World Trial Adventure

Point Chasing for 2011!

2010-06-28T11:20:00.003-04:00

Qualifying for one of 4 Canadian spots is now running!

The CBCA has yet to publish the qualifying process (they still have the 2008 info up!), but have hinted that it will be the same as for 2008...I hope so, because that's what I'm basing my trial schedule on! This year, entries to all the trials in the east are filling fast due to the points race for the USBCHA Finals, which are going to be held in Virginia this year - a reasonable driving distance for many of the folks in the Northeast.

So Tap...No pressure or anything, but we need to step it up!

Oh right, first we need to actually go to trials! Late start this year due to lots going on here this spring...Puppies, Kevin Evans etc. But now we are off and running!

Carreg Cennen Castle

2008-09-19T05:57:00.016-04:00

Carreg Cennon Castle viewed from the circular trail that we walked.

Update from Tuesday Sept. 16:

On Tuesday, we had a lovely 4 hour hike around Castle Carreg Cennen. It only rained a little bit. The dogs got wonderfully muddy and attempted to work sheep at every turn. I wish North America had so many public footpaths and right of ways! They had some really neat gate systems too - which John will design and build for Creekside (eventually).

Tap and Pat on the alter of the chapel.

Posing on the ruins - yes the Muck boots got a lot of wear on this trip!

This was a secret cave / tunnel that was underneath the castle. We didn't have flashlights and Pat wanted NOTHING to do with going down that dark hole...

Bragging rights of this particular castles were "indoor latrines". Basically a chute lead to a hole on the outside of the castle wall, probably designed to empty onto oncoming enemy knights...

Seen one, seen 'em all? No. Definitely not.

The sign says "Lord's Chamber". He had a great view over the land to spy his (probably) many enemies. I hear old lords were a cruel lot...I know this because I am reading Ken Follet's "World Without End" right now.

A neat looking forest...Could be in any Hollywood movie, perhaps about medieval witches...

Walking again.

These Mountain Ponies are basically wild and share the mountains with the sheep. Many of the mares were heavy in foal, or had foals by their side. They were beautiful.

We found a nice, clear stream by a series of ancient caves - all posted with warning signs about the dangers of caving. No warning needed here. We stayed safely in the open.

Another view of the castle, high up on the cliff. If I were the leader of an invading army, I would be turning around at this point. Guess what Tap and Pat are looking at? Baaaaa.

You would think the sheep on these mountains, leading a hard existence, would be small and thin and weathered. Nope. They pretty much all looked like this.

And then it was time to pack...Pack up all the muddy dog towels and blankets, bathe the dogs with the cold garden hose, clean their muddy crates...Ick. And WHY do suitcases never close properly on the way back? We hardly bought anything (everything there is double the price), except some Welsh cheese and Scotch. And it's not like I was coming home with any big trophies or anything...

Update from Wednesday Sept 17:

We packed a lunch an headed off early for London, as I thought we could stop in Bath on the way there (I am a Jane Austen fan!). We forgot that there is rush hour in other countries so were left with only 15 minutes in Bath - not enough time at all! The dogs had a bathroom break, their 2nd breakfast and then it was time to head out again. But I did capture the dogs in the park in front of the Royal Crescent. I bet Jane Austen walked on this grass too...At least most of her characters did! Pat and Tap enjoyed a roll on the lawn. The Crescent doesn't look as nice as it does in the Jane Austen films.. At Heathrow it was pretty hellish with the dogs, but we got them all checked in and loaded. The flight home was long, but not so bad. Good movies make all the difference! I can't tell you how happy the girls were to get back to Creekside.

I am not sure I would ever fly my dogs half way around the world to compete in a trial where the level of competition is so much higher than what I normally see. Next time I would be less nervous, and know more what to expect...And we met some great people over there...

And now the blog comes to an end...THANK YOU for reading and THANK YOU for your support - I am only sorry we didn't do a bit better, so that our generous sponsors would feel they invested in something worthwhile! I will be writing an article for DogSport Magazine, over the next couple of months, but really - everything is on this blog!

Signing off now...Until the next adventure!

To Breed or Nor to Breed? That is the Question.

2008-09-18T05:33:00.028-04:00

Again, sorry for the cluster updates! Since I am home now (and am wide awake at 3 am!) internet is widely available!

Monday September 15, 2008

So, yesterday I spoke with Mr. A Ll Jones of Bala. He came 2nd at the International with his split faced bitch, Bet. I asked him about the sire of Bet, Sweep, as a potential for Tap. Here’s the scoop:

Sweep has been on the Welsh team several times, and has sired several “great dogs”
He was qualified to run at the World’s (and to make the Welsh team was VERY difficult) but didn’t – not sure why. Never got round to asking…
Sweep is a son of Bobby Dalziel’s Jim and the Jones’ lines go back 50 years, with doses of Bwlch Taff and (of course) loads of Wiston Cap. (Apparently, Wiston Cap would be outside the pub while his master had a few and many people secretly brought their bitches to him as he was unsupervised! The old timers here say there is even MORE Wiston Cap out there than the ISDS stud books ever recorded.)

Anyways, didn’t get much else for now. Eyes are clear, but they don’t test for hips, unless they are exporting to us fearful North Americans…That doesn’t bother me much. If you saw the hills that these dogs had to work…Well, no dog with bad hips would last a day. And Sweep is 9 years old and still working the hills, apparently.

I also spoke with the 27 year old Kevin Evans with Mirk and Spot (a refresher: Mirk is the 2008 Supreme Ch., Spot is a littermate). Kevin got both of these dogs into the Finals yesterday but didn’t have winning runs that day.

I know nothing about these lines…He told me they were “very well bred”, with “a bit of Wisp in there” as well as Stuart Davidson’s Hope and Merion Jones’ stuff (It was very difficult understanding the accent over the phone !) However, several people told me they have been eyeballing Kevin's dogs for years, and the sire, Jaff almost won the Supreme - I think he needed a one point shed, but he gripped a testy ewe and was DQ'd in the shedding ring. But all who I spoke too said it was an amazing run.

The other factor is that our new friend Hywel (the farmer from the North) is taking his hill farm bitch to Mirk, so he really sees something in the dog. Generally, farmers don't like "Trial Dogs" as they tend to be "weak"... He also mentioned that Sweep might be a bit “hot” and I did see Bet (daughter) come off the field after her 2nd place run in the Finals at the Supreme looking for a scrap - she was definitely a hot little thing!

I really want to meet both before I make ANY decision, but time is against us – Tap is on day 15 of her heat today and we leave on Wednesday morning. Sweep is 4-5 drive hours north and Mirk is about 40 minutes.

Tap, you are making my life complicated!

Tap and ##Mirk !!

2008-09-18T05:33:00.027-04:00

Sorry that all this cluster updating seems to be getting out of chronological order - sorry!

Update Tuesday Sept 16:

We drove back to the Evans' place on Tuesday evening...One last attempt for Tap and Mirk as we had to begin our drive to Heathrow at 6 am the next morning.

After a disappointing start, when it seemed that Tap was more interested in biting Mirk's nose (and he was such a gentleman about it!), success! A 15 minute tie. Now we wait and see if pups show in a few weeks.

Here are some pics of Kevin's Mirk, the 2008 International Supreme Champion. As you can see, I may finally get my smooth coat, prick eared pup! He is traditionally marked, quite small and very well put together. His movement is fluid and his style is very eye catching. His head and alert expression reminds me of old Jess when she was a young sprightly girl....

For more on Kevin Evans and Mirk:

http://www.worldsheepdogtrials.org/new/index.php?page=kevin-evans---wales

http://www.peze.net/somollis/svenska/svindex.htm (from Lisa Hansson's site: photos only - text in Swedish!)

