Amy Posted September 17, 2002 Report Share Posted September 17, 2002 Well!!! How'd your trial go Bill? Details Please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PrairieFire Posted September 17, 2002 Report Share Posted September 17, 2002 Details? How's about Margaret Wheeler getting a 4th place in her first Novice trial - running my wife's Bob whom she first met the night before? No longer a "handler to be", that one... Gary Westbrook did a fine job judging - complained after seeing the Open course setup that he SHOULD have taken me up on my offer for him to bring a dog and get someone else to judge the 3rd Open run... 375 yard blind outrun (with equal and strong draws both right and left), 160 yard outdrive over a berm where you lost sight of the dog - but not the sheep, 250 yard severely angled crossdrive - back over up and down that berm, sheep that knew every single hiding place on the farm - draws changed in the middle of the fetch or the crossdrive - head for the barn? - nope, we're closer to the dry creekbed now...fake out that dog and head for the woods behind us... No 98's on this course - although Chuck O'Reilly managed a 91 on Sunday - the only run in the 90's with most in the mid-80's and a second place at 71...it's not a perfect, precise dog that'll win here, but one that can adjust immediately to the changes in draws and will cover fighting sheep under ANY circumstances... Ran my first Ranch class - 150 yard fetch, 60 yard outdrive and pen - folks seemed to like it as a step up from Novice... Novice folks seemed to like the 5 sheep I ran - and the short outdrive/wear enabled the sheep to settle before heading for the pen... Top Handlers were Chuck, Nora Ahlen, Kevin Bailey, Maralyn Fowler... Our own SueLee Robb was voted "Most promising up and coming handler" by a consortium of Open Handlers and recieved the Margaret Wheeler Presentation Award of a sterling silver whistle and horsehair lanyard... Terry Shaeffer decided to retire her old dog Tux and she laid down a pretty darn good "last run" for him... Christie M. took a Novice win home with her Flan... Rained on saturday, so the piper played in the schoolhouse and we heard the echoes through the hills. Mary's brother, Father Mike Sullivan, led us in the 9/11 Memorial Service friday evening - and the pipes played for our "absent companions". I tried to say something special for Liz Wilson, who I last saw exhausting at my trial last year, but had a hard time getting the words out... Weather was great, a fine soft morning on saturday, but we dried up and Sunday couldn't have been nicer... Thank you to all for your help and advice and thoughts - it couldn't have been done without you. I'll get the final results organized and posted on my website this week...honest. ------------------ Bill Gary Kensmuir, Working Stockdog Center River Falls, WI 715.426.9877 www.kensmuir.com [This message has been edited by PrairieFire (edited 09-17-2002).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret M Wheeler Posted September 17, 2002 Report Share Posted September 17, 2002 Bill and Mary, Thank You! I had a lovely, lovely time. Did someone say the hill was in Scotland? Well perhaps, but its little sister is at Kensmuir in River Falls, Wisconsin. Bill, you're a wee bit confused. Bobby was fourth for handling me! But I am so grateful for the opportunity to be run by a great young dog. And Inci, I believe I owe you some thanks as well for that wonderful chance. The food was tremendous. The best coffee, burgers, potatoes, burritos...all from Mary's restaurant, The Prarie Fire Cafe. There were outstanding dogs and handlers there. Each and every person was kind and generous to me. At the first dinner I got to discuss human politics, something I love almost as much as dog politics. Thanks Jim and Jim! The second night, lots and lots of premium dog talk. Oh Dear I was sorry to see bedtime come. Thanks Diane, Terry and Bonnie. Well back to the quiet life of the New Hampshire suburbs. More tomorrow about the most perfect pup in the world, Miss Nelly Belly aka Nell. Must be more rested to sing her praises. Thanks again Bill and Mary. Oh and thanks to the Kensmuir sheep for liking me. ------------------ Margaret retired terrierwoman, border collie newbie drumlins@adelphia.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Posted September 17, 2002 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2002 Gee Bill as far as I can see there was only one thing wrong with your trial..it's too far away from where I live! Good for you Margaret! And have fun with your new puppy. Oh one more thing were those burgers highlanders by any chance? Hmmm maybe next year I could take a little road trip.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L and M Ranch Posted September 18, 2002 Report Share Posted September 18, 2002 Hi Bill, Congrats on what sounds like a great trial!! Sure hope I can make it out there one of these times. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mayflower Posted September 19, 2002 Report Share Posted September 19, 2002 Yes, everyone, it was a good trial. I would like to take the time to thank all the people that I worked with at the set out pens on both Saturday and Sunday of the trial. Tom Bailey, Jada, and Emily all did a great job of moving sheep from pen to pen to put together the next packet of sheep to be turned out for the set out person. It wasn?t easy work, especially on Saturday when the weather turned rainy and the pens were terribly muddy. Many thanks to the following handlers that set out sheep for the ProNovice and Open runs, many of whom were setting out sheep between their own runs all day: Kevin Bailey with Blaze, Patrick & Gemma(it was Gemma?s first time setting sheep out and she did very well for a young dog) Bonnie Barry and Jack (first time they set sheep out) Gary (?back from the dead, long-lost, where?ve ya been? : ) Dickson with his dogs Cody & Newman (his first time setting with Newman and thanks for ?rising to the set out challenge?!) Mary Sullivan with Beth (who was also trying to do everything else that needed to be done to keep the trial running smoothly! Great job and dang?.you?ve got some great food at the restaurant of yours!!) And finally last but not least, I?d like to thank my dog Moss who gave me back some confidence in myself as handler by assisting me in doing a great job of helping set out sheep. It was the first time for both of us and something that I thought it?d be years before we?d be good enough to handle that kind of work. For what it?s worth, Moss (and his sister Gemma who I mentioned above) are young dogs. They won?t turn two years old until November 24. Thanks also go to Kevin Bailey and Mary Sullivan for having faith in us for getting the job done and giving us the initial ?go on and set sheep, you can do it?. My runs with Moss on Friday in the Novice class did not go anywhere near how I had expected or hoped for, so having the job of setting out sheep for the ProNovice and Open handlers did help overcome my disappointment on Friday. What an experience it was! : ) Again, thanks to everyone that helped out and I apologize for anyone I might have missed. It was a great weekend filled with some nice runs by good dogs and good handlers alike and it was also contained some great conversations with those same people. I heard a lot of good comments about the trial and how it was run. Definitely looking forward to next year! Donna May P.S. Bill, where's those results you promised? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chad Posted September 27, 2002 Report Share Posted September 27, 2002 Margaret, the next time you head for Kensmuir, can I bum a ride? I'll drive down from Maine to meet you, slit gas, tolls and driving, and promise to shut up my incessanr pontificating whwen you tell me to. This Bill Gary guy is on my short list of people I've got to meet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret M Wheeler Posted September 27, 2002 Report Share Posted September 27, 2002 Sounds like a plan Chad, but why would I tell you to stop ponificating? That would mean that I would have to pause MY pontificating long enough to do so. It's a match made in heaven if you ask me. Want to stop and see Inci on the way? ------------------ Margaret retired terrierwoman, border collie newbie drumlins@adelphia.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chad Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 Yes, a stop at Inci's is non-negotiable! I'll also either 1)play the fiddle for you or 2) refrain from playing the fiddle for you, at your option, though I must tell you that nothing will get me more in the mood for sheep & dogs than a bunch of good Scottish fiddle tunes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikw Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 You are all most welcome,nothing like playing dogs on sheep all day with company. I get into rut after awhile doing the same thing over and over every single day and always look forward to company with Border Collies. ------------------ Inci Willard Clearville,PA 814-784-3414 ikw@pennswoods.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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