tucknjill

Hey, you guys up for a spring trial March 4th and 5th? I have so many open ewes, I think I can have a trial...15 and 20 entry, no payback..low key...fun trial...Any takers? I will get it VBCA and HA Sanctioned.

Ok, signiture line updated...Can you say firesale boys and girls.

Alright Marilyn, I will party with you at Bluegrass..I am sooooooooo excited to be going this year. I expect my long island iced tea to be waiting at my camper...I will trade you a tequila shot. (my personal specialty! ) And what the heck is a pudding shot?

You sly dog! I am jealous, bet the trial was way fun.. Congrats!

Oh my, when is the clinic..that is definatly one I would pay to go to!

I am still trying to figure out where the hell Jawja is?

Maybe one day I will get smart enough to wait till they are a year old..until then I will just keep on taking my nine week old pups to sheep... Sam Furman

Ahem, Markus...Didnt a certain Jody dog WIN her first pro novice class by one year old? I am certain she was still cutting adult teeth when she gripped her first sheep...

Land isnt bad over by me and Christine...in large parcels (a 500+ acre farm with one old house) sold for a million two the other day which is really pretty darned cheap..you can probably buy under a hundred acres for 3500-4000 per acre here..some pretty land too. It is all zoned a-1 here ( you just have to get a special use permit to have a sheepdog trial...Friggin politicians)

I bet you money its like Glenn said and that is the property owners tree stand...I got the no trespassing signs to put up around my property "if" we have a problem and I plan on buying steve a deerstand for xmas. You should send the photos to Jay Leno though, maybe you can make some money...

After today Joan, yes I would LOVE another Fred!!! Jenny, tell Scott the checkup really REALLY helped. I took him to Tommy's today and he was a very very good boy! Yeah I guess we can wait on a good birthday.... As you know, I can be patient...very very patient... uh huh, yeah that is me all over.

Mark you shameless thing... Would you hurry up with my pup please?

November 17-20 FrontRunner SDT Many thanks to all who made our first year in Cumberland a smooth and easy transition. This years course was quite a bit more challenging than our trials in years past at our Richmond farm. The outrun at our new farm is roughly 425 yards and the first go of open had a drive of roughly 525 yards. Combine that with hilly, rolling terrain and some slightly cagey cheviot cross yearlings and well, you can guess the outcome. The sheep were challenging but worked well, most all proved hard to pen and shed. Many thanks to Tom and Florence Wilson of Gordonsville VA for selling me these wonderful sheep. As with all trials, this one being no exception...I couldn't have managed without a superb support crew. Many thanks to my husband for supporting me in everything I do and for doing the cooking for the handlers supper and all my friends who helped with the trial. To Randy Munford for sticking with me when almost no one else would have getting those blasted trees cut down and cleaned up and getting the field ready. To Robin French for doing all the paperwork, judging the novice classes and holding my hand when I needed it. Scott Glen for doing an awesome job judging the open, Warren Mick and Debbie Crowder for handling the top end and doing a darned fine job. Alice Urqhart for keeping all my helpers fed and bartending (wow, what a shot). Andrea Dekenedy, Dean Holcomb and Colin Campbell for pre trial prep. Sue Rayburn, Karen Shoemaker, Lauren Seabolt, Deb Mickey, Nancy Ortiz Sharp and anyone else that stepped up and helped with clerking and paperwork. I know I have forgotten somebody, not because I didnt appreciate the help, just that so many stepped in and lended a hand. Thank you thank you! Thanks to Dan King for the trophies he donated. They were truely unique and definately added something special to the awards...Very unexpected and very appreciated. I also would like to thank Whitehall Methodist church for providing the Concessions and Ron Hardiman for all the help he continues to give me. Who knew that when I hired a fencing contractor I was getting a full service handholder? Also, as always I would like to thank our Sponsor Bil Jac foods. Steve Overbay again stepped up with a generous supply of dog food, shirts, bags, umbrellas and breeder packets. We really appreciate their support and look forward to many more years working together. Thanks to all the handlers that supported me with their entries and we look forward to seeing you all next year along with some new faces and hopefully we can make it an even bigger and better trial next year. Till then happy trialing. Sam Furman RESULTS Novice Novice 5 dogs 1. Ann Johnstone Gabby 38 Pro Novice 15 dogs 1. Sam Furman "F"red 62 2. Mark Billadeau Jodi 61 3. Dave Clark Clair 57 4. Sue Asten Brook 54 5. Randy Munford Grit 53 6. Dave Clark Roy 51 Ranch 12 dogs 1. Tom Wilson Whip 59 2. Randy Munford Vic 51 3. Dave Clark Luckert 47 4. Dan King Jiggs 38 Nursery 1. 8 dogs 1. Christine Koval Tweed 2. Anet Haitcox Jax Nursery 2 5 dogs 1. Anet Haithcox Jax Open 1. 68 dogs 1. Sally Malloy Paige 79 (1st open win, way to go Sally!) 2. Nancy Obernier Nick 77 3. Gene Sheninger Jess 76 4. Tom Wilson Sly 74 5. Carla King Maid 74 6. Bill Couburn Hope 70 7. Christine Koval Rook 68 8. Julie Poudrier Twist 68 9. Christine Koval Bess 65 10. Denise Wall Mick 64 11. Craig Rogers Celt 64 12. Stu Ligon Nap 63 13. Warren Mick Glen 63 14. Kay Sander Quest 63 Open 2. 67 dogs 1. Craig Rogers Celt 90 2. Stu Ligon Nap 87 3. Gene Sheninger Jess 86 4. Lori Cunningham Riff 83 5. Gene Sheninger Jen 83 6. Christine Koval Rook 81 7. Florence Wilson Cap 79 8. Denise Wall Mick 78 9. Barb Levinson Gin 77 10. Christine Koval Bess 77 11. Nancy Obeneir Ben 77 12. Tom Lacy Megan 76 13. Polly Matzinger James 76 14. Don Whittington Finn 75 Permission to reprint

