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Whistle For a Cure SDT results


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The second annual Whistle for a Cure SDT was a resounding success. Held as a fundraiser for Joan Knight’s team in the Gail Parkins Memorial Ovarian Cancer Walk, raising money for ovarian cancer research, the trial smashed our goal amount by a long measure.

 

We were concerned about the weather forecast for Shoofly Farm near Oxford, NC as the weekend approached but even that worked out well. There was an occasional light mist during the running on Saturday, with heavy downpours overnight, and then the clouds parted for a gorgeous sunny Sunday, our main day for trialing, with spectators, raffles, gift item sales and our big fundraising lunch.

 

Start time was noon on Saturday, with just the Open class for this day. It was what I picture a farm trial should be, with nearly everyone there pitching in to help, a very laidback atmosphere, just good friends getting together for a little friendly competition. The outrun was not very long at 225 yards, but it was certainly tricky for some of the dogs. Four sheep, a mix of ewes, lambs and wethers, both wool and hair sheep, were set in a far back corner of the pasture, mostly hidden to the dogs by the rolling terrain and trees. Dogs sent right needed to negotiate their way around the farm pond, while dogs sent left had a clearer path but tighter top end and greater risk of bumping the sheep off before the lift. Just after the lift, sheep and dog dropped out of sight of the handler, coming up over the hill just before the fetch panels. They were a bit cranky about turning the post, then went back up a hill for the drive and back down for the crossdrive. Penning was pretty easy and then off to the split, which was sometimes pretty difficult. The sheep were a mix of two flocks, with 3 of each group from the home flock and a fourth from a neighboring flock. At the end of the running, we had a tie for 1st place between Julie Poudrier with Twist and Denise Wall with May. Another trip around the course for each found them separated by only 1 point, with Julie taking the top spot. 3rd place went to Peggy Wilkinson with Liz, and 4th to Robin French with Bill. It was quite a good day for the young dogs, as 3 of the top 4 places were taken by dogs just at or under 3 years old.

 

Sunday dawned wet and dreary but cleared off as we started setting up. With some hay spread on the mud, on we went. The Open course was completely different for the second day, with a more straightforward outrun, though still somewhat blind for the dogs, and the pond to negotiate to the right. The sheep again dropped out of sight on the fetch, but this time only if you weren’t exactly online. Fetch panels were eliminated for this course, as the fetch line passed through a marshy area at the edge of the pond. Two small trees marked the area of the natural “fetch panels” and the sheep had to be convinced to step down in there. The drive was pretty straightforward with a hard dogleg on the return leg, then pen and split. The sheep had learned where the exhaust was by Sunday, and the pen and shedding ring were fairly near it, so handlers had to keep it in mind and not let their attention wander or they’d end up off course quickly. We again ended up with a tie for 1st, between Julie Poudrier with Pip and Peggy Wilkinson with Sis. After the run off, Julie and Pip (in his 1st Open run!) ended up on top. Julie with Twist finished 3rd, and Tony Luper with Maid were 4th. Overall Champion for the weekend was Julie Poudier with Twist, with Reserve Champion being Tony Luper with Maid.

 

The quality of the competition in the afternoon novice classes was impressive. The course and sheep proved to be quite difficult for the novice dogs and handlers last year, but this year it was smooth sailing for the most part, as dogs and handlers treated the sheep well. The Ranch class ran a course somewhat smaller than the Open class, without the marshy fetch area. Ranch Champion was Lauren Seabolt with Mac, 2nd was Christine Henry with Meg, 3rd was Amanda Winecoff with Scott, and 4th was Julie Poudrier with Lark.

 

Pro Novice was won by Liza Williams, with a very pretty run by her Jet. Second place went to Kelly Jerman with Spottie, 3rd to Barbara Shumannfang with Kat, 4th to Sally Glei with Sid.

 

The Novice Novice class was very nicely done by all of the competitors, with a lot of calm, steady dog and handler work. Charlie Hurt and Deacon were the winners, with Lisa Roberts and Kat 2nd, Charlie Hurt with Patsy 3rd, and Pam Helton with Slick 4th.

 

The awards for this trial were truly unique. A local baker, Dorothy Booth, donated them. She took pictures of some of the Shoofly Farm border collies and printed them on icing on cookies, with different colors of “ribbon” (icing) around each one, to place each class. It was something different and quite fun.

 

The trial part of the weekend was really wonderful. The sheep worked well, the courses were good, and the competitors did a fabulous job out there. Even more impressive to me were all of the amazing people who threw in to put on this trial. I believe nearly everyone who attended ended up doing some job or task, and I know everyone pitched in as much as they could to make it all a fundraising success. I’m going to try to remember everyone here, but forgive me if I miss you – there were so many folks doing so many things, it was hard to keep track. Thanks to Julie Poudrier, Laura Carson, Peggy Wilkinson, Denise Wall and Sandy Gunter for all the setout and exhausting and all you did before and during the trial to help; to Dan King and Christine Henry for judging; to Kate Caldwell for the use of her sheep and for organizing and cooking the delicious lunch, Jim Knight for the yummy barbeque and Bonnie French for the slaw; to Joan and Jim Knight for organizing and running the raffle and sale stuff, and posting scores and announcing; to Lauren Seabolt for arranging the awards and the clerks; to our scorekeepers Barbara Shumannfang and Laurie Schulz; and to Dorothy Booth for the awards. I’d also like to thank all the folks who donated such nice items to the raffle, and those who couldn’t join us and instead sent in-spirit entries.