Also, after Monday the 22nd - the semi finals and finals runs will be shown in full here:

http://ffermio.tv/en/world-sheepdog-trials-2008/world-sheepdog-trials

I do have more castle pics, if ANYONE is still interested after reading this exciting news???

Sunday Finals Day

2008-09-18T05:33:00.022-04:00

Another good day weather wise – the organizers are thanking the sheepdog gods for the 3 days straight of sunny, warm weather – there were a ton of spectators over the weekend – and at 8 pounds ($16) to get a ticket to watch, I think they made a profit!

More hiking with the girls. Today we found a path to an old church and graveyard. Pat and Tap were more impressed with the quality of the grass than the old gravestones and buildings. They are in Veggie withdrawal, and ate a lot of lovely grass in the graveyard.

I have no idea how old this church is...It is not in use. The windows were all lead pane and the rain gutters were cast iron, the roof slate with lots of moss and even shrubs growing in between the shingles. it was a beautiful spot.

Tap waiting to confess her sins?

I bought all my ISDS paraphernalia today too…Grace, your cute picture of Click poking through the fence is in the 2007 calendar, and I bought you a copy.

Pat contemplating an empty Field 3. Possibly reflecting on her grip here 2 days ago.

So, you all probably know who has been crowned 2008 World Cahmpion already, but I am pretty happy to have some nice bragging rights:

Aled Owen and ##Roy won.

Roy also is the 2007 International Supreme Champion and is a son of Aled’s ##Bob. ##Bob is Fen’s (2008 Tap x Imp. Chip) granddad. ##Bob won the International Supreme in 2000 and the World’s in 2002.

Fen, it is all up to you now...

THE FINALS COURSE…

…Was a double gather, not as big as the International last week, but several dogs had trouble with either or both outruns. There were several missed fetches – mostly due to the draw from the first packet of sheep, which wandered up the field after they were dropped at the 1st fetch post. There were also several missed cross drive panels. We think there was possibly a dead spot in the field as we saw some dogs slow to take commands at this point. The international shed was generally well done, but there were lots of points lost here too. Aled and Roy lost only 2 points out of 80 on this phase! His pen only lost 1 point out of 40 as well. Nobody could touch Aled & Roy on the close work; it was the best I’ve ever seen.

I took videos of Kevin Evan’s Spot (littermate to the 2008 Supreme Champion, Mirk), Mirk’s first part (stopped tape after the fetch, which he unfortunately missed so I would have room for more runs) and my all time favorite dogs of both the International and World Trials, Becca. Maybe I can get my hands on a pup/dog from these Irish lines someday….Did I say how much I drooled over her? Anyway, I will not even attempt to upload the videos until I am home – look for them here (hopefully) by the weekend. Rumor has it I have a hellish 2 days of work ahead of me until then!

The closing ceremonies…Well we kind of missed them. Apparently we were supposed to show up with our flags and stand on the field while prizes were being given out. Oops. We went for another hike instead.

Finals Results (points out of 660):
1. Aled Owen and Roy (Wales) – 583 points and 2008 World Champion (son of Aled’s ##Bob, sire of Lynn Deschambeault’s Imp. Chip and granddad to the Tap x Chip litter) A spectacularly tidy run!
2. Ron Snoeck and Nell (Netherlands) – 583 points and 2008 Reserve (only 1 Merit point behind Roy!)
3. Stuart Davidson and Jim (Scotland) – 567 points
4. James McGee and Becca (Ireland) – 551 points* (My FAVORITE dog!)
5. Aiden Gallagher and Bill (Ireland) – 548 points
6. Merion Jones and Joe (Wales) – 544 points (Merion was the main organizer of this event – how he could keep his head on and run so well I have no idea!)
7. Karin Mattson and Sammie (Norway) – 533 points (the only female handler in the finals!) Another more loose eyed worker but totally obedient and biddable.
8. Tony Ottessen and Bob (Denmark) – 532 points
9. John Wood and Moe (England) – 527 points
10. Kevin Evans and Spot (Wales) – 519 points
11. Gethin Jones and Eira (Wales) – 514 points (This guy is only 23 years old!)
12. Kevin Evans and Mirk (Wales) – 484 points* (A missed fetch put him out of the top – bummer for Kevin)
13. Nigel Watkins and Floss (Wales) – 479 points
14. Richard Millichap and Taddymoor Cap (Wales) – 441 points
15. Ged Watson and Eryi Rock (England) – 375 points*
16. Jim Wilson and Tweed (New Zealand) – 332 points (very interesting style of work, more loose eyed and upright)

* Finalist at the 2008 International Supreme

There are probably LOADS of pics up on the internet already of the finalists and prize giving. Try the World Sheepdog Trial site, http://www.bordercollie.eu/ or the ISDS website...

Bye World Trial....See you again someday - as a spectator only !

Tap and ##Mirk ??

2008-09-18T05:33:00.021-04:00

On Monday, we drove to Penclyd Farm in Brecon to meet Kevin and his dogs. I worked Tap and Pat and both Kevin and his father David, commented on Tap's naturalness on her sheep. Whether they were just being polite, I don't know! The sheep are SO light - you can see how our doggy sheep that we trial on here in the Northeast can spoil a dog - your dog needs to be correct to get anything done with the Welshies!

They also commented that Pat was a very flashy worker - not sure if that is good or bad!

Kevin then worked Mirk for us. We learned that Kevin is not a farmer, but a contractor, but they "keep 300 sheep for the dogs". A bit different that our 30 sheep we "keep for the dogs!". Plus, they graze their sheep in the Brecon Mountains (a National Park) so the dogs get lots of experience on the hills. For a refresher on what I mean by "hills", please refer to this photo again:

I wanted to see Mirk really push sheep, so Keven set up a situation that definitely showed Mirk's power. He will just keep walking in, and he is not afraid to take a fair grip on the nose. This is what is missing in Tap - that extra step in on sheep that are facing her up and stamping their feet. Mirk is also a very stylish worker, and his temperament seems A1 - he came to greet us (briefly - he is all about the work) and was friendly to both us and our dogs...Well especially Tap!

So, deciding that going to meet Sweep (sire of Bet) in the North was pretty much out of the question at this late day and time, I decided that Mirk would be our boy. Too bad Tap was NOT standing just yet. Was all lost?

The Obligatory Dinefwr Castle Photos

2008-09-18T05:33:00.004-04:00

View of the trial from the hill trail up to the castle. You can't see, but they are running the semi finals in the far field (Field One). The rest is trade stands, and there are tons more that are out of view. This was a HUGE event.Approaching the castle - sorry you can't read this sign. Basically the castle dates back to the 12th century, but most of what is still standing today was constructed from the 14th to the 16th century (still older than Canada).
A view showing some of the architectural details. How I wish I was a talented photographer with a decent camera!
The trial field viewed through an arrow slit. I thought this was kind of neat...
Posing on the remains of the kitchen (?) wall.
The view from (almost) the top of the tower.

These two horses and riders could have looked very much in place if they were wearing armour...Unfortunately, the girls were taking photos on their i-phones, which did NOT fit in!
Beginning the hike down.

View of the Keep (?)
I got down just before dark - and my little point and shoot camera actually took a nice silhouette shot of the castle.

Old Trees

2008-09-15T05:49:00.005-04:00

New tree...
Old tree...

Tap on stump of very old tree. So old that it’s dead. Some of the oak trees at Dinefwr Park are reported to be 700 years old! That’s older than Canada.
A very knarled old oak.

Sorry, my time is up - will have to finish updates another day - probably not until Wednesday when I can get online at the airport!

Day Two & Three

2008-09-15T05:37:00.003-04:00

Are you ready?
THE SUN CAME OUT AND IT HARDLY RAINED!

