Sheepy time!!!

Yes, it's that time of year again.  It's the mad Meeker dash with folding chairs for that coveted spot next to the handlers facing the pen. It's jostling mega millimeter lenses. It's 4 am freeze and 4 pm swelter.  It's time for spinning wool and catching frogs in the irrigation ditch.

It's pancake breakfasts, 

funnel cake, kettle corn, lemonade, custom Powder River cowboy hats and  hand tooled leather.

(Bob Klenda's work)

 It's time for Sheepdog Trials!!!

This year it's a trifecta- Soldier's Hollow, Meeker and the National's at the Strang Ranch all in 3 weeks time. Well, a trifecta for some, I only got to Meeker and Strang's.

There are no "Have you seen Babe?" jokes here… oh no…. this is serious business… this is a tight knit caravan of sheepdog fanatics who follow the handlers and the dogs with an intensity matched only by the most fervent baseball statistician. I try and explain it like golf, you're either on the edge of your seat watching or bored to tears after one run.

This is Meeker (and that's Sky in the tub cooling off)

This is the view from the Strang Ranch with Mount Sopris in the background.

The culmination is the "International Double Lift" on the last day.

Handler and dog walk to the post.

That's Amanda Milliken and Dorey.

The dog is sent on the "outrun"and the 30 minute clock starts. 

The dog runs full out toward the first group of 10 sheep. You lose points for "crossing center" (the imaginary line between the handler and the sheep) so the dogs run on a sweeping ellipsoidal arc away from the handler and away from center.

Those sheep are over 500 yards away from the post.

See that little dot of sheep way up in the left hand corner?

Next task is the "lift" when the dog gets the sheep to lift their heads. 

Then the drive toward the first set of fetch panels. This should be as straight a line as possible between the "lift" and the handler.

Through the fetch panels and to the orange cone…

and then, perhaps the hardest thing for the dog, the "look back". The dog looks back, sees the second group of 10 sheep and is off like a shot to the second "lift" (hence "double lift"). I've seen lots of heartbreak at this point. The dog wants to drive those sheep straight to the handler. Leaving the first group of sheep takes a huge amount of trust and training.

The second "lift" is much like the first - run as straight as possible, through the "fetch" panels and group all 20 sheep into one bunch.

Then it's herd those 20 around the handler at the post. The tighter around the post the better.

Think Buzby Berkeley

Around the post and up to the first set of "drive" panels. This is a "left hand drive". Through the panels and drive those sheep across the field to the second set of drive panels. If the sheep stops to eat- you lose points. If the judge sees a sheep face instead of a sheep profile, you lose points.

The drive portion finishes with 20 sheep herded into the "shedding ring".

Now it's time for the handler to leave the post.

That's Ron Burkey and Sky (everybody look left)

See those sheep with orange scrunchies? Those 5 should be the only one's left inside the ring.

A very delicate dance starts between sheep dog and handler...

No not that dance...

The handler sorts out the 5 collared ones from a cluster of sheep, the dog applies pressure on the opposite side and the sheep mill.

It's very non-Euclidian. 

If a collared sheep rejoins the non-collared you regroup and start over. So that's one thing both dog and handler try and stop.

Scott Glen and Don turning 2 collared sheep back.

 It may be best to let your dog take a water break at this point. Remember, they've been running full out and fighting stubborn sheep for at least 20 minutes at high altitude and they're hot- very hot. 

That's Gail cooling off and Alasdair keeping a sharp eye out.

These are top notch stock dogs pushing the limits of endurance and they need hydration just as much as any marathoner or triathlete. 

If you manage to separate the 5 …

and run off the other 15 far enough away….

Then, and only then, do you "pen" the 5 collared sheep.

Remember, this whole time the handler can't touch the sheep with their crook, the gate or anything else. Likewise if the dog bites ("grips") the sheep it's a disqualification.

…and we're talking vicious mutton here… these are not Welsh Sheep with a Samsung contract.

These sheep have been on the range all summer and as far as they're concerned dog=coyote=death.

Prey animals fight back. 

One, and only one, handler got a pen at this year's finals at Strang's… Alasdair MacRae and his young border collie Gail penned those sheep and won the Nationals.

Alasdair MacRae

Well done Gail!

Ron Enzeroth and Mick walking away with a win at Meeker.

Mick getting a well deserved dip in the tub.

I highly recommend the documentary "Away to Me" which follows handlers at the Soldier's Hollow competition.

…or you can just get the game…

Here are links to more pictures of sheep and dogs.

Meeker:

http://piperspix.com/galleries/herding/

Strangs:

http://www.kerribackphotography.co.nz/product-category/sports-events/usa-sheepdog-finals/

and more from me…

http://ziskachilds.com/Meeker/Meeker_2012/content/index.html

http://ziskachilds.com/Meeker/Meeker_2013/content/index.html

http://ziskachilds.com/Meeker/Meeker_2014/content/index.html

http://ziskachilds.com/Strang/Strang_2014/content/index.html

(I want a bigger lens)

(photo Allan Trumpler)

A Trial with a view

Bridget Strang is doing a great job of hosting sheep dog trials up on Missouri Heights. You couldn't ask for a prettier place or a prettier time of year...

Dawn at Strang Ranch.

That's Mount Sopris in the background.

Early morning still had frost on the grass.

and one of the first runs of the day with a little dawn light. It was pretty cold- around 20 F.

but that didn't stop the dogs....

Here's Bridget with Treat on her first run in the Open on Saturday.

Afternoon and things started to warm up.

Put the Nationals on your calendar for next year. 

Time for Meeker

.... and  we're off!

Meeker Sheep Dog Trials 2013... semi-finals tomorrow and finals on Sunday

Meeker 3 - heartbreak

Five days of sheepdog trails at Meeker- they're all top dogs.


This uploaded backwards- so if you want to start from the beginning go 2 posts down to "Meeker"


Ian and Peg got all the non-collared sheep out of the ring with about 10 minutes still on the clock- that's really fantastic.


Now the only thing left to do is get the 5 sheep with the orange collars into the pen.


...and heartbreak one of the little lambchops gets away and rejoins the herd. Which means Ian and Peg have to start the shed again and bring the whole group into the ring and shed down to the final 5 once more.

The really tragic part is that this happened to Ian and Peg *three* times in the last 10 minutes. They got the final 5 shee up to the pen and then one little mutton breaks off and rejoins the flock. Once was bad luck, twice was really bad luck, three times- heartbreak.

Meeker 2 the shed

Let that one go...

This is an amazing time for Ian- he and Peg have almost shed all the sheep without collars...



There go the last two! Now only the collared sheep are in the ring


Ian waves his crook to move the non- collared sheep farther away...


While Peg holds the 5 collared sheep in the ring.

Meeker

The Meeker sheepdog trails the biggest cash purse in the sheepdog world. This is Ian Zoerb and his dog Peg (they finished 4rth) in the double lift finals on Sunday


Bring 'em in Peg

Right into the shedding ring... with a good amount of time left on the clock (Peg did one of the nicest "look back"s I've ever seen. This is a double lift so there are two groups of sheep to bring into the ring- She brings one group in and then waits for the "look back" command and brings in the second group and then herds all of the sheep into the shedding ring.


Almost half the 30 minutes left for the "shed"


Hold 'em Peg. Ian works one side of the sheep and Peg works the other. Only the sheep with the orange collars are to be penned all the rest have to be "shed" or moved out of the shedding ring.



Oops- not those- that one has a collar on- that one stays..