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Sue R
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Originally posted by Sue R:

I can't believe I fell for that. Of course, I've fallen for several things recently.

Speaking of "falling for things"...

In honor of Sue R, I think that "Mutton Busting" should become a regular competition at the VA State Fair. I've seen it offered for kids at the other fairs in VA- it's pretty funny watching those little kids try to ride a bucking ewe. (However, it was not funny watching that ewe take Sue out in the "pen-itentury" at Richmond... Sue -How's the leg today?)

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I will NEVER forget the site of poor Sue, having been knocked over, in the chute, laying in the dust in pain, CANNOT get up, but can lift herself up on one arm to yell at Celt to lie down. (who had done a very fine job mind you, and was NOT done gathering those wiley sheeps.)

 

And with sheep heading towards her once again.

 

She's the bravest person I know... I told her that story will live in infamy!

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for anyone want to try mutton busting - just ask Sue R about lesson #1- if you're gonna ride a sheep -it's better to face the same way the sheep is going... :eek:

And yes - in all her pain (OUCH!) Sue had the presence to call Celt off - AND I was very impressed that he listened nicely even with her laying on the ground!

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Originally posted by Sue R:

I can't believe I fell for that. Of course, I've fallen for several things recently.

 

Offense wasn't meant and offense wasn't taken.

It wasn't my joke, heard this when I first started kayaking - many, many moons ago! (Yes, this crowd mooned, too.) :rolleyes:
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Originally posted by laurie etc:

for anyone want to try mutton busting - just ask Sue R about lesson #1- if you're gonna ride a sheep -it's better to face the same way the sheep is going... :eek:

And yes - in all her pain (OUCH!) Sue had the presence to call Celt off - AND I was very impressed that he listened nicely even with her laying on the ground!

I missed Sue's ride, and I sure hope you're feeling better, Sue! I'm impressed with your presence of mind, too.

 

But I'm writing to say that I once saw Robin take a loooooong ride on the back of a huge ewe, and Robin was facing me while the ewe was running away from me. Robin, didn't know at the time you were mutton busting!

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I'm pretty sure the mutton was doing the busting, not the other way around.

 

That's one helpless feeling when your feet don't reach the ground and you're riding along backwards, gotta tell you.

 

Poor Sue had one heck of a landing thursday, i saw it. Ouch!

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I want everyone to know that my mouth was closed when I hit the dirt - that has got to be a first!

 

The leg is not happy, particularly the hip, as I have cut back to a safe and reasonable level of ibuprofen. I probably should get it seen. However, it didn't stop me from getting a lesson from Susan today, although I rode on a folded blanket all the way down and back. I guess I can simply say it's been a pain in the butt!

 

As for my wonderful Celt, he was bound and determined to fetch those other two sheep to me and, had he not called off and had he been successful, I would have had sheep tracks right down my back! Bless his heart, if he had to pick one time to be obedient, that was the time!

 

What really hurt was that dialog with Sue A (or was it you, Laurie) - "Oh my goodness, the sheep stepped right on your face!"

Sue R - "No, the sheep didn't step on my face."

Sue A (or Laurie) - "Your face sure looks like the sheep stepped on it."

Sue R - "Well, gee, thanks. That's just the way my face is."

 

Really, you guys were very kind!

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I just got my new wands from Geri at Border Collies In Action. My old ones were getting brittle and giving me splinters. And I always lose the tips. I passed on the shocking pink ones but the new white ones have blue handles with red tips. They're still sitting here in my house and I'm using the old ones so I don't mess up the new ones.

Sorry to hear about your sheep accident Sue. My dog, Meg, who is a bit pushy, once continued pushing the sheep over me after I tripped over a large rock while fetching backwards. Only thing that saved me was I reached up and deflected the sheep that was going over the top of me.

I missed being seriously hurt one night when I sent my dog in the pitch black dark to fetch the sheep at the top of the field. I sent him twice and he came back, not being able to see the sheep. I sent him the 3rd time and he must have believed me that there were sheep out there cuz I didn't hear him for a long time. Then I heard the thundering of hooves coming right at me in the darkness. Either sheep see much better than humans at night, or I was extremely lucky they missed me. I never did a stupid thing like that again.

