The Big Dance


Carbondale, Colorado

2014


     So for months I watched the points on the USBCHA website with apprehension.  I nearly didn't even enter because I thought we were a little low.  However, traditionally when finals are in the West the cut off tends to be lower.  Watching started to be similar to NASCARs chase for the race.  Feist and I were definitely on the bubble.  I never dreamed we would actually get in.  We had not been in open for a year yet.  I had planned on taking minimal time off work at the end of the season to watch the big hats at Soldier Hollow and then fly out to Carbondale to watch the end of the National Finals.  I had on my list a bit of homework to log on how different handlers responded to certain situations.  I like to scout.

     Then, I received the call from Texas acknowledging that Feist and I were in.  Emotionally it was a great whirlwind of excitement and fear bundled into a grand lack of planning on my part.  I had to hustle coverage at work.  I had to pack dogs with me to SoHo and find practice fields along the way.  We coordinated driving, instead of flying, finding practice fields along the way.  I had to slam hours at work, in order to be able to leave and try to practice here and there along the way.  I had big hats traveling through on their way who wanted to borrow my practice field along the way.  Wow.  And on my way out the door to SoHo, my racing dogs knocked over the chair my nice camera was on breaking it into pieces, so my photos are minimal and from my iPhone.  I did take more, but they are in a friends camera in Canada.  Not sure any were taken of my actual run.

Cold Springs, Nevada

     We passed Cold Springs, Nevada early on our sojourn.  This is a beautiful and rugged area just prior to Austin along Hwy 50.  Very sentimental area for me.  This is the stretch of the Pony Express Trail that I carried the mail several times on my good horse Turk with several good friends who are now carrying the mail mochilla in heaven.  A good start to remind me again that it IS the journey and NOT the destination that is important.

 





     Southern Utah had some amazing vistas for sure.  Incredible rock formations with dazzling colors mixed with a lavish light show and a dash of rain to set the traveling stage. I had been this way before, but I think mostly in the dark.  It was fun to see and enjoy the ride.  We crawled into a small town called Loma just below a gorgeous crimson mesa to meet up with some of our good friends and we had a spectacular homemade heirloom tomato salad.  








     We had a nice morning practice in a beautiful field.  I had a touch up with my handling skills with input from Amanda.  Felt pretty comfortable that we were all on the same page.  With excitement and trepidation we hit the road to land in Carbondale at the beautiful Strang Ranch.




Strang Ranch

Practice Field

Mount Sobris in background
bordercollie pandemonium
in the foreground
Mich and Maude


      We ran the second day late morning.  Not a bad draw at all.  The first day, there was weather to contend with, including thunder in the back drop.  It was a good go for what it was.  Outrun- lift pretty good.  Fetch a bit wonky and around the post we met the same mean challenging ewe many much more experienced handlers/dogs ran into.  To do it again, as a handler, I would certainly make different decisions.  Tough lesson to learn on the grand stage.  But lesson learned, none the less.






      Well we did it.  We ran in the National Sheepdog Finals!  It is an honor to run with such talented dogs and talented elite handlers.  The magnanimity that was shown to our freshman team was truly heart warming.  I am awe inspired.



Bonneville Salt Flat




Ok.  Now back to the 
drawing board.
2015


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2017 at a glance

Image
     If last year was called ‘Live and Learn’, then I must call this year ‘Miles on the Tires’. 2017 is the Chinese year of the Red Fire Rooster. Boyo boy has it been a year for the border collies and I. It was a mix of circumstances that opened up doors than I bravely jumped through, not knowing the outcomes on the other side. Bluegrass Classic, Soldier Hollow Classic, and the Belle Grove National Sheepdog Finals were all new trials for our team this year. Feist Hill Field Sonoma Wine Country SDT Feist and I started out the trial season strong landing second on the Hill Field at the Sonoma Wine Country SDT The sheepdog team gained valuable experience at the scopey Zamora Hill SDT. Both Tane' and Feist earning points toward the nationals. Tane' putting together the smoothest and most timely pen on very wiley range ewes. Young Jag doing big chores.  Learning. Somewhere between the vast hills of Zamora and our Nor...
Read more

Live and learn

Image
Live and learn      My theme for the past year.  I feel like we have enrolled at the USBCHA University.  This year was indeed a learning.... and living year. Feist watching Joni and Cap Kingston       We went on the road at the end of the season to do a bit more living and learning.  The dogs and I met up with Amanda, Barbara, and Bev at SoHo.  I only watched the last day, but it was amazing.  My good friend and DHS volleyball coach met up with me to watch the final day.   Dorey sporting gold      After Soldier Hollow, I fell in line with my dogs and rig to Meeker.  We picked up another passenger Mr. Monty Man that day.         Bev showed me the ropes around Meeker.  Including the famous statue in down town, as well as the practice field.  It was great to have at least one practice before running the Monty dog.  Barbara...
Read more

Sheepdog journey

Image
And the story continues       It has been a long time since I have blogged. For a variety of reasons. The biggest reason is the ever elusive time.  It seems like I am hitting the busiest time of my life.  I feel like with the passing of my Mother, that my life lesson is, 'to live...fully'. I am hitting my stride - or trying to. I reflect only briefly backwards of the time I may have squandered walking up a path designed by someone else.      A very good friend of mine several years ago gave me the analogy that your dog running parallels how things are 'going' in your life.  Thus the periodic reference to the 'sheepdog journey'. I don't entirely buy into it.  However, when your life is cluttered and your energy is like the hoarder households kitchen, sure enough it's tough to find the focus needed to hold up your end of the partnership with your dog. I have witnessed very good people who go through rough life times and take it ...
Read more