Pat ran in the early afternoon on field 3, a tricky field with a strange shape and lots of muck where sheep did not like to go. Of course, the worst of it was right on line for the last leg of the drive….

Pat had an OK outrun (for getting pulled up by her sticky eye), a decent lift and a decent fetch, despite not listening to me AT ALL. I can’t remember the last time I had to yell at Pat. Sure enough, the drive got her (she wasn’t the only dog to get beaten by the drive and the wet) and she gripped off when the sheep turned to face her up.

What an anticlimax.

Friday Qualifying Results – points out of 220:

Top 7 who proceed to the Semi’s (in order of placements):

Field 1:
Richard Millichap and Taddymoor Jen (Wales) – 203
Karin Mattsson and Lyn (Norway) – 198
Nigel Watkins and Lad (Wales) – 196
Jim Cropper and Fleet (England) – 196
Aiden Gallagher and Bill (Ireland) – 195
Kevin Evans and Mirk (Wales) – 194
J Pluta and Killibrae Jake (Netherlands) – 194

Field 2:
E Groot and Eryi Nan (Netherlands) – 210
Merion Jones and Joe (Wales) – 208
S Hindenes and Wisp (Norway) – 206
Bernard Arends and Macca’s NZ (Australia) – 204
Alistair Lyttle and Spot (Ireland) – 200
Bobby Dalziel and Joe (Scotland) – 198
FB Petersen and Roy (Denmark) - 198

Field 3:
RV Hughes and Black (Wales) – 202
Nigel Watkins and Floss (Wales) – 202
B O’Brien and Mist (Ireland) – 200
T Ottesen and Bob (Denmark) – 200
Hefin Jones and Sam (Wales) – 198
Ron Snoeck and Mitch (Netherlands) – 198
Aled Owen and Roy (Wales) - 197

USA handlers:
Gene Sheninger and Jess – RT
C Balliu and Ben – 96
Joyce Geier and Jim – 167
Jennifer Maginnis and Bay – 176
Maria Amodei and Cato – 157
Alisdair MacRae and Star – 196
Chuck Dimit and Rex – 118
Don McCaig and June – RT
K Wessinger and Lill – 150
Dawn Boyce and Juno – 147

SATURDAY SEMI FINALS DAY:

Another good day for weather! 2 days in a row – unheard of!

The girls and I enjoyed lots of hikes in between watching the top 42 dogs (7 from each field each day) in Field 1 in the semi finals. It was the same National course. The sheep came over, I believe, from Field 3 and were a bit fat and slow. What separated the men from the boys was the work in the shedding ring and at the pen. One woman from Norway got 2 dogs in – she was the ONLY female handler to get that far. Sheepdog handling is very much a man’s sport here, and the old timers still wear ties and jackets when running dogs.

Still humming and haa-ing over whether to breed Tap...If she’s still standing by Monday. I have a few dogs in mind – including Kevin Evan’s International winner Mirk or his littermate Spot. There are some wonderful bitches whose sire might prove to be good matches too…Two of my favorites were a split faced dog called Bet, who was 2nd behind Mirk at the International and Becca, an Irish bred tri color bitch who is just dreamy. Fast powerful flanks and wonderful sense. I am going to hopefully speak to their handlers tomorrow and see whether I can visit their farms on Monday and see the potential sires.

Semi Finals Results:

Top 16 who proceed to the Finals (in order of semi final placement) – Points out of 440
Aiden Gallagher and Bill (Ireland) – 410 points
Nigel Watkins and Floss (Wales) – 406 points
Merion Jones and Joe (Wales) – 395 points
Aled Owen and Roy (Wales) – 395 points
James McGee and Becca (Ireland) – 392 points
Kevin Evans and Spot (Wales) – 388 points
Karin Mattson and Sammie (Norway) – 382 points
Stuart Davidson and Jim (Scotland) – 372 points
Gethin Jones and Eira (Wales) – 366 points
Kevin Evans and Mirk (Wales) – 364 points
John Wood and Moe (England) – 359 points
Ged Watson and Eryi Rock (England) – 359 points
Richard Millichap and Taddymoor Cap (Wales) – 359 points
Jim Wilson and Tweed (New Zealand) – 359 points
Ron Snoeck and Nell (Netherlands) – 354 points
Tony Ottessen and Bob (Denmark) – 349 points

USA handlers:
Alisdair MacRae and Nap – called to Standard (had a really BAD draw of sheep!)
Tom Wilson and Sly – called to Standard

Here are some pics from our walks. We hiked up the hill several times to Dinefwr Castle, which dates back to the 12th century and was quite breathtaking. The girls didn’t want to climb to the top of the tower though, but I got some pics from the top of the wall and keep - those will be in the next post...

Pat on a walk.Pat and Tap “I see no sheep for the cars” Here is the parking on Semi final day. The crowd of spectators was huge. Again, they love their sheepdogs.

Pic 2429 Pat and Tap waiting to go through a gate to a “public footpath”. Signs said “Dogs must be kept under control”…Not “No dogs allowed” as we would see in North America. Did I mention there are sheep everywhere? Try walking two frustrated sheepdogs through these fields…”This group? This group? Do you want me to work this group?” Pat and Tap were very optimistic. See? They have thistles too!

Floods and Mud

2008-09-15T05:33:00.003-04:00

Just to give you an idea of the amount of rain:

Cars had to be towed IN to the parking lot, as well as out.

This is not a lake. Yes the sun came out briefly.

Day One of the World Trial

2008-09-15T05:26:00.002-04:00

Ok, now what you’ve all been waiting for – update from the World Trial!

Don’t hold your breath – I did very poorly, but will give you the post mortem nonetheless…

On Thursday, it rained. But a bit less. Tap and I ran 3rd. I was terrified…And as a result, ran my dog like a beginner. In hindsight, I know how I would have handled her to get a decent fetch and drive score (missed both the fetch and the drive away gates and was hammered for it). Running later would have helped, as I could really get a feel for the sheep and how to handle the top as I watched several runs. I wanted the wild mountain sheep, didn’t I? Well, I wasn’t expecting them to be as light as birds. Tap couldn’t touch them and reacted by running fast and wide, which upset them more. The best dogs had them walking like docile pet lambs around the course. Maybe we had a bad draw, but more likely it was just bad handling and Tap not knowing how to fix it.

Tap’s outrun was ok, and we got a decent shed (only 5 points off out of 20, which was good as far as the North Americans or Europeans went – we just can’t shed like the Handlers from the UK, who get it done quickly, effortlessly and smoothly). I also had not a bad pen, even with a bad ewe trying to break; Tap was a good girl there. Alas time was called just as I called her in for the single so we didn’t get the points. I have the run on video. I will not be posting it!

Tap on her outrun to the right. Me looking very small on the stand. Can you see my knees knocking together? Well, they were.

Thursday Qualifying Results – points out of 220:

Top 7 who proceed to the Semi’s (in order of placement):

Field 1:
Ged Watson and Eryi Rock (England) – 204
Alasdair MacRae and Nap (USA) – 190
M. Lebang and Coon (Germany) – 189*
Tom Wilson and Sly (USA) – 189*
Mr. GR Powell and Gwen (Wales) – 187
Mr. WI McConnell and Craig (Dan) (Scotland) – 186
Ron Snoeck and Nell (Netherlands) - 186
* Not sure who had better outwork, so these scores may be reversed.

