I stood at the handlers post with Skye for our run in a Ranch class at a sheepdog trial. I was at our first trail of 2018, and it was the first time I had ever competed at this beautiful farm in Bath NH. I had entered Skye and Blade in a Ranch class, which is the highest level class in what is called the novice classes. The next level is the open trails were the best handlers and dogs compete. I have run dogs in novice classes on and off over the years and now one of our sons, Caleb competes too.
I say “compete” in connection with these sheepdog trials because dogs with their handlers’ guidance move sheep through a course in a large field, through obstacles called hurdles. All the dogs in a class start their run with the same amount of points and get the points taken away by a judge as they miss an obstacle or if they lose control of the sheep. It matters how quietly the sheep are handled by the Border Collies. Sheepdog trials were developed to judge which Border Collies, Kelpies or Aussies work well and they might be parents of future working farm dogs. However as with anything the practical side of things sometimes gets replaced by the enjoyment of the competition, its an excellent way for working stock dog folk who often live far from each other to get together.
As I set Skye out from the handlers post, she started a 250-yard outrun to get to where the sheep wait for each dog, in turn. I did not know much about that there is a cascade in a broad stream just off the field. The water cascading down rocks makes such a significant noise that it is hard for the Border Collies and other breeds competing to hear their handlers from way the other end of the field. The dogs start their run and will bring back the sheep on what is called a fetch.
Skye did fetch the sheep to me well enough, a little too fast as she was unsure what was going on because she could not hear me. The dogs during the fetch need to bring the sheep, quietly on a straight line through the field. We completed the run, through the hurdles and ended with the free-standing pen. The handler is not allowed to leave the handlers post until the end of the run. The handler directs the dog throughout the run verbally or with a herding whistle from the handlers post. This calls for good teamwork which is made from lots of practice.
Later in the ranch class, it was Blade’s and my turn. This run was his first ranch class, ever as he is still a young dog. It did not go so well for him. I think he was confused throughout the run, and we did not move the sheep through the course on straight lines. But he finished the course, which many some other dogs did not. After his run, I was assigned a little job for him to move sheep that had been used in the competition. He did that very well, I think because it was in a small area where he was close to me and could hear my directions. He should do better next time as he grows and learns and gets experience. I can not tell you how happy I was with Skye finishing second in that class to an outstanding handler named Carol Campion. Cascade Farm has a challenging sheepdog field.
Two days later Skye and Blade and I were on a goose control trip in New York. We were in a lovely park with a pond and a nearby road. We had been at this park before, actually many times and that helps with feeling comfortable. I sent Skye one way around the pond and Blade the other way around the pond to herd-chase the geese off the grass and into the water. Just then three motorcycles came down the road, three Harleys. There was no way my dogs could hear me as they arrived on the opposite side of the pond from me. But Skye and Blade have made enough goose control trips that they both were not unnerved by the noise and the lack of being able to hear me. Skye and Blade completed their job well by getting the geese to fly away. Another successful goose control trip, and safely done despite not being able to hear me.
Later I would take our other two Border Collies, Jim and Tara on a goose control trip to Massachusetts to new client’s property where we had never been. Jim and Tara did not have too many distractions except for one show off beaver that kept swimming around a pond loudly splashing its tail to let us know it was there. The time and effort of training and participating in sheepdog trails sure helps our Border Collies become better goose control dogs.