BorderSmith Bloodlines

Allen Mills' Sis, an own daughter of my Price

The bad news is that I am watching all of the big year-end trials on my computer instead of competing at any of them. The good news is that it has been a very good year for BorderSmith Kennel from the prospective of my bloodlines. As I related in an earlier post, my TaddyMoor Mirk is uncle, and my Lad is sire to this year's International Supreme Champion, Richard Millichap's ##Dewi Tweed. Lad and Mirk are sons, and ##Tweed is a grandson to Millichap's Ben, himself a former International Supreme Reserve Champion.

The United States Border Collie Hander's Association is just today contesting the final of this year's national finals and Sis, a daughter of my Price shown above, finished a tremendous third place in the doube lift finals at the tender age of 3, besting some of the very finest and most brilliantly handled dogs in the country. Owned and handled by Allen Mills from Goldthwaite, Texas, this placing came just one day after she finished 10th after 2 days of combined scoring in the national nursery finals. Sis was bred at the request of my friend Emil Ludecke one year when I camped at his Texas ranch on my way home from Kentucky's Bluegrass Classic. She is out of a full-sister, litter-mate to his brilliantly successful, Ben, now retired. Emil has been running another Ben progeny, a son named Spot, successfully all year. Emil's line also produced another Ben son, Cap, who was the USBCHA National Nursery champion in 2005 owned and handled by Dodie Green at that time.

There are a few hardy soles who not only competed at the nationals, but also kept track of it by blogging as it happened, for those of us sitting at home craving information. Pearse Ward is one of those people who gives us a blow by blow narrative for each dog in the final round. Please visit his blog, Comeby.net, to read the details. He had this to say about Sis and Allen's run:

"Sis had a good first gather and a good line dead center to the panels and dropped her sheep nicely and quietly. Allen didn't flank her over before the turnback and she took the turnback and went straight back, crossing the line to the sheep in the process. Allen gave her a redirect, just as she spotted the second group and she took it perfectly, kicking way out to the right but the damage was done. A great second fetch and rejoined the second group standing practically at Allen's feet in front of the post, Quick turn, and good line out to the drive panels.

The sheep are wanting to stop and graze which interfering a little with the flow on the cross drives. Allen's sheep moved slower than most of the groups this morning after that half way point on the cross drive but pulled low against the pressure of the dog and Allen had to get Sis to push them up into the cross drive panels. Allen got a good first cut and started working on his shed in earnest. He had to regather and reshed when a collared got in with the shed group but after that it wen very well with the shed group right on the edge of the ring and causing a strong draw. Sis did a great job hold the collared sheep against huge pressure; one ewe in particularly challenging her and Allen repeatedly. Finally the opportunity presented itself and with nine minutes on the clock, Allen drove off the shed group and went to the pen, leaving Sis to bring her sheep in. Perfect pen for a tremendous run excepting the error on the turnback."

My good friend, Diane Pagel is another who kept track for us less fortunates. On her ever-popular DeltaBluez Stockdogs Blog Diane had this to say about Allen and Sis after their semi-finals run:

"Allen Mills, whom we have blogged about before, and his Sis are one of the last ones to run. He is a very nice gentlemen who greeted everyone with a huge smile and made you feel welcome. His Sis ran out wide and deep and stopped at the top when Allen downed her. She is a powerhouse and had good control of the sheep on the fetch. She was off the sheep and not running up their behinds and I could see her snout, pointed down and meaning business, Her white flashy legs would strike up the dust and it was like mini dust devils behind her. Allen, in his quiet unassuming way, cleverly worked the sheep around the post and got the first leg going nice and crisp. A sweet turn at the panel and lined then up for the crossdrive. This 3 year old dog sure is going to be one nice dog, no wait, is one nice dog and I think Allen needs to send her home with me."

And this after her finals run in the double lift:

"We’ll be seeing Sis on the course in the future- this is one heck of a nice dog!"

I could only be at the big year end trials in spirit this time, and it was the spirit of my wonderful dogs who made it possible. Laddie is retired now and beyond the ability to breed for future generations of champions. Price, on the other hand, has a few years left to become productive, but his window is closing. I can only hope that maybe now he will garner the breeding attention that I always thought he deserved. I am looking for the right bitch to breed him to, now more than ever.