Toss was perfect. He stopped at the top nicely and never really took a wrong step. I can't remember if he made the panels or not, but if he didn't, it wasn't because of him. He penned them with absolutely no trouble at all. He ended up 2nd. When he finished I told him we really need to get his whistles down pat because he's a Ranch level dog. I'm going to leave him in PN until winter. I don't want to set him up for not hearing me, and not being 100% on his whistles on a larger field. I'm entering Montpelier and that's a much bigger field. PN will be plenty for him at that trial. Not only is it a larger field, it is full of tips, rolls, and dead spots. It's a challenging field. Handlers have to send a separate form for their 3rd dog, so I'm going to enter Cruz and Toss on my first entry. Montpelier is a 'Toss field' more that it's a 'Gwen field'.
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Gwen also ran very nice. I have to admit I thought this field had a good chance of putting her into "bubble girl" mode. All that pressure. I was pleasantly surprised. Never once did she stall out. She happily took the little bump flanks that kept her from going too far to their heads on the drive. She made the driveaway panels nicely, but her handler let her down.... I had her push them deep through the panels and then fought for line points too soon... They came back through in a pull through. I asked Debbie what she took off and she 1 point per sheep, plus line points. Funny thing is that when I looked at the board it would have moved her to (by adding 3 points to her score) 2nd place. I had no idea it was Toss who 2nd until they handed out ribbons. She ended up being 5th I think. The pen was flawless, so I was really, really happy with that with her. Again, the sheep and the situation was the perfect scenario to put her into "must protect the pressure" mode. But she did not!! :-) She gave me little flanks and big flanks, and walked right in when I needed it. Carol told me several months ago that she had no doubt Gwen would work through this bubble stage, and I can see it happening. I need to keep on doing what I'm doing, which is keeping work at home close enough that she knows I'm there, and not ever setting her up to fail. I adore her so much. Actually I adore all of my dogs, but for some reason Gwenie is special. Gwenie will be my #3 dog on my entry for Montpelier.
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Sunday was Deal's 2nd time in Ranch. She was absolutely stellar!! It was on the big field and the sheep were set the same distance as Open. The way this field is set up there is a good size pond with a "dam" across it (path the sheep know, and most of the dogs don't). The pond is not far off to the right of the handler's post. Also off to the right (but slightly behind the post, whereas the pond is in front of the post) is the barn. The sheep wanted badly to either (or both) the set out or the pond/barn during the cross drive. LOTS of retires. Deal had a very nice outrun. I stopped her and gave her a redirect twice. Both times she stopped instantly and kicked out- it was perfect. 6 points total off the outrun. (3 points for each redirect the judge told me) It wouldn't be long and she won't need that. The fact that she stopped on a dime and kicked herself out so perfectly from that distance with the pressures of being at trial is great. She lifted nicely and our fetch was dead on nearly the entire way (the lift was the end of several runs). We made the fetch panels and had a nice turn. She had her line well to the driveaway panels and made them. Then it quickly fell apart. As I said, it was her 2nd Ranch run. As the sheep made the panel she swung all the way around to the left to bring them to me!! Stop Deal, Stop!! LOL! It was the only time on the whole course she didn't listen. We were still within recovery, but because of the dang pond it was over. The sheep came running up and beelined over the dam, across the pond and to the land on the other side of the pond, and were heading down the fenceline back to the set up. From the post, once they get to the pond, you can no longer see to help the dog. But if they go around, or across the pond, you can see them again. I was told I was off course once they went over the pond. It was a bummer because Deal peeled them off the fenceline and brought them back to the barn (exhaust) without anything but whistles and with no hoop-la. :-( Even if we had missed the cross-drive panels and not penned, we would have placed because so many people retired or DQd. Losing the sheep across the pond was not caused by her, except for the fact that she had PN in her brain and wanted to bring them back to me and then could not cover before they beat her across the pond. (if it had been cattle I could have swung her back to the right and she could have stopped them before they got to the pond...) So although we didn't get a score, I was thrilled with her!! She was OODLES better than the she was in Maryland in January. The biggest thing I look for in her is listening, and other than the one time she really, really thought she was doing the right thing she listened 100%- good girl Deal! :-) Deal's #4 on my Montpelier entry because the Ranch course is really a big one there. Gwen has a better chance at being successful in PN. I don't care about placing, that's not how I define successful at this point. Right now successful simply means the dog listened and the dog worked to the fullest of her current capabilities.
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Cruz and I ran for the 2nd time in Open. I have to admit I was really afraid. Not that my dog would let me down, but that we wouldn't look as though we belonged out there. Again, there were RTs and DQs left and right. The lift and/or the cross drive were the problem. Only a few got to the pen, and most of them were not pretty. A few less got to the shed. Some did some didn't. There were almost 30 dogs and Cruz was about 20th, which was to our benefit as I've never been to a sheep trial there (I've been to 2 cattle trials there). I sent him and asked for a stop about half way. I kinda sorta got a stop and kinda sorta got a little kick out. But he has such awesome stock sense that he can be a little tight. He lifted beautifully even though he didn't have a big huge outrun. The judge only took off 6 points. Fetch was great, made the panels. (by now I'm almost forgetting which way to turn). Turn was nice, drive away was nice, made the panels. (now I'm going- holy shit!) Crossdrive was awesome!! Couldn't believe it. This is where most lost the sheep and I hardly even had to help Cruz keep the line. I can't remember if we made the second panel, or just missed it, but either way it was nice considering most didn't even get that far. We got to the pen and penned them almost right off the bat. (thanks to Carol and talented dogs penning is always very, very likely for us) Now I'm really going holy shit!! I hadn't even thought about the shed. We only worked for a bit and there it was. I called him through, held one.... then I hear "you have to take two dear!" SHIT!! It was a damn split, not a shed!! I had watched the chosen few that had gotten that far, but I guess I didn't pay close enough attention to the fact that they were taking two. We worked and worked, but of course now the sheep are on to us. It was 90 degrees and 3 O'clock in the afternoon. After several attempts I pretended to keep trying, but basically just had him hold the sheep till time ran out. The split wasn't judged, it was 10 or 0. Out of 28 dogs (competitive dogs) Cruz would have been 4th with 10 more points. He would have had an 85- and 89 won the class!! I felt so bad I did that to my dog!! But it's not about placing and I'm not going for points. I can't afford the time and the money to run enough to qualify for or feel worthy of running at finals. I'm so proud of my dog!! I know now that we're on the right track and we just need to keep plugging along even through the times that I don't feel like I'm getting in enough training or big field work. As Carol has been telling me- we can do this. :-) I don't feel like this was a lucky run in the sense of my handling or my dog's abilities. There is always an element of luck with the sheep you get, yes of course. Sometimes no matter the handler's skill or the dog's talent the sheep are going to win... I'm excited for Open now, and that feels really good! :-)
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