There will no posts here or to The RTC II-Jed for the next 2 weeks, but please check back often to the BorderSmith Blog. I will be blogging from the road with commentary, pictures, results and dish from 2 of the year's biggest sheepdog trials. Stay tuned...
This week's lessons:
- In the groove
- Out of the groove
- Half a pound of cure
In the big field again, I used to Price to set sheep on the high end, then took Star and Mirk and began walking to the bottom. Learning from yesterday, we stopped half-way, I staked out Mirk, and sent Star for his sheep over a distance of about 200 yards. Even though they were slightly obscured behind some low brush, Star ran out well away-to-me, found them easily, and looked quite keen during the entire process. I allowed him to fetch them a short way, then together we drove them back up on the hill for Mirk. This is my last full day to tune up for SoHo and Meeker, so I ran the hair off Mirk before giving Star another go. I had Mirk leave the sheep a few hundred yards away, and sent Star away-to-me. With the sheep in plain sight, he ran out like a shot, and looked every bit his old self doing so. I called him off, we walked a few hundred yards away, and I sent him again only this time, come-bye. I was watching for it, and he again pulled in while eyeing his sheep. No good. I again called him off and we walked a short ways away. This time, I left him lying down, walked to the sheep, and sent him come-bye using the presence of my body to push him out wide on his outrun. Not only was he nice and fast and keen, but he made a beautiful gather. That worked so well that we repeated the endeavor for the same result then re-grouped for shedding.
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