P-Ville 2012

This is what we saw and heard ALL weekend long.  HONK! 

Doesn't matter whose dog it is, you know what the next picture would be....HONK...by the judge.  DQ for gripping.

The judge didn't allow ANY grips unless he really thought the sheep challenged the dog.  The sheep would have these staring contests, waving their legs in front of the dogs nose and the dog was to hold his ground and keep pushing on until the sheep made some movement.  Sometimes the stand-offs were painfully long and people timed out on the drive.

I'm not sure how much disrespect or stupidness the dog should be asked to give in to.....My girls do not have lots of experience with these ewes and both gripped out both days.  Each got a little further on the course, but heard the repeated HONK from the judge.  Yoko made it all the way to mid cross drive when she just imploded.  She couldn't take the dawdling pace any longer.  LOL  I thought Kilt was going to get around on Sunday when she did this pretty stop at the top along with a nice lift.  But, coming around the post with the sheep between me and her, I couldn't see her and the sheep were leaning as hard as they could on her.  She was quite patient for a minute or so.  And, then bing badda bing, she went for a nose.  The ewe jumped in the air, she missed the nose and the ewe fell on her side.  Thank-you.  HONK.  Bummer.

In all actuality, I think these were the nicest of the P-Ville sheep I have had the pleasure of working.  It's just that you had to have a dog VERY comfortable with working this type of sheep.  My dogs do not get out enough on different types of sheep.  C'est la vie.  It was fun anyway.  And, I was in good company with the DQ's.

Been rode hard and put away wet.

Lots of the sheep were missing partial ears which might indicate having to fend for themselves on the range.  But, honest, I think I only saw a few drop their heads and jump at the dog.  For the most part, they did alot of staring and leg waving.  Yoko was so cute on the first leg of the drive.  She had a leg waver.  I kept telling her, "No Yo"....she NEVER took her eyes off that sheep.  She does not back down.  She did get away with a jump to the ewes face to continue through the first drive panel.  That was nice.  But, as I said, all of that built up frustration just imploded on the cross drive. :0)

Yo says, "Come over here so I can kick your butt."

The sunset on Friday night was fantabulous. 

The cows each night wander through the trial course to come for water and a bit of a look around.  Curious creatures, they are.

Sun going down.  Makes you happy to be ALIVE.

Champ resting on a trailer just in front of the sheep pens.

Champ just waiting his turn.  Not this year, lad. :0)

The three amigos look to their left....cows!

 

Champ found himself a good view.

This was a good trial for Champ to come to.  There was lots of room for him to visit, play and mind his manners.  He still considers himself the 'Don Juan' of Border Collies.  He started lifting his leg at this trial.  he is quite the "studly" Do-right....or at least he sure thinks so.

 

This is the BEST part of trialing.  The camaraderie.

And, the food!  AND, the drink!

Sitting around the fire pit

Kilt was wandering around somewhere in the dark.  I went to get my lantern to look for her.  Everyone yelled, "Turn OFF the lantern."  They pointed to the sky.  We ALL saw a UFO.  Well, let's put it this way....none of us could identify it.  It was HUGE, flying low and slow in a giant V with about 5 red lights on each side of the V.  It slowly went across the sky.  Wowser.  We hadn't even had any Cognac yet!  (BTW...Kilt finally made an appearance)

Yoko is always so happy to see her friends.  Erin ranks right up there in the top three.

 

The long and dusty road

Yoko helped set-out for the pro-novice on Sunday morning.  Here she is bringing the 300 head of sheep to the pens.  We have had little rain this year if at all.  The wash was dry sand (no water this year) and the foxtails and burrs were rampant.

Now, that's a HAPPY Yoko

Yoko working with Judy's Ruby

Carie did the setting ALL weekend long.

  She brought Gopher to chase the cows away.  She brought Cait to set.  And, she brought Jig to get some experience in the pens.  I am in love with Jig.  Well, I'm pretty much in love with all of Carie's dogs.

Jig says, "Hey Mom, what do you think of my goatee?"

Looks like the Sahara desert with the sand piles.  This is the overnight sheep pens.

 

Saturday night didn't bring the clear, vivid sunset of Friday night, but it brought a neat looking misty sunset with the cows in the field.

 

"Hey, Mom....we can't wait for you to make the couch into a bed." 

We are plum tuckered.  Champ slept next to me all three nights.  Normally, he sleeps outside in a kennel run by himself.  I'm telling you, he made no mistakes.  He didn't move all night, every night, right next to me.  He knows a GOOD thing!  He's no dummy.