Meeker Time



From the Hand's Camp

 From 49th on the wait list for the Meeker Sheepdog Trial, I made it into the running on the very last day possible, just 1 day before it began. I still can't believe my luck. After the Steamboat dog trial, I drove  back to Carbondale to help with last minute preparations for the finals, and get over my dissapointment. On Tuesday morning I had an email from Meeker Director, Maym Cunningham, and here I am, parked on a hill overlooking the trial field, having just run Mirk, my first of 2 dogs. Star runs tomorrow second to last.



Dexter feels the love

 Meeker began on Wednesday, but I stayed over in C-dale Tuesday night, and helped a little. It rained, and I was told that getting into the hand's camp was nearly impossible. On Wednesday, when I arrived, I simply put my foot in it, and powered up the muddy slope into camp. Once on the grass, it was slow, but easy to find a near-level spot, and I'm in the front row! After watching a few runs, it was apparent the sheep were different that what we usually get, so I asked the shepherdess, Julie Hansmire; "why the change?" "They're fat," she said from a lot of Colorado rain, and they're happy.



Scott Glen sheds, Jenny Glen shoots

 The sheep were better yesterday, I think, because it was cooler. Scores were uncommonly high for here with an 85 leading, an 83 and a bunch of 70s. Not so today. Temps climbed and sheep disposition fell. They detected any dog weakness at the lift, and more than a few runs have been lost to the clock. Scott Glen with his US Nursery and recent Canadian Open Champion, Don, had the high score today of 85 when I broke for lunch after my run with Mirk. With 29 seconds on the clock, he completed a stellar pen. He is ice-man.



Looking upfield

 Mirk was a 72 on very clean en-bye work and the odd set with a leader who tried him all the way down the fetch line, and all around the drive. Mirk nailed her a time or two, but efficiently held her in check for pretty nice lines, and almost enough time to finish.The only place she proved handy was in the shed ring, where she zigged from one side to the other, and created a hole. We timed out with the pen rope in my hand. I have no frame of reference whether my score will put us through to the semi's. They've never run this high in all the years I've been coming here, and I refuse to look. Why get my tail in a wringer? I'll just wait, and then I'll just see. Little Star man runs secon from last tomorrow afternoon. Bad time of day to run, and I'm concerned that he'll be overmatched by these wiley Merino-cross yearlings who clearly lack sufficient respect for the dogs. At Meeker, the sheep make or break you, and that is all.