 

It was a great weekend and for the worthiest of causes, and I hope we can do it all again and even better next year!

 

Open 1 (20 dogs)

Julie Poudrier Twist 93

Denise Wall May 93

Peggy Wilkinson Liz 92

Robin French Bill 90

Tony Luper Maid 90

Peggy Wilkinson Buzz 85

Denise Wall Moss 82

Julie Poudrier Kat 82

Denise Wall Kate 81

Robin French Zac 77

Laurie Schultz Nara 74

Joan Knight Brook 73

Dan King Vic 63

Robin French Jet 54

Tony Luper Blurr 46

Colin Campbell Scout Ret

Julie Poudrier Pip Ret

Dan King Fann Ret

Laura Carson Nick Ret

Peggy Wilkinson Sis DQ

 

Open 2 (19 dogs)

Julie Poudrier Pip 88

Peggy Wilkinson Sis 88

Julie Poudrier Twist 86

Tony Luper Maid 86

Christine Henry Bess 85

Christine Henry Rook 80

Robin French Zac 78

Christine Henry Tweed 75

Peggy Wilkinson Liz 74

Robin French Bill 73

Peggy Wilkinson Buzz 72

Denise Wall May 67

Robin French Jet 67

Joan Knight Brook 54

Laura Carson Nick 50

Tony Luper Blurr 47

Denise Wall Moss 44

Laurie Schultz Nara 29

Colin Campbell Scout 21

 

Ranch (8 dogs)

Lauren Seabolt Mac 64

Christine Henry Meg 59

Amanda Winecoff Scott 59

Julie Poudrier Lark 57

Julie Poudrier Phoebe 51

Caroline Reichard Jim 36

Emily Falk Rae DQ

Mary Luper Ben DQ

 

ProNovice (12 dogs)

Liza Williams Jet 66

Kelly Jerman Spottie 64

Barbara Shumannfang Kat 63

Sally Glei Sid 63

Christine Henry Kep 57

Caroline Reichard Roy 54

Christine Henry Kaige 50

Robin French Nan 42

Laurie Schultz Boomer 36

Emily Adham Manse Ret

Laura Carson Linc Ret

Kate Caldwell Sam Ret

 

Novice Novice (9 dogs)

Charlie Hurt Deacon 70

Lisa Roberts Kat 68

Charlie Hurt Patsy 64

Pamela Helton Slick 63

Liza Williams Piper 55

Kelly Jerman Jen 53

Kate Caldwell Rose 47

Pamela Helton Bonnie 46

Emily Adham Case DQ

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Hey Sue - Check out the cookies, at the bottom of Christine's pictures from the trial --

 

http://www.pbase.com/pastorshill/wfac09

 

They were pretty cool! I'll have to take Julie and Christine's word on the yumminess. I didn't manage to win one. :rolleyes:

I saw the picture of the cookies. How cruel is that, that you can either have your ribbon or eat it, but not have both! Agh, thank goodness I did not go, would not have won a cookie/ribbon if I'd gone, and I have the hat to prove it.

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The cookies did look great. But even Fergie's "in spirit" participation was great fun.

 

She has never shown any interest in sheep. Probably because we have trained her from the start to ignore deer.

 

But I saw her watching the trials and following the dogs' work. She'd never done that before.

 

Then again, she loved my sister-in-law who died of ovarian cancer after a 5-year fight.

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The cookies did look great. But even Fergie's "in spirit" participation was great fun.

 

She has never shown any interest in sheep. Probably because we have trained her from the start to ignore deer.

 

But I saw her watching the trials and following the dogs' work. She'd never done that before.

 

Then again, she loved my sister-in-law who died of ovarian cancer after a 5-year fight.

Nancy - Sorry to hear about your sister. Yes, the contribution for a good cause was and is the important part.

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Joan asked me to post this for her because she was having trouble logging in --

--------------------------------

 

As I sit at home today with joint pain and nausea from Monday's chemo treatment, I feel even more grateful for all of the wonderful people who contributed to the Whistle for a Cure trial. There is no reliable screening test for ovarian cancer. Cure rates haven't changed in 30 years. A greater percentage of women die from ovarian cancer than from breast cancer. We need research dollars, and everyone who participated in this trial, in any way, helped us get some of those dollars.

 

Our grand total from the trial is $1888!

 

Robin French already posted a trial report that included a list of people who helped. My thanks go to all of those people, and to the folks who sent an in-spirit entry. I also want to thank the contributors to the raffle: Jim Knight, Laura Carson, Barbara Shumannfang, Peggy Wilkinson, Nick the yarn guy, Caroline Reichard, and Dan King. I appreciate each penny, each act of kindness, every ounce of energy that went into this trial. And a great big salute to my buddy, Robin!

 

Like Robin, I was impressed by what I saw in the NN and PN classes. Watch out! We have some "dangerous" people coming up. :-)

 

I was also touched by the number of people who talked to me at the trial, asking me how I was feeling, telling me about someone they know who has ovarian cancer, expressing kind thoughts. The entire trial was uplifting and gave me hope. Thank you!

 

Joan Stout Knight

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