Oklahoma State Fair

Well, got another one behind us. The cattle were run on Tues. Sept. 16 and were really tough. They had been used the day before for a team sorting and they weren't happy about getting messed with. To my knowledge, they had never seen a dog before and even the most experienced of dogs had a hard time completing the course. The cattle walked all over dog and human alike. In spite of the bad draws and lack of handler and dog experience on our part, we were still pleased with Blaze and Pete.

Blaze had a little touble driving instead of balancing, but he listened decent for a young dog and we were able to complete 2 obstacles and nearly the 3rd. Josh and Pete had a really bad draw and spent most of their time going back and forth across the arena trying to keep the cattle away from the exhaust, but they handled it like champs and managed to get them through the first obstacle.

The sheep trial on Sept. 17th had its challenges as well. Blaze still had cattle on the mind and was like a rocket in both his runs and I never could get him to settle down. We managed a 6th place in the first trial and a 5th in the second.

Pete worked extremely well in the first trial and placed 2nd! I am so proud of Josh. And to think I practically had to beg him to put his dog in the box that morning! He isn't much for sheep trials, he's more of a cattle guy. Pete got a little too excited in the 2nd trial when a sheep broke and ran like mad to the exhaust. He caught up to it and gripped out. Check out his video.

Tess blew her first run when the sheep were being sticky. She couldn't get them to lift easily, so she gripped out of anxiety. She's still got some confidence issues, but she's come a long way and we are still proud of her. She redeemed herself in the 2nd trial with a 2nd place finish. Watch Tess' video.

We had some rough spots, but after it all, we still came home happy with our dogs. Tulsa here we come. :)

Sneak is a TV Star!

Sneak is out of our Nanna and started her training here with me. She now lives with Miles Allen in Texas. We miss this girl, but we are so glad to see her happy!

Click Here to see a video of Sneak.

Fall Trial Schedule Update

Here's a more up-to-date list of the trials we plan to attend this fall...

Oklahoma State Fair Cattle Trial Sept. 16th
Blaze & Pete will be competing in the Beginners cattle class.

Oklahoma State Fair Sheep Trial Sept. 17th
Blaze & Pete will be competing in the Ranch (Novice) class.

Tulsa State Fair Cattle Trial Sept. 30th-Oct. 1st
Blaze & Pete will be competing in the Beginners Cattle class. We wanted to compete in Tulsa on sheep too, but the sheep and cattle trials are at the same time and we figured it would just be too much for our young dogs running back and forth with the possibility of the runs being at the same time. So, maybe next year...

P & B Cattle Trial Oct. 4th
Lexington, OK
Blaze & Pete will be competing.

Washington County Jr. Livestock Goat Trial
Bartlesville, OK Nov. 1th
Blaze, Pete, & Tess, & possibly Nanna will compete.

Check out the results of the trials we've already attended at http://www.baxterbordercollies.com/2008trials.html

Pete Photos

Here's some pics of Pete dog breaking the calves too. I used the same movie making software to capture these photos. Since Pete's had more frequent interaction with cattle, he's been learning how to use his teeth effectively. :)

Blaze Photos

Blaze is nearly impossible to get snapshots of because he's in and out so fast the cattle don't even know what has hit them, let alone the person supposed to be taking pics. So, I found some movie making software and was able to get shots from the video. The quality isn't great, but the pics are pretty cool. This is from the video of Blaze's 2nd time dog breaking our calves.

Grady County Fair

If you missed it, you missed a great time. The sheep were a little tough at first. Can't blame the girls. Our stock contractor (Yancy Paul) had a blowout on the way and they were all stuck on the side of the road for awhile on a very hot afternoon. So, they were a bit hard to handle at first, but as the night came and the cooler temps came with it they began to cooperate a bit better. They were tough but it sure was fun!

The points and time format on sheep was something new to all of us, but everybody seemed to agree that it was a refreshing change of pace. We were invited back for next year and will start the planning process next spring.

I want to thank everyone that made this trial a success, the trial committee, the sheep crew, the handlers, the fair staff, etc. Thanks to Kevin Bradbeary for taking some great photos of the action. Thanks so much and we are looking forward to doing it again next year.

Check out the OSDA website for pics and placings... http://www.okstockdog.com/results.html Don't forget to check out the photo gallery too.


BBC Dogs @ Grady County Fair

We took Blaze, Pete, & Tess to Chickasha with us to compete.

Tess competed in the Ranch class and did very well. She took every command she was given and never faultered. She won 2nd in the class. We tied with points for 1st, but our time line wasn't quick enough for a 1st place finish. The sheep were very sticky to the end of the arena where the exhaust was and it took a bit of time to get them through the first obstacle, but we couldn't have been happier with her performance.

Blaze did an excellent job in the Novice class at his first sheep trial. He listened very well, and handled his sheep nicely. He was one of a few dogs who made it to the last obstacle, the maltese cross. Blaze got his sheep through one part of the obstacle, but ran out of time getting them through the 2nd part, narrowly missing the only perfect score! Good boy Blaze!

Pete and Josh got dealt a tough hand. They had a sheep that absolutely refused to cooperate. She tried in every way possible to escape the arena through the fence, but didn't succeed. They peeled her off the fence numerous times and she would just run right back. They brought the other sheep to her, but she wouldn't stay with them. Pete handled it well and wasn't ready to quit trying. Better luck next time guys! Great Try!

Fly's Webpage

I finally got Fly's webpage put online... It has some pics and pedigree info as well as links to her videos. Click Here!