Arena Trial

[Debbie Crowder-BaaramuLuke]

For Open, in particular, what kind of course is typically found in an Arena trial? The Virginia State Fair SDT this year (Thursday, Oct 4) is in the covered arena, even smaller than the one it's held in, the old one was demolished sometime last year. The judging will include an outrun, lift, fetch, drive, pen and shed, but in a 100X80, what else can be done? Chutes, Maltese Cross, tougher shed (ribboned sheep maybe), looking for ideas and on what is acceptable for a USBCHA santioned trial.

[juliepoudrier]

I think a Maltese cross, penning into a trailer, and/or a designated shed (must shed X number of collared sheep) would add to the difficulty. I can't even imagine running an open course in such a small space. I suppose you could also add difficulty to the drive by doglegging it or adding extra gates or something....

 

J.

[Guest WoobiesMom]

When is it on Oct 4th? I have classes that night, but would love to take a look if it's happening in the early daytime hours.

[Sue R]

It starts at 10 am and ends by 5 pm. At least that is what happened in the old arena. Timing is strictly controlled at the VA State Fair.

 

They've used the Maltese Cross the last couple of years but you know that, Deb. Getting into chutes and such would make it resemble an AHBA course, at least if they were located around the perimeter.

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Freestanding chutes are fun and challenging, but the more "clutter" you stick into an area that small, the fussier it is and not in a good way, I think. But you work with what you've got. I'd love to try it - anybody got an Open dog I can borrow? LOL.

 

100 by 80 is smaller than either of my front paddocks, wow!

 

ETA: I love the trailer idea. Now that WOULD be fun to watch - only seen it once.

 

I'm going to try to make it up - Woobie's Mom, we should coordinate, maybe we can kill two birds with one stone so to speak.

[Guest WoobiesMom]

Hey! SFVA has a honey competition too! Wonder if you can buy from the entrants? Then I could kill LOTS of birds w/one visit!

[Debbie Crowder-BaaramuLuke]

I think I under-estimated the arena size, let it be said that it is smaller than the regular one. Bright side-this one is covered, so shady and dry if the weather is an issue (not that it rains anymore). BTW, let it be known that if it does not rain by Friday, it MAY NOT rain again til Monday, right Julie? We got the fence up at Montpelier yesterday, hurray. We had a big chick (me), an older gentleman-shearer, a farmer with hardware hands and his skinny wife, another skinny corgi chick, a tall gentleman from Luray and his son who came to help fix his pop's gashed tire (stumps on the edge of the field) all cattledog legends now, except the corgi woman and me, and the job was done in no time flat. We hope to have LOTS of take down help Sunday evening, and set a new worlds record on take down. So, no rain, drought or no drought, between Friday night and Sunday night. Bring on a tropical storm after that.

I got lots of good ideas for simple challenges that won't clutter up the thing Thursday, and our Judge (The gentleman from Strasburg) says bring them on, Pete isn't running.

Girls, and gents, Josh Turner concert is 7pm that night at the fair. Take the whole day off.

[SoloRiver]

I've been in two arena trials, if I remember correctly the first was not sanctioned and the second one was. The first included an undulating fetch/drive around orange traffic cones, a freestanding chute, a chute with a bridge up against one wall, and a trailer for a pen. No shed. That one was time/points. The sheep were Barbs which made things rather interesting. The second had a standard trial course, only much much compressed. The main challenge there was making the turn after the first drive gates fast enough to get to the second drive gates given that they were like <100 feet apart or whatever (I am not good at estimating distances but it was your standard state fair rodeo arena).

 

Whatever you do, and I am not saying this just to put in an oblique plug for my genetics project, do not schedule the trial so that it coincides with the state fair fireworks show. That's what happened at the CA State Fair, and not only did it totally ruin the run of the team that was on the field at the time, it sent a dozen handlers scrambling for the parking lot to make sure no one had broken out of a crate.

[Debbie Crowder-BaaramuLuke]

Hey, that's a thought...a late evening class for hearing impaired BC's! Beryl could run again!

 

Just kidding...your ideas are good! The fireworks are after 9pm, our trial runs 10am to 5pm. The fair is always a fun test of concentration, no matter what time.

[Sue R]

The fair is always a fun test of concentration, no matter what time.

 

Take your choice - human cannonball, motocross, or Godzilla. Never a dull moment at the end of the old arena.

 

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Don't forget the Ferris wheel! Though that was pretty tame - they've been upping the ante since then. Sounds like the game of "let's see whether we can distract the sheepdogs" is over now, however.

 

Can't wait! I've got the go-ahead to go up there. Need any help, Debbie?

[Debbie Crowder-BaaramuLuke]

We ALWAYS need help. We have a call in to the wonderful Sue Mullins, equine director at the fair, who we answer to, about what they're leaving us with in that arena. As of today, it was set up for team penning (we could try to do that, with dogs, put little numbers on all the sheep and you have to shed out all of them, then pass them to a second handler who picks them up and sends them to another one who pens them at the far end). If they leave it set up like it is, we lose 20feet at the top to pens, but judges stand is on that end, and for once we have the ability to send sheep out of the other end, as well as exhaust them in another gate, same end. It may be most sensible to let Open dogs pick up their sheep where they lie, on the fence or not. Spotting may get too crowded and they'd lose the extra distance, but Open dogs should be able to pick them up off a fence, right? It does sound AHBA.

 

I think it's going to be a cool trial. No lizards this year, but plenty of noise.

[Debbie Crowder-BaaramuLuke]

Been thinking about Team Penning. We always have a plan for IF we have extra time at the end of the trial to use up...the Fair people want us to entertain til 5, no finishing at three and leaving. We never have that problem, but what if...

 

We COULD have a team penning contest. (Help me here) What if we had one (or two) handler(s) with a dog (or dogs?) who had to sort out the sheep with the appropriate numbers, like team penning, and handler #2 had to stay at the "post" and send his dog to pick them up and then pen them? Cool idea or stupid? Timed, and judged for disqualifying stuff like grips, mostly judged on time. That might be fun. We could either chose teams, draw, whatever.