Field 2:
S Gallagher and Glen (Ireland) – 207
AD Carnegie and Lark (Scotland) – 206
M C Shearer and Cap (Scotland) – 205
Karin Mattsson and Sammie (Norway) – 200
Ll Evans and Caddy (Wales) – 200
JD Wood and Moe (England) – 195
Gethin Jones and Eira (Wales) – 195

Field 3:
James McGee and Becca (Ireland) – 204
Kevin Evans and Spot (Wales) – 201
Stuart Davidson and Jim (Scotland) – 199
Jim Wilson and Tweed (New Zealand) – 198
A Ll Jones and Max (Wales) – 196
Richard Millichap and Taddymoor Cap (Wales) – 193
Ian MacKay and Abe (Scotland) - 193

USA handlers:
Chuck Dimit and Luke – 147
Ann Mock and Jan – 132
Dawn Boyce and Tink – 132
Don McCaig and Luke – RT
Gene Sheninger and Jen – 136
Haley Howard and Ross – 172
Joyce Geier and Clue – DQ
Nancy Obernier and Nick – 185
Maria Amodei and Rhyme – 152

Proud of their Sheepdogs

2008-09-15T05:18:00.002-04:00

On Wednesday evening (in the rain) we were paraded down main streets of Llandeilo with our dogs. I was not keen on participating (as, did I tell you that it was raining?) but felt that I should, as the lonely Canadian. All I can say is – WOW. These folks really love their sheepdogs. Townspeople lines the streets and we were lead, alphabetically by country, by a team of horses and drums, the town mascot (which happened to be a very nice looking white goat, dressed to the nines in a gold threaded blanket) and a police escort. There were lots of people cheering for the Canadian contingency, including the nice ladies from the laundry. Sorry to let you down…

The parade in the rain.

Most all store windows displayed some kind of sheepdog theme in honor of the World Trial.

Pic 2407 here’s the Canadian flag – the streets were lined with the flags from the 23 countries competing.
And sheep dogs are EVERYWHERE! Here’s one outside a shop, waiting for his shepherd.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2008-09-15T05:08:00.000-04:00

OK, so an internet connection is really hard to get here. I apologize for the cluster update, and almost at the end of the trip! I just expected Wifi to be as easily had over here as in North America. Huh!

Update from Tuesday September 9:

Tap's score from the St. Harmon trial (last Tuesday) was relayed to me via Kate Collins and George Northrup (NEBCA members from MA), who were there braving the rain and watching until the end. Tap ended up with only 15 off (so, an 85), which, at the time we left, was (I believe) the highest score. I am very pleased with this result as the standard was high and dogs were being called off for one mistake. I am sure there were better runs later on (these “little” local trials seem to very large entries – like 75 to 100 dogs – possibly because of the number of dogs competing from Europe). So Tap made it through 2 tough standards. (Poor Pat didn’t make a singe fetch gate!) The last trial – Penybont still had over 30 dogs to run at 5 pm, so they made a decision to only allow 1 dog per handler at that point. BAD for handlers who ran late. Our car was parked so far away and I was up to run pat so didn’t have time to go back and swap dogs. And guess what? Pat didn’t make her fetch gates AGAIN.

It was raining (surprise) so I didn’t take any pictures.

The dogs are FILTHY, as are their crates, the car, and our clothes….Go away rain!

The drive South and local Welsh trials

2008-09-10T05:02:00.005-04:00

So I am warmly ensconced in the laundromat in Llandeilo where the proprietor has graciously allowed me to use her internet. Did I mention it has not stopped raining since we landed? And it is COLD! Which is why we are in the laundromat - we are wearing the same clothes every day as we didn't bring enough warm clothes!

We drove south on Sunday - breathtaking is an understatement. I will let the pictures speak for themselves - sorry they are dark...Did I mention the rain?

Those white dots way up on the mountains? yes, they are sheep. There are thousands of them.

This little lamb had an old broken leg and had moved in with the horses (probably so he didn't have to trek up the mountainside anymore).

Sometimes there are no fences....This is actually a "Main" road, if you can believe it! The sheep are smart and move quickly out of the way of the cars.

We stopped at Bets y coed "No, it is not pronounced like some 20 year old college girl! Don't ask me how it is pronounced! We visited a 13th century church and graveyard, had a walk and lunch with the dogs. Yes, it was raining, but only a bit...

Here is John posing reluctantly with Pat and Tap amidst the old graves. The ewe tree was planted when the graveyard was established to ward off evil spirits. The graveyard also has no corners, as evil spirits supposedly hide in corners. Check your corners, everyone.

Trials on Monday and Tuesday:

Over 100 dogs in each trial - no pre- entry....As you can imagine, a standard is set early and becomes more difficult the later you run. Trial one was held at the farm of the 2008 International Supreme Champion Mirk and K. Evans. Hywl (our farmer friend from the North) was looking into stud fees for Mirk for his own hill bitch and was going to inquire for me "just in case". Mirk was tremendous in the Double Lift at the International - oh, forgot to mention that we had grandstand seats for this! It was pretty amazing - 2 gathers of 800 yards....Mirk's shed was spectacular too...Will hopefully meet him to gauge his temperament - I am not ruling out a breeding...But am thinking it through carefully first - pups would be born only 8 months since her last litter and I would never think of breeding back to back normally - but Tap is fit and strong, so just keeping an open attitude as a chance like this may never come up again!

Anyway, back to the local trials....

So, you just get there and give your name. They put you in the earliest available slots - there is no formal draw. And for 2 - 5 pounds, you run your dog. They are very low key and as the day progresses many things change that would never go over in the USA or Canada! Like - sheep being grazed in the adjacent field, being moved up the road just off line to the cross drive panels (creating weird pressure), open exhausts where the sheep run to immediately upon being shed so if you don't re-gather fast enough, you've lost them etc. Nobody complains. The standard by the time Tap ran was about 10 points off - so if you made one mistake, you were off the field. Tap made it through 2 tough standards to almost finish the first trial (lost out shed sheep to the exhaust) and to finish with a good score (which I didn't stay to find out). John was watching from the sidelines where a bunch of "old timers" were commenting on the runs. They described Pat as "very powerful" (!) and Tap's outrun as "near perfection". She also had a tough ewe that kept breaking at the pen which she turned beautifully! The sheep are SO great - acting like sheep should - scared of people and respectful of dogs. Not like the kneecap sucking sheep we run on in the Northeast of the coyote fighting sheep in Canada.

No pics as it was POURING. Sorry.

Pat is not running well, I think her toes hurts. We are going to work a local flock today and then hike up to a castle - can't remember the name. I will try and take pics.

Gotta run as battery id dying and of course have no UK adapter!

Photos are added...

2008-09-07T04:09:00.005-04:00

Updated September 10th with pics!

I apologize for not getting a post up sooner...Internet very spotty as you can imagine and of course, I have not brought a UK adapter for my laptop, so am borrowing the B&B owner's desktop, and don't want to further inconvenience her by asking her how to upload pics...She has been very gracious with us, including muddy, raw fed dogs...

So a quick update:

Dogs traveled fine - clearance at the Animal Quarantine center was 3 hours at Heathrow, but all paperwork was fine and cleared. The girls were sure happy to see us! Not a single mess in the crates for the entire 12 hours. Thank you Flagyl.

The Animal Quarantine Center at Heathrow, where we spent 3 hours waiting for the dogs to be cleared. Luckily, the waiting area was comfortable and we could nap. The officials were really nice, coming out immediately to tell us that the dogs were fine, had gone to the bathroom and would be "with us in a little bit".

The washrooms (AKA "Toilets") were interesting as well...Kind of a space age "Star Trek" kind of contraption which was automatic - automatic door, auto flush and disinfect, auto hand wash and dry - very weird. Pic below.

The dog toilet was nicer...

Tap and Pat having their breakfast at the Animal Quarantine Center after they were released on Tuesday morning. Canned Evo "all meat" (ick) that gave them a bit of the runs. But no butcher to be found at Heathrow!

