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ASCA Trial...Day One (Long!)
I'm no writer, or overly poetic in my writing, so here goes the
report for yesterday's ASCA trial. Yesterday was Bodhi's 2nd Birthday. It was raining. A Lot. From the beginning, I could tell that the sheep were tougher than any we've ever worked. Ever. Lots of small lambies, all woolies though, so that was a plus (in my book!). And the Take Pen walls were short panels. Maybe 3' high at most? Instantly, I had visions of sheep just simply jumping up & over to get away. Of course, the running order is Advance, Open, then Started (our class) is last. So, we get the joy of watching how difficult of a time the more experienced dog/handler teams are having of it. Of course, the Started people can move all over the entire course, aaah, the beauty of Started! :-) Half way through Open, I notice that the sheep are fetching, somewhat, to the handler. Oh yeah! That is a definite plus for Bodhi & I, who aren't ready for actual driving in trials yet, but he's a good, natural (a plus in ASCA) fetcher & really thinks it's his job to keep the sheep to me. Finally, it was our turn to go in. I was nervous. I'd read the rules, but still really didn't fully understand a lot of it. ASCA is different. Cool, but different in the way they score & judge the runs. But, I went in. I felt like there were a LOT of people watching. I think that is definitely something to having a breed that isn't very common. We were obviously the only Belgian there, and we were the only non-Aussie, non-BC in our class aside from an English Shepherd. I open the Take Pen door. You can send your dog to go in & take them out, or in Started you can go in & help your dog. If the handler goes in, you automatically lose half of your points on that section. I fully intented to go in. However...when I opened the gate (cattle gate covered w/ black plastic), the sheep looked at me, then I told Bodhi to go on in. He stopped in the gateway, sizing up the situation. One of the sheep looked at him & pretty much said, "Screw This!" and lept up & over the pen gate--out of the take pen! Okay now, this was NOT off to a good start! laugh Now I was really nervous, thinking I just needed to go to the bathroom! I asked the Stockhandler, "Now what? Are we done? Should I move back so you can get that sheep back?" He laughed and said, "Oh hell no! I'll just grab ya another one!" I laughed, nervously & too loud. I sent Bodhi in, he split them. We'd practices a nice send in on a Go Bye (clockwise), and with me helping him, he always did it nicely. I am kicking myself for NOT going in the pen (and WILL go in today!), and it wasn't out of arrogance, it was as if my feet were stuck to the ground! Anyway...once we got them out, we were good to go. Had a bit of trouble in the beginning, trying to figure out how they were going to behave. They kept wanting to flock around the Y-Chute in the center of the pasture. Finally, I let Bodhi circle all the way around them, then it was like they seemed to say, "Okay, lets play the game the Wolf's way..." We managed to get all the way around the course, in time even with our beginning trouble (time starts when you remove the leash, or when you send your dog). I helped him on the first obstacle by going through, but the second one I stayed out, so we managed to get more points there. The natural draw on the course was to the Take Pen, but we had to get them back over to the far corner & in the Pen at the end. We lost a few points at the end, because one little lamb kept trying to head back to the Take Pen, but Bodhi persisted in keeping him with the rest of the group. The judge gave us a few complimentary words, then we were off to wait. I really didn't even know if we'd Qualified, simply because I don't fully understand their scoring. In ASCA, you're judged on completing the course, and on how the dog actually worked. That was something the judge stressed in the handler's meeting. He was there to see how the DOGS could work the stock, not necessarily on how the handler could control the dog to work the stock. So we waited around until all the classes were finished (It was cool watching cattle!). When the judge began our class, he commented on what a tough group of sheep those were (all classes work the same group of sheep, actually), and what a nice Started class it was, and handed out the non-Q papers to the handlers. Then the Qualifiers. I waited...waited...waited...I was almost afraid they'd lost mine! They had Bodhi confused with another dog named "Brody" that was absent earlier in the day when we got our armbands! Then he started class placements...4th...3rd...I was beginning to get really anxious! 2nd place went to a really nice run w/ a tri colored Aussie... then 1st place... The judge started out by saying, "I really liked this team. They worked very well together, and I especially liked the fact that the handler walked in there with confidence and trust in her dog. You could see that this team has a good level of trust between them, and that is such an important factor in successful herding. First place goes to Belgian Shepherd number 50." Woo hoo!! First place out of the Started Sheep class. Yay! Okay...I'm super tired, and off to try for another leg today! Those sheep were tough, so if we can manage the course without anything getting injured, I'll be happy! :-) I think, if I can remember, I will send him into the Take Pen on a Go Bye, then walk in & down him. Maybe that will help settle the sheep a little bit...we'll see how it goes. Shelly & The Boys -- "A breeder who has no interest in rescue of what he has produced is of no value to anyone, and of even less value to his breed." -- Dr. Malcolm Willis, Author, Genetic History of the German Shepherd Dog http://www.geocities.com/shellybrosnan/deerranch.html |
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