Friday we had over 30 entries and competed in a unsanctioned point/time sheepdog trial, the course was the same as run at Rapid City Stock Show, Outrun, Lift right into a Figure 8 followed by a Y-Chute and Pen. Rick had a great run on tough sheep, we timed out just as I was closing the pen gate, many dogs feel victim to the sheep, either timing out with dogs unable to move the sheep or gripped out.
Saturday we switched over to cattle, the cattle were fresh and the course was difficult, the combination of the course and the cows did a good job seperating the men from the boys.
Here is the course, it was Point/Time, we had to get atleast one cow through each obstacle to move on.
We had 41 Open dogs, Ricky and I ran 6th and had a clean course right up to the pen where we timed out with 90 points, we held the lead until the 34th dog ran, Jean handled by Tim Gifford, we then sat in 2nd until Bob Johnson and Ruby running 38th bumped us taking over 2nd place. But we held on to third qualifying us for the 10 dog Finals. Wayne and Jake also made it into the finals I believe placing 7th.
Ricky and myself also ended up in good shape in Nursery, I entered even though we are already qualified for Finals in an effort to get more trialling expirence, the pen just keeps getting my goat. Ricky ran like a little machine, super consisent and easy to handle with the exception of when he went into business for himself midway through the course. But that wasn't what hurt us in Nursery, it was me giving him the wrong flank command at the pen when I was trying to ease a single around and into the pen while the other two cows patiently waited in the pen. When I gave Ricky the incorrect flank it bumped the cows in the pen sending them back out into the arena. Time expired before I could get things regrouped.
The Finals were run at 6 pm 4 cows, 2 with sale barn tags on their backs. The course was modified removing the fetch obstacle and the obastacle on the far northwest corner of the arena. They then added a large open mouth pen with a adjoining pen with a gate. We had to pen all 4 of the cows and sort the tagged cattle into the side pen within the 7 minute course time. Juan Reyes with Red came out on top followed by Laura Hicks with Rock in second. We were all pulling for Laura running her young son of Jag, it was a tough weekend for her after recently losing Jag, she was very emotional leaving the arena after a super run. Wayne and Jake took 3rd and Ricky and myself ended up 4th. All of us getting the sort completed, me just barely in time. John Holman was announcing and he called time just moments after I closed the gate.
I'll post a video later of Jake's run so you can see what the cows were like.