One of the "Canada Crates" loaded in the rented car.

Driving. What fun (NOT). Picture: Autoroute Decarie at rush hour, but snip off 2 feet (correction - snip off 4 feet!) from each lane, and drive about 130 kms per hour into an oncoming bus. And that was London...Wales is worse - the main roads are narrower than my driveway and there is no such thing as a stop sign or traffic lights - just a bunch of "Give Way's" (Yield) and Roundabouts (except you are going the wrong way around, of course) Needless to say, it may take me a while to get used to the driving here, but nobody is dead and the car is not dented or scratched or worse (yet).

Sheep: Are everywhere! I mean EVERYWHERE! Thousands upon thousands of sheep. The terrain is steep and rough and each flock has been on their hillside for centuries. Mostly the sheep are "Welshies" (Welsh Mountain sheep) and are SO nice to work - we have had a bit of practise on Friday and a neighbor of the B&B owner is taking us to a big field today for some outruns. The bad news is that Pat has torn her toenail and is completely lame. I will either have to get up the nerve to amputate the entire nail at the base or take her to a vet...Who knows if she'll be OK to run by Friday...Bad luck.

OK, so this is posed, the sheep actually don't stand around too much! Cute little "Welshies". This is Tap working / posing. She LOVES these sheep and is working great!
Tap poking her head out of the barn at Hywl Davies' place - the farmer we met and whose sheep we worked. He and his wife, Gwawr (try to pronounce that one!) were very kind, gave us tea and cake after working...

MUD: Is also EVERYWHERE. It has been cold and raining since we landed. The International Double Gather was yesterday and you should have seen the grounds - knee deep in mud with5,000 spectators over the 3 days churning it up. We bought grandstand tickets (kept us dry) and gave us a great view. Alas too rainy for photos or video...But we saw some spectacular work - more to come later but picture 2 outruns at 800 yards each up a steep hill, a 600 yard drive...Well, you get the idea. Dogs are VERY fit over here!

AND, as predicted, Tap is in heat...Will be in full standing heat by probably by the end of the week. This is not good, or good, depending on how you look at it. Bad because she will have to be crated all day at the trial...Good IF I wanted to breed her to my pick of the famous best dogs from around the world....Hmmm.

Signing off for now, as I don't want to overdue my welcome on the computer. Hopefully will find an internet connection somewhere else soon!

Now we put on our rain gear and boots again....

A Nice Confidence Booster!

2008-08-25T10:04:00.005-04:00

Creekside Tap, Winner of Quechee Scottish Festival Open Sheepdog Trial AND Spring Valley Open Sheepdog Trial - 2008 Vermont State Champion

(Photo by Grace Smith)

This past weekend, Tap, Pat and I competed in the "Vermont State Championship" Open sheepdog trials. The first day takes place at the Quechee Scottish Festival on the Polo Fields of Quechee, VT and the second days' running takes place at Steve Wetmore's Spring Valley Farm in Strafford, VT.

Some people knock the Quechee trial as being "easy". The field is small yet oddly shaped, with the outrun no more than 200 yards, up a steep hill. The sheep are a fit flock of dogged Kathadins, who don't like to be pushed to hard and they don't run well for dogs whose flanks are too big, too much and too fast. So yes, they are not "fight me" sheep, they don't charge or stand up to the dogs (for the most part, anyways!) but they also present some different challenges. Dogs and handling must be precise and quiet. Dogs must be able to read the situation and pace themselves at the correct spot behind the sheep in order to make any sort of steering possible. Yes this is true of all sheep, but sheep that must be muscled into moving off the dog are very different than light, twitchy sheep such as the ones we ran on this past weekend.

Anyways, Tap managed a beautiful run, moving perfectly with her little square flanks and correct pace - she was the only dog to manage any sort of controlled cross drive (even Pat's sheep ran like racehorses up the hill, with only a well timed huge flank able to steer them back down the hill) and in consequence, won the trial with a score of 90/100. Some say, "nice draw of sheep", but on our "Victory run" (an exhibition run with 5 sheep instead of 3), Tap handled the group with the same quiet precision and ran near perfectly yet again.

On Sunday, the trial moved to Steve's farm, where the same flock (not Steve's own) was run on the famous Wetmore hill - a steep forested hill side - with an interesting course consisting of a near blind gather from amongst the trees, down through fetch gates and through a brook, a drive back up the right hand side of the steep hill, over another brook (where many dogs couldn't get the sheep to cross at all), back down over a bridge, a sharp turn through another set of gates, to a "W" chute. It is an interesting, non traditional course, perhaps reflecting more practical work than the previous day's running, but Tap managed to WIN the trial again! Pat got a decent score and may have made it into the points, but I don't have the final scores in front of me. After the trial, the trial manager ran the top 3 dogs in a Double Lift fun run with 2 packets of 5 sheep. Tap also won that as well! So a very consistent and confidence boosting weekend for us!

Countdown: 8 days till we leave...

3 Week Countdown!

2008-08-12T11:51:00.003-04:00

Well, I cannot believe how fast the big trip is approaching! I am feeling a bit frantic as the CFIA (Canada Food Inspection Agency) Veterinarian that needs to sign my paperwork is on another vacation - I missed her when trying to make my appointment a few weeks ago, then she missed me when I was away at the Ewesful Acres Sheepdog Trial and then AAC Nationals....I keep having nightmares that I arrive in London with incorrect paperwork and my dogs are sent home.

Meanwhile, I arrive home from New Brunswick last night to a stench of dead, rotting animal....Ewe #1654 died - no idea of cause of death - she doesn't seem mangled and she was not far from where the flock spends hot afternoons under the trees. Very strange - will need to do an inspection when we get her buried this afternoon. Usually I come home only to dirty dishes....This was very unpleasant!

It seems Tap will probably be in full standing heat just in time for World's. Super. Plus she still has not grown in her lovely tail and feathering since her pups so looks quite ugly! Pat has been to the osteopath, which seems to have fixed her slight lameness that has been manifesting itself off and on all summer. Fingers crossed that both girls stay sound and healthy! And that Tap comes into heat in the next couple of days!!! Sheesh - not only do I have to run her 3rd in the run order on day 1, but she might be a total flake as well!!

Our sheep are quite wild at the moment, which is probably a good thing to get us ready for the UK sheep. Pat couldn't get within 25 yards of them this morning in training!
Here are some new pics of the cottage we are renting from Sept 7-16. It will be so nice to be close to the trial, town and wide open spaces. I guess I better pack Tap's "Hot Pants" to protect the white carpet - yikes!

Great Training Day!

2008-07-30T13:59:00.002-04:00

On Monday, Pat and Tap and I drove to Dunstable, MA to meet up with US World Trial competitor Maria Amodei and fellow open handler Christopher Bowen to run dogs in the big hay field Maria gets access to immediately after it's been cut. The field is gorgeous - I wish I brought my camera! (I promise I will actually TAKE pictures in Wales!!!) And after a rough measurement using Maria's van's odometer and the access road, it was determined that corner to corner outruns measure roughly 600 yards. We did some big outruns and then set up some Double lifts (hey - it never hurts to be prepared!). Maria's Cato looked like he'd been doing Double Lifts all his life. Tap had initial problems, but then was great. The hardest part is setting them up for that great big swallow tail "Look Back". Both Tap and Pat enjoyed the training and were brilliant - back in top form.

Pat had her treatment at the osteopath - one I wanted to get done weeks ago but couldn't get scheduled. As suspected, her neck and front legs needed some tune up. I think she had a big tumble early in the season on one of her outruns, she has been off and on lame for the last few months and I wasn't sure what was causing her to be sore.