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Originally posted by Sue R:

What really hurt was that dialog with Sue A (or was it you, Laurie) - "Oh my goodness, the sheep stepped right on your face!"

just for the record..it wasn't me! how could I have seen your face with all the "egg" on mine from my runs... :rolleyes:
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Thank you, Laurie, for clearing that up. I think I will just have to blame Sue A for letting me know that I look like a sheep ran over my face. I guess that beats having a cow run over my face!

 

I want to make it very clear to everyone that Celt did not drive that sheep into me! He and I were done and had exhausted our sheep. There was just a minor snafu at the gate - I went to close it and a wonderful gent who was the "gate man" said he would do it. I stepped back but what the gate man didn't realize was that the new sheep were setting out and the set-out dog had flanked them - right towards the open gate!

 

So, sheep #1 came flying from out-of-sight and through the open gate and into me. Then, Celt proceeded back into the arena because he was on a mission to bring sheeps #2 and #3 to his mother, who obviously couldn't do so herself because she was down and playing in the dirt.

 

Just to let you know it was NOT my dog's fault - just a series of errors.

 

And, Joan from CA, your "sheep in the night" story reminds me of the time I was dumb enough to send the dogs out to fetch the 21 Angus weanlings in for feeding in the pitch black. I could hear them coming at a run, eager to eat and with the dogs at their heels, but I sure couldn't see them. Like you, I am grateful animals seem to see much better in the dark than I do!

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Sue!

 

I didn't say you looked like a sheep ran over your face! Just that it looked like one ran over your head during the action. Hmm. That still sounds bad. Let's just leave it that I was worried that you might have more than a hip injury! You're one tough broad. Hey, that still sounds bad...better quit while I'm behind. : )

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Hmmm. SOMEBODY looked me in the face and said that it looked like the sheep stepped on my face and pointed to my forehead to prove it! I am just blaming YOU! But that's because you are so sweet that I can get away with it, and because I'm sure it was you.

 

Meanwhile, I do have an appointment with my doctor this afternoon. I have a dark purple, painful bruise the size of Rhode Island, covering places I won't mention in public.

 

The doctor will probably take one look and go, "Ewww, that's ugly!" and that's before he even gets a look at the bruise.

 

Sorry, but it hurts, hobbling around and hurting is getting old (and so am I), and I'm cranky. And I'm pouting because I won't be able to get to another trial until Susan's at the end of the month.

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From the dark ages here....what's with wands? We use wooden crooks or Alu crooks here in the UK. For training and keeping cattle at bay a piece of alkathane water pipe does the job. To turn up at a trial with pink fibreglass...don't think I could find a smilie to describe the scene...

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The white fiberglass wands are nice - they are light, inexpensive, easy to see (except in snow), and are very easy maneuver. You can swish them and tap them on the ground, etc. They are great for training.

 

As for pink, I couldn't do pink myself. I don't have a crook at all (I don't have sheep) but I have a longer stock stick for work with cattle in the barn and in the field.

 

Folks who trial at higher levels use traditional crooks at a trial. Novices often just use the training wands because they are inexpensive and easy to handle.

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hey those "magic" devices are handy! I actually have quite a nice crook with my name engraved on it brought over by Harford Logan from Ireland. I would use it occasionally when I still ran Moss (also from Ireland). For a while, every time I would use it, he would win. It didn't work with Starr, the American/Scottish bred dog. How's that for "luck of the Irish"?

Renee

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I ended up buying a crook this year, for the simple reason that the ground had been too hard to poke my white stick into the ground when I went to the post.

 

If you can't get the white stick into the ground, what do you do with it?

 

Lay it on the ground and then take your eye off the action to pick it up.

 

Stand it against your leg or the post and have it fall over.

 

Or maybe lean on it in a slight sitting position (as I have seen some people do), of course I would probably fall on it and then you all would be laughing hysterically (not to mention a possible trip to the ER, try explaining THAT one!)

 

Nancy O

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