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The Shed at the Bluegrass


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I have a question: What was the success rate of handlers completing the international shed last weekend VS. other trials? Were these difficult sheep, difficult field? What made this shed so tough? (or was it?)

I was fascinated watching, and felt so sympathetic toward the handlers/dogs for their efforts. What happened with Alasdair's shed-to-pen and back again?

Handlers?

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I found the shed to be very difficult for a variety of reasons...

1. My dog was very, very hot

2. My dog had his mouth very wide open (had several close encounters of the sheep kind around the course)

3. He has done it only once at home on very simple sheep (my fault totally, but who would have thought the Buff fluff would make a double lift, guess I better finish training him now)

4. He has no eye (zilch)

5. and seems to me I had about ten collared sheep out there, dunno how they let that happen!

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I wasn't there, but I did do some research on the sheep because I was considering buying them. According to the broker, they were feeder lambs, about 7 months old. They weighed 103 pounds on average leaving Texas two weeks ago. Lambs are squirrelly.

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The only shed I watched was Lyle's and she seemed to get her's without a hitch. But it was the first run and nice and cool in the morning. IMO, the sheep worked better in the morning and became heavy in hot midday weather.

 

One note, I think the exhaust pen should have a few sheep in it to help create a draw for the first run. The pressures change for the shed when there are sheep in the exhaust versus when empty.

 

Cheers

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I was scribing on the run that included the shed-to-pen-and-back-again. The shed on the last sheep occured outside the shedding ring which made it not valid. The two judges conferred immediately, and the judge with the responsibility to call the sheds, called "reshed" to the handler three times at least as he proceeded towards accomplishing the pen. When he didn't appear to hear the calls to reshed, an individual (the course director, maybe?) went onto the field to tell him to reshed. At that point, the handler had made the pen. The time clocks had been stopped and were restarted when he had gathered the sheep back into the shedding ring and begun to reshed.

 

As for the sheep, several judges commented to me that they were very consistent, worked very well on the field, but were difficult to single (in particular) and shed because of being lambs.

 

For what it's worth, in my very novice opinion. All in all, a wonderful trial but I wasn't out there sweating on the field!

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I wasn't there for the final go-round but thought I'd comment anyway. :rolleyes:

 

One note, I think the exhaust pen should have a few sheep in it to help create a draw for the first run. The pressures change for the shed when there are sheep in the exhaust versus when empty.
I think having sheep in the exhaust can work for and against. I certainly would have been happy with *less* of a draw to the exhaust on my second run with Twist late Saturday. Sorta ruined my shedding attempt since I had one who was quite desperate to join its buddies in the exhaust--the the point of imitating the best open jumper....

 

As for the sheep, several judges commented to me that they were very consistent, worked very well on the field, but were difficult to single (in particular) and shed because of being lambs.
It seemed to me that the lambs were plenty willing to single--as is always the case when you're trying to get a split. If we had been required to take a single, no doubt they would have been next to impossible to get! :D

 

J.

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I've worked lambs before (in my capacity as pen person) and found these to be pretty sane lambs. They were content to graze when left alone and the dogs and handler had about the same influence on them It seemed like the last two would not be budged from the group, singly or together, and there were some buddies in the groups, making it harder for some handlers. I heard they were recently weaned.

Bill, as a group they were darn healthy sheep, a lot of ram lambs still intact. They had a few tail docking issues in the bunch, found a few with incomplete docks and bands still in them, kind of nasty. They were far easier to handle than last year's sheep and a good site healthier for their experiences by the end.

That shed was something to watch. I really enjoyed it.

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Well, yes, Julie's right. It seemed that if you wanted to shed off two, you'd get one. If you wanted to get a single on purpose, that was really tough.

 

I think the sheep and the course set the bar high, and I think that's a good thing for a trial of this caliber. Of course, I wasn't running a dog, so that's easy for me to say.

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