Trialing

I go out to the post with a winning attitude and try to team up with my dog. Who the judge is and what my score is has little effect on how I view my run. Many times I have felt that my score was too high. Not too often did I feel it was too low. :0) That makes me think I'm a harder judge on myself and my dog. I know when we have done well and I certainly know when we have done poorly. Sure, I like to come in to the placings, but personally, I'm not even interested in the score (other than to see where I stack up in a big competition in someone else's eyes) That may sound weird to those who are taking photos of score sheets, but that's how I view it.

Everyone says open is so different (harder) than pro-novice. I must be a bit odd, but I don't view open (now) as much different from pro-novice. Stretch the outrun and throw in a few sheds. It makes it more challenging, but not exactly harder. I waited way too long to put Jet in open. He was ready by 4 yrs. of age, but I didn't start him in open until he was 7 yrs. of age. Possibly, because I wasn't ready. Everyone kept telling me how much harder that class was.

Yoko is just starting to shed now. I don't have a time frame for her to trial in open. I know she can fetch sheep at any distance. And, she is a team player....way more biddable than her mother. So, most likely she will be ready to compete in open by the time she is 3 sometime next year. Right now we are concentrating on ranch work. I am so looking forward to fall/winter when we can go out to work in the desert. Lord willin' and the creek don't rise.