July 25, 2010: Drought Over
Our drought is well and truly over here in Wales. This week we were flooded! The rain came down so hard and fast that the culvert going under our yard from the hill almost completely blocked with silt and debris, leaving a river flowing through the yard. Thankfully the water coming off the hill through the yard was diverted into a drain, and not anywhere near the house. Our ponds are overflowing now, streams flowing like rivers...and the water is running across our training field once again.

The dogs loved the rain! OK, well, one night they weren't so eager for a long evening walk, preferring instead to be tucked up tightly in their warm, dry beds, but for the most part they have been good sports. One morning I had Meg, Sioux and Jamie up on the hill in the pouring rain. I was sick of being inside and decided that come rain, hail or shine, we were going to go play with some sheep. The dogs eagerly went with me for a short work out. The sheep were not impressed! We made it short. Jamie, who has been injured, got only a few minutes but Meg and Sioux were put through their paces. All of us were completely drenched when we finished. As I was coming off the hill, I decided to put the hood of my coat up. Bad mistake! Water had pooled in the hood and I managed to tip it all down my back. Soaked inside and out.

After the Selattyn trial, I decided that my dogs are not fit enough. So I borrowed the rickety, old, no-brakes quad bike and whirled it - and dogs - around the top hayfield a few times. Border collies are smart. Once they figure out I go around the perimeter of the field, some will sit in the middle of the field watching. Bee is always in front of the bike enthusiastic to the tee. Steffi is always on Bee's tail. Sioux at my side. Meg and Jamie coming up the rear. Bailey in the middle of the field, always in view of the bike and the silly dogs that do run with it. That dog has attitude!

This week we went off trialling again but not together! Kelvin went with Gene and Hilde, friends from Belgium, first to the Berriew trial and then to Abernant. Gene had drawn an early run at Berriew and me one of the last runs of the day, so we decided to divide and conquer (well, try to!). I went in reverse order going to the Abernant trial early and then to Berriew. Abernant is only 25 minutes away from home so I thought I'd catch some early runs and see if I could make it to Berriew in time to see Kelvin run Tina. I managed to get there just as Tina came through the fetch gates! Almost impeccable timing.

This is the second time I have been to the Abernant trial. Last year I made a huge mess at the pen with Jamie...does this sound familiar? Could I repeat it? Yes, I could...but this year I got the darned things in the pen and the gate closed! Success...sort of. Sioux ran well but pilot error on the cross drive put us squarely in the 'also-rans' category. Meg had a fair run too although she was on the muscle and had her paws in her ears to my steady commands. In the shedding ring Meg came into a small gap like a rocket, surprising the heck out of me, and promptly turned onto the wrong sheep. Better fix that communication error, and fast! At the pen, though, she was outstanding!!! I don't know how we got the sheep in the pen but Meg was not backing down and she held her cool under extreme pressure. I was in awe and admiration.

At Berriew, Tina ran well from what I saw. She is starting to get some fitness back, and starting to listen well again. Kelvin had some navigation problems on the cross drive and was called for standard...and the standard was high! As soon as he finished running, he, Gene and Hilde headed for Abernant while Bailey and I were in for the long haul as I had runs 15 and 42 for the afternoon. It was going to be a long day.

The Berriew trial is very popular! It is one of the few pre-entry trials on the calendar, and always over-subscribed. Last year we did not enter this trial as it is one of the 'big ones' and, well, we're just a couple of rookies. This year we wanted to try some bigger trials and some new trials, and of course, see dogs and handlers we only know by name but have rarely seen in competition. The Berriew trial did not disappoint. The field was absolutely delightful. A good sized outrun and a nice, long fetch! The sheep were exceptional. The food...well, any trial that offers chocolate cake gets my vote! (and the chocolate cake was delicious!). The competition...well, another week of a Welsh 'who's-who' and at least one English invader, Vic Morris.

Just a wee aside about Vic Morris. I first ran into Vic in 2008 at the Felindre Trial - my first year of Open trialling, and Felindre was one of my first trials in Wales. I was running right before him and in my state of abject terror, he kindly offered a few words of advice. I promptly went onto the trial field and made a heck of a mess of things!! I did not fully appreciate the advice Vic gave me that day, but now it is something I think about at every trial (and often the mistakes I make are because I am not heeding this advice!). This week Vic came up to me and said I had improved a lot (I surely couldn't have gotten worse after my performance at Felindre that first year, could I???). Little does he know just how much that means to me! Sometimes a kind word from a top-class handler goes a long way...

Back to Berriew...the morning session of the trial consisted of any outrun, lift, fetch, drive and chute. In the afternoon, the back was put on the chute so the chute became a pen. The sheep clued onto this real quick and were difficult to pen.

I ran Sioux first and had a good run around the course but once again I let my little dog down at the pen. Two breaks later, points falling to the ground at every break, we had the little blighters in the pen. We finished with 8 points off the run and the lead - but it was a huge disappointment for me to have let Sioux down (again). I got a lot of advice about what I did wrong and what I should have done!

Nine runs later, Harcourt Lloyd and his Kate had a terrific run too and I thought had a deserving lead. I was shocked when the points went up and Sioux still had the lead, one point ahead of Harcourt. At run number 37 Glyn Jones took the lead with 7 points off. That was a good run and nice to watch! Meg still to run...my last chance.

Meg drew trickier sheep than Sioux so it was going to be an uphill battle, made that much more difficult when I had to uncharacteristically whistle Meg on her outrun. We had a good run around the course but the best part was yet to come. The sheep challenged Meg at the pen - once - and Meg would have nothing of it. The sheep just melted into the pen. Run over in 6 minutes and 15 seconds! Speed is not usually a good thing on Welsh sheep, as I am discovering, but the sheep were fast and the pen faster! Meg was once again incredible at the pen. I don't know where she is learning her tricks from because it isn't me!

In the end, Sioux finished 2nd and Meg 4th. Who would have thought that? !!!! NOT ME! Thank you Kevin for staying home this week. You gave us all a chance. :-)

I finally left the trial field at 8.30pm and with a two and a quarter hour journey home, it was a going to be a long trip home. As I was leaving, Lynne (the trial secretary) came running up to the truck with a hot dog, right off the BBQ. That was very much appreciated! The trip home was dreadful - rain and fog much of the way with 20 feet visibility at times. Sixteen hours after leaving home, Meg, Sioux, Jamie, Bailey and I, finally made it home, tired but happy. My girls did me proud!

Oh, I would have had photos had I remembered to put the card in my camera...