shoot

The course was almost an open course with a 250/300 yard outrun with a long drive away and crossdrive. The pen might as well have been a solid box. ( I don’t think anyone made a pen that day. ) Even judge, Elissa Thau, was worried the sheep–if they went into the pen at all–would jump the back side.  The sheep were like little bulldogs on impala feet.  And, as far as they were concerned, it was each sheep for themselves.  The word, “flock,” was not part of their vocabulary. This was another group of sheep that required a dog that could stay way off. The temperatures were in the mid-nineties and awful. Of 23 pro novice handlers to the post, less than half got a number.  Consequently, I was pleased when Liddy finished in the numbers for both her runs. But, she was sure a hot dog!  Never seen a dog head for the livestock tank with so much enthusiasm!

Because of the heat, we elected to do some sightseeing in the area rather than watch any open runs.  I understand Derek Fisher won the double lift finals and put in a good show. Congratulations, Derek!  Since this trial is a “qualifier for Soldier Hollow,” this will give Derek an automatic slot for that trial in the fall.

June 28, 2009

Sue and George MacDonald very graciously invited folks to come and camp at the trial grounds (their home).  They felt certain our rig would fit down their driveway into the camping area. They said livestock trucks had no problem getting in and out.  We asked around with some other trialers who’ve come to this area and after watching the eyebrows raise a couple of times, decided we had better check things out beforehand.   We found the closest RV park we could to Longbranch, Washington; went in a couple of days early; and, scouted the route and the driveway before attempting it.  Indeed, it would have not been a good idea to try to take a big rig into that trial grounds area.  At first we were disappointed as it is always so much fun to stay on the trial grounds and be in the thick of things, especially when you’re the new kids on the block.  However, our alternative camping area, Spencer Lake RV park, turned out to be quite a lovely find for that part of the country.  And, now we have a “base of operations” should we ever decided to return to this area for more sightseeing and trials.

Laura Vishoot at the post--looking up field

As to the course, I could have sworn we were back on the east coast!  Ewesful Acres is a small field by Rocky Mountain standards.  The outrun for pro-novice and nursery was around 175 yards. Can’t attest to the yardage for the open course. The terrain here is  slightly up hill, and, the property surrounded by thicker forest than I’ve seen since I lived in Virginia. Despite the smaller sized outrun for all classes, the MacDonalds are well known for allowing  judges to come up with challenging obstacles in the open class to test everyone’s handling skills.  This year was no different:  a Maltese cross had to be maneuvered after the fetch and before going on to do the drive portion of the run.

Around the post

Sheep are apparently a rare commodity up in this neck of the woods.  So the sheep for this trial were a combination of two home flocks that included: scotties, coops, and barbs.  Or, some combination thereof.   There were 98 non-open  runs and 51 sheep.  They ran three sheep for each run. These sheep come from different flocks and are of different breeds, so it was clear from the get-go that whatever natural flocking instincts the sheep may have, they certainly weren’t going to be a factor this weekend!

Liddy finished 18th out of 42 teams to the post.  Not bad  considering she must have been feeling the same amount of culture and environmental shock as I was.  She had a beautiful outrun and lift. The fetch and the drive were a bit ragged.  And, by the time we finally got things settled down and under control, we were rounding the cross-drive panel and time was called. So, we didn’t get any of our drive points.  The sheep were less than happy to have any dog closer than 50 feet away from them; very light; and, as I said before,  not into flocking together.  It was good experience for both of us.

June 27, 2009

Spencer Lake RV Park off of Pickering Road outside of Shelton, Washington was the closest big rig park we could find to the trial grounds.  Even so, it’s still 35 VERY windy miles away.  Nevertheless, it proved to be a gem of a find.