I am getting my Third Country Veterinary Certificate in order. The Canada Food Inspection Agency veterinarian (who must endorse the paperwork) is off until next week - so I have to wait yet again! Only a few weeks to go!

The Trial Fields

2008-07-08T13:18:00.003-04:00

Pics are up on the World Trial site of the 3 trial fields on which qualifying runs will take place over the first 2 days.

Tap's number is 203, which means she runs 3rd (YIKES!) on the first day in field 2. Here is the picture taken from the World Trial site of field 2. The outrun will be approximately 400 yards in qualifying runs.

Pat is number 361, which means she runs approximately 21st on day 2 in field 3. Here is the picture of field 3.

Both the girls are finishing up their 1 month of Doxycycline for their Anaplasmosis (a nasty tick borne disease). I hope they are feeling better soon - both girls liver values are sky high (as are poor Blaze's, who has Lyme) and really are not working well right now. Tap is also uncharacteristically spooky and reactive, and her work has become less confident. She is really not feeling too great. So, with less than 6 weeks to prepare - I am crossing my fingers...What a time to get sick!

Fundraising efforts continue!

2008-07-07T11:16:00.003-04:00

The T-shirts (pictures in the previous post) are selling like Hotcakes. Only XLs left. However, note that the XLs run a bit small - they are more like a regular Large, it seems. Anyways - they still make great nightshirts for us short people too!

Also - anyone that is looking for a nice, all round Doggy magazine that caters to all "sports" and training including agility, rally, herding and more - DOGSPORT is the magazine you need to subscribe to! AND if you subscribe through me - they give me a portion of each subscription I sign up! To learn more about the magazine, visit their website and then email me with your request! I'll sign you up, you send me a check, written out to Dog Sport Magazine and then you get your subscription! And unlike many of the other dog sport publications, they pay for photos and articles, so you can be sure there will be a nice story relaying our Wales adventure in one of their winter issues!

Silent Auction a Great Success!

2008-06-24T16:00:00.005-04:00

The CATS/NOMAD 3 day USDAA Tournament Trial proved to be the perfect venue for my Silent Auction fundraiser. Both clubs, CATS and NOMAD were very gracious and accommodating - even helping me set up my tent and proving me with a table! Many thanks to Chris Frado of CATS and Lisa Barret of NOMAD (the Trial Chairs) who announced throughout the day and encouraged bidding. And thank you to ALL who donated items and bid on items - your support is so very appreciated! The hottest item of the weekend was a handmade bowl by local VT potter Judy Kessler (a NOMAD member) which was in a heated bidding war and went for $105! A total of $986 was raised; $300 of which was donated to Glen Highland Farm and the Connor Fund - helping special needs rescued Border Collies get much needed medical attention prior to adoption.

Here are some photos of the auction:

AND, if that was not enough, MANY thanks to Val Henry and her brother in Austin, TX for designing and making the great T-shirts that were also made available for sale at the auction table. Twenty-eight shirts sold over the weekend! They are very cool - so if you want one, we have limited sizes left. Please see the World Trial page on the Creekside Border Collies website to learn how you can get yours!

Now, for the bad news...Both Tap and Pat are positive for anaplasmosis so are on Doxy. It is making them pretty sick and they are not up to hard work - training is consisting of short, fun shedding exercises, which we learned at our 2 days of excellent lessons with Beverly Lambert . Alas, my sheep are totally uncooperative and split off into about 5 different groups without any pressure from me or the dogs! Very frustrating! I plan to get a full tick panel done on both girls (and poor Blaze, who is positive for Lyme) and hope that I can get them off the Doxy soon. In the meantime, pray for the rain to stop!

4 month countdown - YIKES!

2008-05-06T21:20:00.003-04:00

Training at home is already boring. I need to get out and get in different fields, on different sheep etc. Pat has taken some time to get over her winter rustiness and is still a bit sticky. Tap had a few solid weeks of near perfection and then it all fell apart. Well not really, but we now have some stuff to work on :)

I have 2 days of lessons scheduled with Beverly Lambert in June (the weekend of Hop Bottom, so will miss that fun trial alas - but training NEEDS to take preference! Especially before a trial on doggy Kathadins in a small field), another in July and hopefully can get back once more before I leave in September. I also need to go work with Warren Mick, who has judged some of the big national level trials so can also help me tweak my handling...I will need it - especially with Pat, who at the moment is looking at loosing almost half her outrun points the way she's running out right now :) I will need to gain some somewhere else!

Another sponsorship check was received in the mail today. A nice surprise!

Waggers Pet Products. A Canadian Manufacturer of healthy training treats for dogs. Kettle cooked with Omega 3 DHA sourced from Algae. My dogs have tried these and LOVE them!!

Thank you! Canadian Companies ROCK!

Sick Lambs

2008-04-23T09:39:00.004-04:00

We thought this year's lambing was fairly smooth - after all - we only lambed out 13 ewes! The lambs all came in droves and between work, puppies and chores, we managed to deal with a few assisted births and had only one "sketchy" lamb who was not thriving as well as he should....

NOW all has gone to hell in a hand basket. Most all the lambs have Sore Mouth (crusty contagious scabs around nose, eyes and ears) and we have one ewe (a troublesome one in the past, but not a total write off, until now) with Blue bag mastitis, which we are treating as aggressively as we can but don't feel the prognosis is very good. Poor quality haying last summer and a harsh, long winter indoors probably didn't help as our little flock is in worse condition this spring than ever before - most loosing wool and thinner than we would like. However, we are very good about keeping pens cleaned, the flock "closed", etc., so hope that this is just bad luck and will not be the new theme! We are such newbie farmers - learning the hard way!

So, Pat and Tap have 4 yearlings only to work this spring - not ideal. And Pat seems to be stickier than ever after a long winter off, where as Tap seems to have hit the ground running and I feel I could trial tomorrow and do fairly well. So will be working on exercises to free up Pat and get her fast flanks back. I need a lesson!

Air Canada JOY!

2008-04-11T09:13:00.003-04:00

Oh JOY!

I was surfing travel sites and came across this on Air Canada's site:

"Pets in the baggage compartment

...For travel on international flights, including flights to and from the U.S.A., your pet travels in a temperature controlled and ventilated baggage compartment on the same flight as you do when pre-registered with Air Canada Reservations within 24 hours of booking travel. Air Canada transports the majority of pets this way. Be sure to check specific government regulations of any countries you are travelling to with your pet.

Charge for one way travel(applicable taxes not included)
International
$270 CAD/USD"

This is WONDERFUL news for me, as I had "heard" AC was looking into their pet policy due to so much negative publicity - thanks to all who wrote, signed petition, lobbied etc. - but they certainly didn't make a very public announcement of it! The above policy represent the latest as of April 8th (I believe), 2008.

Needless to say, I called and booked both dogs' return flight as excess baggage, which will save me approximately $2,400 !! (They still must travel there as manifested cargo as per UK quarantine laws)

On another note - I FINALLY got some sheep out to work dogs. The first few days is always pandemonium, with the sheep so very excited to be out after a long winter indoors, dogs and handler very, very rusty. I will be developing a training plan when I see what each of my dog's weakest points are this spring. A daunting task, preparing for World's, when I have no experience in international competition (or even much National competition experience for that matter!). Ah well, a positive attitude, and all that...

Entries Confirmed!

2008-04-09T17:42:00.002-04:00

Just got my entry confirmation and official rule book from the ISDS !

Tap is #203, which means she is running on Qualifying Field #2 and will run on day 1. Pray for light racy welsh hill sheep for field 2!

Imp (Pat) (I hope they don't think her name is Imp! But I guess they don't do much importing of Border Collies to the UK, so maybe this is an unknown term?)- is #361, so will run on Qualifying Field #3 (with different sheep than what Tap will have) on day 2. Pray for accommodating lowland sheep, but a bit heavier is OK :) and not a steep outrun for the old girl!