I second what Julie said. No unsportsmanlike conduct should be allowed at trials. Period, end of discussion. There is NOTHING that gets me hotter than to see a bad sport, whining individual, esp one that doesnt/hasnt ever hosted a trial or event. Also, just my two cents.

Happy thanksgiving everyone! We just put Scott on the plane this am and I Hope he is sleeping comfortably in his own bed tonight. (we nearly killed the poor man) I have to thank everyone that helped make the trial what it was, I think I had the best time this year that I ever have..(all except for Sat evening and sunday am that is! ) We couldnt do it without everyone pitching in and boy everyone sure did. I am already getting judges set for next year and Warren has promised me to come back and set out or judge whatever we need and Debbie has promised too...sooooooooo here is to next year if I can overcome the zoning board and the a@@hole next door. Poor man, he doesnt know who he has fooled with, maybe CGT can clue him in eh Charlie? Oh Julie, a trial every month? NO FRIGGIN WAY!!!! Now I am home from thanksgiving dinner and I am NOT getting up at 3 am again tomorrow morning..I will KILL ANYONE who calls me tomorrow! This is Sam signing out till next week...ah pajamas and my book and leftovers...Bye Bye!

Sheesh, Noon, I expect you by noon...duty roster starts then! We bushhoged the field where the trees came down (68 at last count) and picked up the last f@##ing stick, branch stump today. Poor Randy (god I say that alot!) and poor me (I say that even more!) It nearly has killed us...Robin and Colin even came and helped out this past weekend (Colin, I WAS up by 630, liar!) Randy is coming to help tarp the pens and put up some panels tomorrow..I will load the horse trailer with the tents and get it out there...I need to do scoreboards tomorrow and then I think we are good to go. The sheep are doing GREAT! Sooooooooooo we are ready I guess... Bil Jac guy called tonight and he is bringing a ton of food and shirts, AND jackets he said, I was THRILLED. We also went to the store and bought all the food, just have to get the spirits. Did I miss anything...LORD I AM TIRED. Oh yeah, I am washing your sheets and cleaning yours and Robins palace TONIGHT. (yeah after ten..) Dont expect a friggin mint on your pillow... Get yer a@@ here!

OMG I want to die...Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh Andrea, where the heck are you??????????????? I am dying here.... Debbie (noooo we dont want YOU to get lost) You can park up by the house if you think that would be helpful (that is closest to the pens, gotta keep you happy) When are you coming in?

Hey I read it too..very interesting!

PLEASE DONT LYNCH ME GUYS... Due to the large number of open entries that we got (probably gonna top 90 today) we had to make some hard choices and I dont want to cut the course, time,or run to a standard and I dont want to put everyone on a waiting list sooooo we have moved the lower classes to Thursday afternoon allowing everyone time to travel in the am if they choose and then we will run the open over Fri sat and Sunday. Please RSVP to tucknjill@aol.com that you have seen this message. Also we reserve the right to shorten back to the original schedule if a bunch of dogs cancel. Please be tolerant, we are trying to give everyone a chance to come and not feel rushed runnign their dogs. Sam PS I will be away from today till Sunday so it will be Monday till I can answer any emails.

I was just joking with Robin about that at Edgeworth..she was riding me around and said NO WAY I am putting that flashlight where stacy did!

Fifty lashes with a wet noodle you overpaid volunteer... Hey got the insurance today, ribbons ordered, Hired chipper shredder guy, contracted stump man, called Credit card company (so I can pay for all that!) and called Bil Jac guy. See havent I been such a productive little redhead.

do you think I should put something on Sheep L?

Not very effectively I am afraid..Mostly I walk them in comptatable groups at trials since I usually have so many (upwards of ten) and at home, I have three big yards..and if they are still doing it, I just fuss at them and I might put up the offending candidate. AND IF THAT DOESNT WORK I generally beat them till they cant walk! (Libby!) (anyone who knows me knows what a joke that is!) I keep about three house dogs and the others are split into two yards of about three each..and if I were totally honest with you, they do run the fence with each other some. (big yards, dunno maybe 1/2 acre or better) and while I dont like it one bit, I like it better than the alternative of crating them and rotating them for excercise. This way they are out all day running/playing and they stay fit and are a bit tired when I take them to work...therefore less of a young dog yahooo period at the beginning of the session. I just make sure they are split into compatable groups. Anyway dont know if that answered your question or not..guess I just structure it to avoid the problem to begin with and they all have pretty good manners so they listen when I have them out with me.

Now there is a word I can spell...Yes it is TURD.

My dogs all play...My biggest concern and reason for limiting it is that I am afraid they will hurt each other by playing to rough. I have not found it to affect their work, though I dont like them to "work" each other.