More Introductions

I have to go back in time just a little bit to introduce you to John and Cynthia. Back in 2003, at Louise's trial, John and Cynthia stopped by to watch the trial. They were there with their cattle dog Midget (I think). I remember seeing them at the trial quite vividly. Cynthia has this long, multicoloured coat, I call it her blanket coat, she was wearing it that day which caused me to wonder who the hippies were.

John and Cynthia had just purchased their farm a few months prior to that trial and since they had some herding dogs, decided to watch the trial. We became fast friends. They would bring their Border Collies Pam and Dixie over and practice with us at Louise's. Cynthia started coming to a few trials with Louise and I and very soon we became known as "The Trio".

Over the years, the three of us have shared many successes and failures together. Unfortunately, I don't remember Cynthia's first trial. I DO recall her first Alasdair clinic at Dal and Kate's. As it turned out, her first clinic there turned out to be the last clinic Dal and Kate were to have with Alasdair. Cynthia is a red head through and through. She wears her emotions on her sleeve. It is one of the things that I love most about her.

In 2005, at this particular clinic, her turn came up. I won't try to tell you what was going through her mind as I can only imagine, based on my own experience. The feeling of going to a clinic is filled with anticipation and always a few nerves. On one hand, we want our dogs to do everything we ask but on the other hand, we want them to do everything wrong so we can get help fixing the problem. I imagine Cynthia was working on lying Pam down. That seems to be Cynthia and Pam's ongoing challenge. I digress. Cynthia and Pam were up and all the "clinic goers" were watching. The fact that others are watching, makes things even more nerve wracking. Alasdair asked Cynthia to show him what she and Pam were working on. She sent Pam and when Pam zoomed around, Cynthia asked Pam to stop. Of course Pam would have none of that stopping business. Alasdair calmly asked Cynthia to make Pam stop. Cynthia walked over to Pam and pushed her on the back to make her lie down. Repeat the exercise. Pam didn't lie down. Alasdair took Cynthia by the elbow and led her around showing her where to be in order to get a successful stop. It is not uncommon to be led around by the elbow regardless of how 'good' you may or may not be. Neither Louise nor I had communicated this gesture to Cynthia. When she was finished her lesson, she burst into tears and said "I didn't think I was that bad!" We couldn't help but laugh since we had all been dragged around a field more than once.

Shortly after Cynthia's lesson, it was Louise's turn with Clare. Louise was working on shedding and, after Louise explained the problem, Alasdair quite simply asked Louise what she was doing wrong. They proceeded to work on diagnosing what she was doing wrong and mere moments later, I watched Alasdair SHOVE Louise through the gap in the sheep. I grabbed Cynthia to show her, driving home the point that it has nothing to do with being good or bad really, it has to do with trying to learn.

Three years later, Cynthia has learned a lot although she and Pam still struggle with stopping on occasion.