Now if ONLY the snow would melt off the field so I could actually TRAIN!!!!

Pat is all set!

2008-03-29T14:26:00.004-04:00

Results of Rabies titer received - Pat is good to go!

Now if ONLY spring would come so we could get working! Today I put the yearlings out and they simply stepped over the fence - that's how high our snow STILL is! I saw a robin today - poor thing looked miserable and cold, shivering in a bare branch being blown about in the strong north wind. Bet it wishes it stayed in Florida.

At least my dogs will be fit when spring arrives! We have been enjoying long snowshoe hikes through the woods all winter. But honestly, it is nearly April and it can go away now! PLEASE!

Spring Training

2008-03-21T08:01:00.003-04:00

Uh, NOT!

Welcome Spring? Notice I am in my snowshoes....

Spring came in with a bang and a blizzard, dumping another foot or close to it and blowing it around in a tornado. Pat was all excited when she saw me take my crook out of the closet, but really didn't believe me that the sheep were anywhere in that snowy field. Smart girl.

Latest Sponsor news

2008-03-18T11:17:00.002-04:00

Avid Canada has sent me a few frisbees and keychains that might be used in a raffle or in a silent auction "kit". Thank you!

Sponsor Update

2008-03-17T14:14:00.006-04:00

A HUGE thank you to Creekside Cait for her truly generous support (and to David who wrote the check!) We hope mom and sister will make you proud!

Sasha's Blend Canada will be helping Pat stay in top shape by keeping her in a supply of Sasha's Blend..The only joint supplement that has worked after trying all the rest!

No success with Tilley. They said they only "give" to charitable organizations. Bah Humbug. See if I buy another hat this year!

DogSport magazine will also be pulling through with something I am told...Not sure what yet. I am going to write an article of my experience next fall. Hey, it sure as heck pays more than CleanRun!

Please Please Pretty Please!

2008-02-27T15:50:00.009-05:00

More (begging) letters written today!

Waggers Pet Products. A Canadian Manufacturer of healthy training treats for dogs. Kettle cooked with Omega 3 DHA sourced from Algae. My dogs have tried these and LOVE them!!

Pet Supply House. A Canadian suplier of pet products. I have ordered a lot of stuff from here over the years!

Rens Pets. Another Canadian supplier of pet products. More than a few dollars invested here too!
Any other ideas?
I wonder if asking Air Canada would be stretching things a bit...

And Let the Begging Begin!

2008-02-25T16:26:00.015-05:00

I have written my first letters to potential sponsors. Hey the worst they can say is no, right? I have tried to target Canadian companies whose products I use, like and trust. Here are the companies I have targeted so far:

Tilley Endurables. I wear their clothes, I love their hats. In nearly every sheepdog trialing picture I have, I am wearing my Tilley Hat. I am Canadian. They are Canadian. Plus I would love to fill my suitcase with their awesome and beautiful and expensive outdoor clothing :)

AVID Canada. I use their microchips. I am Canadian. The World Trial has an agricultural flair. Every single Canadian dog who ever travels overseas will need a microchip. It should be an AVID chip. Patented anti migrating technology. Jus, Tap, Pat, Blaze, Che, Max, Rhyll, Cait all have AVID chips. I am almost a spokesperson!

Interpath North America. Ok, so technically a branch of the Australian manufacturer of the absolutely FABULOUS joint supplement, Sasha's Blend. Pat takes it. Pat is going to the Worlds. therefore, they should give me money, right? Or at least lots of free Sasha's Blend - it is wicked expensive! But worth it!

Biolgic Nutritional Research. They are a Canadian manufacturer of canine and feline supplements. I have used their JOINT, FATS, and SPORT supplements with good results. Mostly before I fed raw. But they don't have to know that! They have a virtually untapped market in the sheepdog world!

I will also be trying to find a collar / leash maker who might donate a Canadian Flag themed leash and collar and bandannas for Pat and Tap to wear in the Opening ceremonies...

More Begging Later.

And the whole process gets repeated...

2008-02-21T17:28:00.004-05:00

...As I have decided to take Pat too! Pat was ranked 9th in qualifying points on the list of potential Canadian team members (Tap was 2nd). As I was told by a fellow handler, "You can always decide last minute not to take her, but you can't decide last minute to take her." (Her words were much more philosophical, I am sure!) So I am going through the entire hoop jumping process for the PETS travel scheme rabies requirements AGAIN.

This time, I'm going to be smart and drive my own damn car across the border to ship the sample from Vermont. Last time it cost $120 in shipping costs from North Hatley, Canada to go overnight (aka 3 days thank you US customs) to Manhattan, Kansas to the one and only designated FAVN test lab in North America.

From Newport, Vermont (a 15 minute drive from my vet's office) via USPS Express (overnight, really!) will cost a mere $20 plus $2.50 if I want a signature. Oh, and I guess about $10 in gas...If I drive the entire time in 2nd gear...At 70 mph.

Duh.

US Team Announcement

2008-02-20T09:52:00.002-05:00

Here is the official USA team line up. I don't know the complete dog line up yet, but have put dog names beside handlers where possible.

Maria Amodei, Dunstable, MA with Cato and Rhyme
Cathy Balliu, Fort Lupton, CO
Dawn Boyce, Carnesville, GA with Karch and Juno (?)
Chuck Dimit, Roanoke, IN
Joyce Geier, Mendon, NY with Clue and Brass
Haley Howard, Alturas, CA
Alasdair MacRae, Vichy, MO with Star and Nap (?)
Jennifer Maginnis, Jasper, GA with Bay (?)
Donald McCaig, Williamsville, VA
Anne Mock, Plymouth, CA
Gene Sheninger, Boonton, NJ with Jess and Jen (?)
Karen Wessinger, Leona Valley, CA
Tom Wilson, Gordonsville, VA with Sly (?) & ?

As you can see, there are lot of USBCHA semi finalists and finalists in the line up, including the 2007 USBCHA Champions, Alasdair and Star as well as the Reserve Champions, Tom Wilson and Sly.

....And then there's little the little rookie from Canada (as in ME). YIKES! Rubbing elbows with these handlers at the Finals last year was daunting enough...And it was Tom Wilson who had to drive me out on the 4 wheeler to rescue Tap from her face off with the Gettysburg sheep. Gulp.

OK - I am going to read lots of confidence building books between now and September!!! Any ideas?

Humming and Hawing...

2008-02-18T09:04:00.005-05:00

So, it seems like every competitor is taking 2 dogs.

I made the decision a while ago not to take Pat, even though she is more experienced. At the time of my decision, she was also undergoing weekly acupuncture for a sore back, which of course affected my decision. Now that it's getting down to the wire (March 31 close date for entries, not to mention a March 3 deadline for the whole tedious rabies process, which, if I had done at the same time as Tap, would have saved me a whole bunch of money) I am second guessing my decision not to take Pat.

Although the acupuncture and the addition of a daily dose of Sasha's Blend joint supplement have helped her back problem tremendously, they unfortunately don't turn back the clock. Pat will still turn 10 in September. My thoughts were that she is past her prime, and may not bounce back as quicky as her daughter after a long, stressful flight. The trial course may be too big for her. She also has a serious fault in that she can get completely hung up on her outrun and lift. Not always, but it happens. And when it does? Well I can basically kiss my run goodbye. It would suck for it to happen after spending $3000 to get her to Wales. Not that Tap is without imperfections, and everyone knows anything can happen on the trial field, no matter if you are running the current World Champion or a rookie youngster!