Spencer Lake RV Park

Roomy sites in a nice wide open area.  Across the street is Spencer Lake and the Spencer Lake Bar and Grill where you can get a good breakfast, lunch, or dinner and have a drink overlooking the lake as well.  We spent far too much money on betting with pull-tabs. Next door to the park is a small neighborhood grocery store, and next to it is the world’s most outlandish and outrageous antique and womens apparel store either of us has ever seen.  We spent hours rummaging through the gorgeous and crazy clothes and nick-knacks. The owner was having a 30% off sale, and we came away with a couple of great bargains.  Down the street about 200 yards is a surprisingly wonderful bakery/deli/coffee shop, the Olympic Bakery and Deli…with wood saw sculptures on the side.  It’s hard to find an RV park with so many charming (and, good) shops in close proximity.  We felt like we’d hit the jackpot. Oh, and as for dogs….the very nice manager, Charles, thought they were very well behaved and wonderful.  He showed us how to access a little-traveled road just outside of the park where we could walk the dogs.  And, we found a spot where they could even run off-leash.  Perfect.

Walking area at Spencer Lake RV Park

Getting to the trial grounds was a  different matter.  We are totally unaccustomed to driving in thickly forested areas where you can’t see around the next bend, much less whether there are any houses on either side of the road.  We are also not used to narrow, windy, up and down roads.  So, finding Sue and George MacDonald’s place for the first time was a bit tricky.  Nevertheless, we did managed it.  Unfortunately, our prairie-loving dogs were not so lucky.   They turned quite green around the gills on  all of the twisty, curvy roads.  Poor Fly lost her breakfast, and, thereafter, could only be consoled by riding on Lisbeth’s lap.  We had been assured that we would be able to park at the trial grounds. Don and Jeanie–knowing our rig size–had suggested we look the entrance over before actually moving in. So, we took their advice and drove over in the truck first.  Most people, unless they’ve seen our rig, don’t understand just how big we really are.  And, even though a livestock semi-trailer truck might make it down this particular road, it wasn’t clear whether we would make it or not.  For one thing, we don’t bend in half.  For another, we have venting units, a TV satellite dome, and, a two-way satellite system on top of a thirteen foot high rubber roof.  In addition, the sides of the rig are constructed out of less-than-durable plywood and fiberglass; we are heavy; and, our road clearance isn’t the greatest.  We took one look at the entrance into the trial field and said, “Nope, this isn’t going to work.”  Which was fine since we’d already settled into the RV park anyway. Good call, Don and Jeanie.  Glad we listened.

May 28-June1, 2009

We ran in the Georgene LeBar Memorial Sheepdog Trial in Douglas, Wyoming this past week.  Our hostess, for many years, Georgene LeBar, died this year.  Her nephew, Dillon said one of her last wishes was to make sure her annual trial got put on one more time. Those of us in the sheep dog trialing community will miss Georgene and her trial. It was perhaps one of the most challenging trials around.  The terrain is a mixture of hills, ravines–that often have water in them– marshes, and lots of prickly pear cactus.  On the first day, a bridge substituted for the traditional fetch panels.  A prize was offered each year for the handler/dog team that made it across the bridge. Making it across the bridge with all five sheep was never an easy feat, even when judges tried to increase the odds by creating a funnel onto the bridge.  The sheep were always healthy, tough, and unpredictable. After two grueling days of competition, the top ten handler teams moved on to the  double lift final. The winner of the three day event received a much coveted LeBar Champion jacket. Georgene and her family and friends ran a top notch trial where everyone enjoyed true western hospitality. I doubt there is anyone who would disagree that this trial was as real  a test of an American handler’s stock sense and dog handling capabilities as there will ever be. Many believe we are witnessing the  passing of a “golden era” of trialing. I’m inclined to agree. Here is a bit of footage from that trial.

This year’s judge was Don Helsley.  And, this year’s winner was Beverly Lambert with Mirk.

I’ve retired Fly and Finn this year from open.  So, I ran my little black dog, Liddy (a Jennifer Ewer’s Sweep puppy) in the open-ranch class.  I was pleased she found her sheep and brought them down the field.  She also learned some good lessons in running in cactus and looking for sheep  when the terrain changes radically. We need to work on flanks and pacing. I’ve not been a very good trainer in that regard.

Lisbeth got to go golfing one day, but then came down with the flu. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a very memorable time.