The Lengths One Will Travel

So the trial expedition in North Dakota started at the Slash J Trial.  Trial hostess with the mostest Joni Swanke had a great group of sheep and a great looonnnnnggggg outrun for the dogs.

It was time to meet up with new and old friends.

If you look far away, you can see the horse on the horizon - this is where the sheep were set.  For the first day, only about 1/2 of the dogs got to the sheep.   Gin did get up to the sheep, but surprisingly let them get back to the set out - resulting in our first RT of our holiday

 Some of us consoled us when our dogs didn't get out to the sheep - Tommy Wilson brought Janet Harvey a tissue to wipe away her tears.

 Janet returned the favor when Tommy's run with Roy went south.

 We didn't send out Stormy's dog Maggie - I bet she would have found them.

 Mike and Stephanie Goracke were the judges for the open ranch and nursery classes.

 As the trial went along, it started some of us to drink.

I even through Floss into the deep end and put her in the open - she got the sheep and we ended up even finishing the course.  She even beat Gin!  Gin was the RT queen, and if I had thought Floss would have done half well, I would have let her run in both open runs - who knows she may have gotten into the double lift.

 But alas, we were to be the set out crew for the double lift.  In the morning we lifted the sheep into the setout pen.

 By the end of the trial, the sheep would be glad to see the backsides of us.

 Dorrance helped at the pen - he was the professional spray painter.

 I set out the first lot for everyone - all the 15 finalists got their first lot.

 As it had to be 5 o'clock somewhere, we had a few refreshments at the end.

 In North Dakota they made big beer coasters.

 Notice the fine workmanship of the coaster.

 After the Slash J - in which Tommy Wilson and Sly won, we headed off to the Big One put on by Rene LaBree.  Gin and I was to be first up.

This was the one and only run Gin would have -she did get her sheep 800 yards away. We got done this course with a screaming score of 53 - yes, I felt like screaming. 

 Hopefully Becca, who seemed to study the course, will have no trouble when she is sent out in a few years.

 There were a few wrecks when sheep would hightail it to the hills.  We all helped to get the wreck fixed up.

 On the last day the wind blew, and the big hats were worn at the Big One.

 The weather was pretty good for the first day, but a gale was blowing in our face the next day.  Only dogs who could do a silent gather had a hope in hell.  Gin did not have a hope in hell - apparently she has forgotten what a silent gather is all about.  Floss on the other hand did quite well.  However, she was quite speedy and the sheep do not like speed.  At least she made her outruns - next year will be much better I have promised her .

 Sue Shoen was the farthest traveller - her first trip out and she has vowed to come out again.

 It has been noted that even the dogs are driven to drink because of these trials.

I guess my dogs and I will have to go to Alcoholics Anonymous now.