AHBA trial

Friday was AHBA day at TASK FARMS.....sheep, geese, and cattle.  They run in the field and the arena.  I usually only run my dogs in the field.  Why?  Because it's too expensive to run both and the arena courses are too short.

We normally run the field in the OPPOSITE direction, but Terry has been mowing and grading because we will be running the field in this direction for our June USBCHA trial.  It's hard to tell in this photo, but the field slopes downwards and then has a slight rise to it.  The field looks great.  The footing is awesome.  Thanks Terry!  Thanks Mike and Kyle.

This is Larry's female ACD (Australian Cattle dog)  If she isn't the cat's meow.  ACD's are not my breed (everyone I have known growing up has bit me)  I would have like to have kidnapped this little girl!  She was so attentive.

Eddy Aldrich's JOE finished his AHBA Championship in the field.  Way to go Eddy!

This is Sally Douglas's CASH

And, this is Sally Douglas's TRAPPER

I am still not getting the clarity I expected from my new camera, but of course, I haven't had any time yet to read the directions.  LOL

Marsha and Larry's pups saying "HOWDY."

This is Terry's TIP working arena geese.  There was a new group of geese today and some wanted to work well and others....well, they are birds.  I still like them better than ducks (maybe) :0)

When I left the trial in the afternoon, Yoko was still holding the winning score on advanced field geese.  Yoko doesn't have much come forward and the birds appreciate her style on them.

I was feeling especially ambitious and put Champ in field geese non-competitively.  I put him in as non compete so I wouldn't tend to want to put pressure on him.  I was very pleased.  He enjoyed himself thoroughly and actually won his class (technically).  He had never seen panels or a pen and made them all.  Later I put him in the arena, and we had a crappy set that didn't want to work in the hot sun.  I worked Champ quietly and calmly and he didn't get rattled at all.  I was pleased.  But, it was a bit too much pressure in a small space in arena geese. Champ has a lot of come forward....the opposite of his half sister. He is kind of an excitable boy on stock, so it is especially important for me to stay very calm with him and allow him to think things out.  He did fine.

The tigers have been caged!

Not really...hahaha  Eddy came by after the trial and picked up my 3 Barbs to take back to Bakersfield to add to his flock of sheep.  That puts me down to 4 sheep.  I will be looking for some replacements this Fall.  The Barbs just weren't a good mix out in the desert for me. 

Funny story.  In the mornings when I feed and clean the sheep I take Champ.  He has a little routine.  While I set hay in the feeders he hangs out quietly.  Then, as I let the sheep out of the barn to eat I put him on a stay by the gate.  As soon as the sheep are eating, he comes into the barn with me while I clean.  He knows he isn't working so he doesn't mess with the sheep.

Well, this evening I took him down at dinner time to feed the sheep while Wayne was away on business.  Champ came in through the gate and wondered why the sheep were out of the barn.  Freckles wondered why Champ was there.  She ran full tilt at him to bonk him.  He stood his ground.  I almost had a heart attack.  I shooed Freckles away from Champ and put Champ on his usual stay at the gate.  While I was feeding the sheep in the feeders in the barn, Champ must have figured it was the morning cleaning routine in the evening.  Next thing I know he is in the barn with Barbs flying over the top of him, Buffy trying to kill him, and me almost landing on my face.  What a ruckus!  Really, I had to laugh.

Loving the Champster.  He is so laid back off his stock.  He is great to pal around with :0)