AHBA ranch trial

Small but fun. I could only enter one day because of work. The sheep were big Dorsets...some of the girls looked to weigh an easy 200 lbs. If you think Suffolk sheep can be ornery, Dorsets are right up there with them. Kilt and Yoko were in the advanced class.

The course consisted of a take pen...handler had to stay at the take pen and drive the 10 sheep through the Y and Z chute at the other end of the arena. Handler could leave to go put the 10 in another pen. Five sheep had blue collars and they had to be sorted to still another pen. Rejoin the 10 and take them to the 2nd arena. In the 2nd arena they had to panels to pass through while the handler stayed at the gate and then load and unload all 10 into the stock trailer. Take them back to the original arena and do the z chute and then a free standing pen and then repen.

They were cagey. If you let them get to near the freestanding chute on your drive they would play ring around the rosy sticking to the sides of the pen. Sorting was a difficult task. Some of these ladies were very large. They would stand off your dog, stomping and threatening. The stock trailer proved to be challenging in trying to open and close the doors, the side door, etc.

After the Z chute upon entering the original arena they wanted to book back to the set-out.

All in all it was very fun. Kilt is listening so much better. She even listened to 3 wrong commands. She took them, but gave me looks that would kill. I don't blame her.

Baby Yo had her work cut out for her. Yoko doesn't have a whole lot of "forward" and was spayed because of that reason. She had to hit some heels and blast the group a few times. When we got into the 2nd arena, one big old fat Dorset wanted to graze on some green stuff. She decided Yoko was in her way and ran at Yoko. Yo wasn't real happy with that. She finally reached way down deep inside of her and gave a bark bark bark and jumped at her. I almost gave up my position at the gate to go help her, but she figured it out. Phew....

Anyways Kilt was first and Yoko was 3rd from the advanced class. It was hot and windy, but the girls did just fine.

P.S. We would have rather had been at Lacamas....next year. :0)