One Step at a Time

And now, the Texas Sheep Dog Association’s 2022 season is complete.  A couple of weekends ago, many of us were at the TSDA Finals at Pat Ashcraft’s beautiful ranch near Stephenville.  

This year, the trial committee responded to handler comments that the finals should be something other than “just another sheepdog trial.”  The courses were more challenging than previous years.  Our Open Ranch class started with a looonnng outrun…some 330 yards.  This is more than the usual 250-300 yards for Open Ranch, and a struggle for some of the dogs.  It was designed to bring out the best in both handlers and dogs, and I think they achieved their objective.  I hope they will do the same next year.  Here is what Bo looked like picking up his sheep early Friday morning.  He is the very small black dot near the top of the screen between the two white fetch panels. 

And here are a few more images pulled off the video John took of our run.  I apologize for the quality of the images, but they were taken from quite a distance and cropped so you can at least see the dogs and sheep.

The weather contributed to the difficulty.  When my dogs ran on Friday, it was spitting rain and the wind was howling out of the north at 20+ mph, straight into the handlers' faces.  It was hard for the dogs to hear commands.  The inclement weather also made the sheep cranky and reluctant to move…unless it was to bolt for their friends in the set out pen or exhaust area.  Only a few dogs scored well, and that didn’t include Cody and Bo, but they did some things well.  

Bo ran first.  He was one of those who came up short on his outrun, angling across the course between the handler’s post and the sheep.  I managed to stop him, though, and gave him his “look back” whistle.  He did just what I asked, and also responded to my “come bye” command, which took him around the sheep where he needed to go.  The rest of his run was pretty ragged, but we did get our sheep to the pen before we ran out of time.  

Cody is better at finding his sheep, and gave me a nice outrun and lift.  

His fetch and drive were far from perfect.  They would have been better if one of his three ewes hadn’t been a fighter.  She came down the fetch pretty well, but then turned around and challenged Cody each time he tried to move them.  When I backed him off, they just stopped, so it was a pretty rough go.  We did reach the pen and almost had them in when we ran out of time. 

 

The weather was much better on Saturday, but our runs were not.  We did get sheep to the pen, though.  Bo and I timed out, 

...but Cody and I penned our sheep.  Each time the dogs and I participate in a trial, and each time we practice at friends' places on different sheep, we learn a little more about working as a team...and about things we need to do better.  We're progressing, one step at a time and enjoying each one.

It was a challenging weekend, but also a wonderful time with friends and a good way to end this year’s herding events.  Here are some images of our friends and their dogs.

Charly & Tyg on the Open course

Brent Phelps' Pete

Brent and Pete in the shed ring

Tommy & Jill Hefner

Jill & Mo, Open Ranch day 1

Steve Ridenouer & Roy at the Double Lift

Kay Stephens & Elfa Jade shedding...


...and at the pen.  Kay is co-author of the excellent, recently-released book,
"Think Like a Sheepdog Trainer"

Dennis Edwards and Max

Working on their shed...

...and getting it.

And, of course, Cody and Bo had fun off the course as well as on.  We look forward to next year.