From There To Here: OFTDm Title!

   We are on a roll! Diva has really stepped up her game since getting her back all healed up and we are working so well as a team. I have taken up a very nonchalant go with the flow type attitude and it seems to be having an impact all the way around. I have to smile a bit because a few years ago I used to envy my experienced friends and their easy going attitude toward trialing. I figured I would never ever get there. Times have certainly changed! The other thing that has been a huge growing process for me is to except that it isn't all about the score or placing. I used to get upset if I felt we had done better than how we were scored but just lately I have come to realize that the quality of the work I get from Diva doesn't always reflect in the numerical value given. Point in case was when we were out in Indiana doing F course with cattle. We didn't get the Q but what Diva was able to accomplish on tough stock was thrilling. I left the arena so proud of her. Scores are just an opinion of one person on any given day and I had been letting that number tell me how I felt about my dog. The truth is she is the same dog no matter the score and her name is not "87" any more than it is "113" (you get my idea ;-)). All of these revelations have brought me to a new place and you know what? I like it here.

   So on to the farm trial. We had a beautiful day and working at Kelly's farm is always a pleasure. It certainly offers a little bit of an advantage knowing the facility and the stock to some degree and I must admit that is a luxury we rarely ever have. With local ASCA stock trials almost non existent in our area we have had to travel far and wide to trial. The farm trial started with the two advanced dogs and then Diva and I were first in the open division. That ment we had the group of sheep in stall #3 which had yet to be worked for the day. Diva pulled the sheep out of the stall nicely and we proceeded to take them around to the sorting area where we had to sort off the 3 marked sheep (from a group of 7) using any combination of the 4 pens. Sorting is one of my least favorite things to do. Not because it is hard but mostly because I want to just wrestle the sheep I need in the pens and be done with it ;-). Diva is also having a hard time holding her stays when I make noise or touch the stock. She seems to think that is her cue to come "help me". Cute but annoying, ya know! So our sort wasn't as pretty as it could have been but it didn't take to long and we were able to get it done and move on to the duck portion of the farm trial. The sheep were put in a holding pen next to the duck area and then you got out your ducks and put them across a bridge. From the bridge you took them to a "graze" area for a hold and then re-penned. I had to work at getting it setup for a bit before we successfully got our ducks across the bridge but once they were through the rest was very easy. This was the area that cost us the most point loss though with a score of only 8 out of 15 potential points. After the ducks were away you had to collect your sheep from the pen and head through the barn yard and into the big field so that you could get to the chute. Diva did a nice job at all of the gates and her sheep went into the chute very calmly. Once I had put the ribbon around one of the marked sheep I had Diva push the sheep up the chute and we headed back out into the large field to go to the sheep "graze". The sheep were then left while we went to the open handler's cone and got ready to do the outrun portion. I sent Diva on an away and from what I was told people were all in awe of how pretty her outrun was. She left from my side and headed as far out to the fence as she could get (which was pretty far) and then had the nicest lift! This is a big win for Diva as she has always wanted to take a more direct route on her outruns before kicking out at the bubble. It wasn't until I saw the pictures that I really appreciated what she had done. After the gather we took the sheep to the top field where we had to do the final obstacle, a half maltese cross. The sheep could enter from any direction but once in you had to get them to settle for a hold on a blue tarp. The big challenge though was that the sheep had to exit out of the side opening thereby making a 90 degree turn. To much pressure and they would run out straight and if there wasn't enough they would back up the way they came. This is the first time I have ever worked this type of obstacle with Diva and I plan on doing it again as soon as possible! Our group of sheep went in easily enough and the hold was no problem but I had to help Diva by getting in the obstacle and turning the heads. Diva kept insisting that because I was making noise and touching the stock that she had to move so there were at least 4 or 5 times I was forced to correct her and send her back where I had placed her. Her slightest movements were enough to turn the sheep the wrong way so it was frustrating work. Finally after a couple of minutes of messing with it things were all set and Diva was able to walk in and push them out the right way. Success! Once we were finished there the sheep had to go back in the barn yard and be put away into their stall. Our group was easy enough to repen and we were done! Time to celebrate! Total time allowed in a farm trial is 25 minutes and we finished in 21 minutes and change. Not the fastest time but we also weren't stressed and rushing.

    The results of the farm trial gave Diva a 103 which was 3rd place and the last Q she needed to finish her OFTDm title. I was very proud of her and of myself. I think I may just finally be the handler my dog deserves ;-)!

The Farm Trial Competitors and Judge