True, my travel plans will be much facilitated by only having to manage one dog (planes, trains and automobiles...) But oh, the thought of Tap and I blowing it early on in the preliminary round and not having a "second chance" is almost killing me!

What to do what to do?

And, as promised: I (as the lone Canadian competitor) was selected to be profiled on the World Trial Website. You can read it, if you are interested by following this link: http://www.worldsheepdogtrials.org/new/index.php?page=fiona-robertson The photo was taken in 2006, my hair is much longer now!

Another Step Completed

2008-02-14T18:25:00.015-05:00

Tap's rabies titer result came back from KS State rabies lab today. The PETS Travel Scheme says that a satisfactory test result must show that the rabies neutralising antibody titre was equal to or greater than 0.5 IU/ml. Tap's was 3.5 IU/ml. So she is all set! Glad I don't have to do that again - Cha Ching, Cha Ching! Next step to to get the "third country official veterinary certificate" in July and then her tick and tapeworm treatment 24-48 hours before she is loaded into the plane.

Also found a fabulous B&B for the first few days of my trip, when I will be in the North watching the International Supreme and hiking in Snowdonia. The hostess, Mary Marrow has been SO helpful and kind. She is welcoming both Tap and I into her home, whose occupancy records date back to the 1600s! Funny to think that a house built in the 1800s here in Canada is old!

As soon as I find out what the World Trial Committee is organizing in terms of trials for us foreigners during the week between the International and the World Trial, then I will need to find 2 more night accomodation somewhere!

Oh...If anyone has been to the World Trial website lately, you will find details about the photo contest. I happen to know a couple of very excellent photographers who are Creekside puppy owners! Submit photos and maybe earn a spot in the ISDS Calendar and in Working Sheepdog News. You could also win (for me :) grandstand tickets for the International!

Here is the B&B: Firs Cottage. It is 10 miles from the sea (and dog friendly beaches), 30 minutes to the mountains and the wonderful (dog friendly, of course) hiking in Snowdonia National Park and 15 miles to the site of the International.

Accommodation Search Pays Off

2008-01-30T08:59:00.000-05:00

So, I thought I would start looking into possible accommodation. Yes, I know we are still 8 months off, but surprisingly, many of the pet friendly, "self catering" (ie. with kitchen facilities - much needed for raw fed dog!) were already booked (probably with other competitors, I imagine). I spent a day inquiring - to no avail! Yikes...Only possibilities were too big and too expensive for 1 person and 1 dog. Finally, after much searching, I came across this listing, which was at least $200 cheaper than anything else I had inquired about, and only a short drive from the trial site! Needless to say, I booked it immediately:

"A self-contained studio alongside the owner’s home just south of Golden Grove, 4 miles SW Llandeilo and 12 miles east of Carmarthen. It enjoys lovely views of the garden and surrounding countryside to the Black Mountain and Brecon Beacons, and guests are welcome in the owner’s 2 acre garden (croquet lawn & barbecue) and on 52 acres including woodland (bluebells in May) and wildflower meadows. Fitted kitchen including f/freezer, d/washer and microwave, bath/shower room and a very pleasant open-plan bed/sitting room which leads through to a single bedroom. Oil c/heating, small TV and use of owner’s w/machine. Visitors are welcome to help with lambing in April and this is an excellent location for exploring, close to country parks and gardens. Local castles, golf, fishing, cycling and within easy reach of the coast."

This is the studio where Tap and I will stay from Sept 9-16th.

This is the "garden" of the main farmhouse.

With any luck, I'll be able to work their sheep while I am there!

Now I have to find something in the North - near the site of the International Supreme Championships, at which I will be a spectator ! (You know all those ## signs besides the dog's name in your Creekside dog's pedigree? Well, those are the GB International Champions, the "Supreme" Champions. It is the oldest running sheepdog Championship in the world.)

A CAN-AM Team?

2008-01-18T14:46:00.001-05:00

So, unbelievably, Tap and I are going to be the sole handler and dog representing Canada. I learned that because of the overlapping of dates for the USBCHA Finals in South Dakota and the World Trial, ALL previously slated Canadians have dropped out, choosing instead to go to South Dakota in September. While I understand that there is less expense, less travel, less hassle and a higher payback (well, if you place, that is), I would never in a million years choose South Dakota over Wales for the following reasons:

1. Since I probably have a slim to none chance of placing in either the USBCHA Finals or the Worlds, I could care less about payback. (But did you see the solid gold whistle that is the trophy for the World Champion?)
2. Going to either SD or to the UK represents at least 12-14 hours of car/plane/train travel for me. And if airline regulations would just let me have Tap come on board with me as my "carry on" , then probably about the same expense wise. (If I could train her to be really, really still, maybe she could pass for one of those stupid women's purses in the shape of a dog?) She would fit under the seat, if I squashed her slightly...
3. Tap, being a very kind, stylish and square sort of working dog (read: not a powerhouse), will have a better chance at getting round the course on wild welsh hill sheep than the "face off" type sheep that I hear they use in SD for the Finals.
4. South Dakota in the middle of a field (close to nowhere) with no place to hike, swim and enjoy my vacation with my dog, or lush, green welsh mountains and coast? Not a tough decision!

So Canada has no team, which means that I cannot be part of the team portion of the competition and will only be competing as an individual. At the 2005 World's in Ireland, the Canadian Team (Amanda Milliken, Dennis Gellings, Scott Glen, Bob Stephens and Bruce Smart) finished 4th overall as a team in the Qualifying runs (the Semi Finals and Finals count towards individual glory only). But although I am a rookie, Tap IS still the second seeded dog in Canada of the teams that were interested in competing, so we earned our spot - I just wish I didn't have to carry the flag all by myself!

Maybe the US team will let me hang with them...I hear many of the Big Hats are going, including Alasdair MacRae, Tommy Wilson and Haley Howard to name a few. Nothing official yet, of course, but maybe they will feel sorry for a little hat from Canada and let me tag along!

Aeroplan is a scam

2008-01-13T11:59:00.000-05:00

OK, so I booked my flight...Aeroplan seats were already disappearing fast, so thought I better book now rather than later. So, for 85000 Aeroplan miles (um, that's pretty much equivalent to spending about $35K on my VISA card at Double Mile bonuses)I get a direct flight. A rip off, but whatever. So I go to complete the transaction, and I am slapped with $440 worth of "taxes and fees". Oh well - the bright side: My return trip is in in Business class!

Trip calculator to date:
$35 rabies vax
$75 for serum sample
$45 for titer test (at KS State rabies lab) I forgot that in my original post!
$120 for overnight shipping of 1ml of serum to KS State U Rabies Lab
$250 for Universal Microchip Scanner (I am taking NO chances that the customs officials cannot read Tap's non ISO microchip) I forgot that in my original calculations too!
$440 for Aeroplan "taxes and fees" for my return ticket
$1636 ONE WAY for Tap's flight on Air Canada Cargo (Including the $400 the UK customs officials charge to read and stamp my dog's paperwork!

HOLY CRAP - I'd better get fundraising....

A Depressing Look at Costs...

2008-01-11T18:31:00.002-05:00

Rabies Vax: $35
Blood Draw for FAVN test: $75
Overnight shipping of sample to approved rabies lab at Kansas State U: $120
Ticket for Tap from Montreal to Heathrow with Air Canada Cargo: $1636 (One Way!)
The chance to compete with the best in the world: PRICELESS

And for everything else, there's my Air Canada Aeroplan Visa card...
And thank DOG I have enough miles to fly myself for free!

To come....Entry fees ($250 approx), Car rental, Train fare to Wales from London, accomodation....YIKES!!!

Do you think Tilley Endurables would sponsor me? I wear my Tilley Hat every time I trial!

But don't feel too sorry for me: