Stella's Debutante Ball

Also known as The Bluegrass Stock Dog Trial.

We had done all the preparation we could. We packed up and left at around 4:30am to make the 9 hour trek to Lexington, Kentucky. There was frost on the ground when I left home and when I arrived in Kentucky, it was close to 27 degrees C or 80 degrees F. I stopped to pick up supplies, food and such, then proceeded to the trial site. It was an absolutely gorgeous park. I found Dal n Kate's camper and decided I would park near them and take advantage of the shade their camper would provide. I set up my little campsite after walking my dogs then went looking for Andrea. I finally had my bet payment for her.

I had some supper, fed my dogs, visited with Dal and Kate for a bit, then went to bed. Stella and I were running the next day and I wanted to be well rested.

I had spoken to several people about this trial. Everyone said the same thing. The Novice field is a tough one. Although the field didn't look terribly ominous, the sheep proved to be quite wily. They learned rather quickly where the exhaust was. Stella and I weren't going to run until later in the day so I knew the sheep would be keen to get into the exhaust pen.

Strangely, I wasn't nervous. I watched many runs and several times, the sheep simply jumped into the exhaust. My plan was to get Stella to lie down and listen to me as soon as possible. My biggest concern was the fetch. If we got through the fetch and around the post, I felt that she and I could get through the drive.

I had started noticing a few oddities with Stella in the last couple of work sessions. She had started crossing over occasionally. Ok, twice. I thought that it was pressure related and had decided that on our first go, I would look at the set sheep and would send Stella the direction that the sheep weren't facing. I looked up at our set sheep and the direction I decided to send her was to the left. As we walked to the post, Stella kept flipping to my right side and I kept bringing her back to my left. I sent her on her outrun and she disappeared for a bit as she went down into a knoll. When she reappeared, she was about to cross over. I tried to stop her but couldn't. I decided to take the cross over - which would cost me 19 of the 20 points allocated to the outrun - and let Stella get her sheep. I gave her an 'away to me' to let her know that things were ok and that I was in this with her. She did a pretty good outrun after the cross, the sheep lifted fairly quickly and I finally got her stopped right around the fetch panels. She listened to me the rest of the way down the fetch and we got turned around the post. As we started our drive away, the sheep were drawn to the exhaust. I knew that this was going to happen and knew that if I stayed calm, Stella wouldn't let those sheep get away. I flanked her one way, then the other. The sheep fought to get to the exhaust and Stella and I were doing a pretty good job at keeping things under control, she was getting worried and I could see it. Another couple of flanks and we would be on our way. Except for the pen. Where Stella needed to be was where the pen was. I hadn't practiced this part. She was behind the pen, and the sheep decided that was their chance to get to the exhaust. As they made their way to the exhaust, Stella decided she had had enough and took off after the one that was making a break. I left the post to make sure Stella didn't do anything bad. I called her to me, gave her a pat and asked the person who exhausted my sheep if they would mind doing my exhaust for me. I really didn't want Stella to bring all the exhausted sheep out and back onto the field.

Scott had watched our run. He said to me that Stella listened pretty good and that I should just keep doing what I was doing. His advice for my next go was 'do what you did, but stay away from the pen'

The next day
My plan for today was to improve on yesterday somehow. I decided that I would let Stella choose the side she wanted to go, and if she wasn't adamant about a side, I would send her the direction she wanted to go, and ultimately ended up going, yesterday. I was also going to try to stay away from the pen as per Scott's advice.

Stella and I walked to the post and she seemed willing to go either direction. I sent her to the right. She did a lovely outrun. I was watching her rather than keeping an eye on her and the sheep. Next thing I noticed was that the sheep were headed to the left of the field. I looked at Stella and she seemed to have been deep enough not to have caused that. Think Janet, think. This is a bad situation for Stella, the sheep are running. I gave her a steady whistle, and hollered her away to me. [she and I hadn't transitioned fully to her whistles yet]. She managed to control herself and I let her cover her sheep. My heart was racing. Once again she got stopped just around the fetch gates. We were under control. I looked at the pen briefly as we finished our fetch and this time, the pen door had blown open. Good grief. Ok, stay away from the pen. Turn the post, make her mind, don't get anxious, no yelling. BREATHE.

Staying away from the pen seemed to fly out the window when Stella ended up INSIDE the pen. I kind of chuckled at how miserably I had failed at staying away from the pen. Once again, we ended up with Stella in a precarious spot where she had to flank repeatedly to get away from the pen and cover the sheep. Once again, it proved to be a bit much for her and we retired.

After that run, Scott said he was pleased with how she minded her manners. He knew, as well as I did, that the setout problem could have proven disatrous for Stella. He also reassured me that Stella didn't cause the setout problem.

Although I wished she and I had completed the course, I was absolutely thrilled that she and I were able to walk to the post and that she was willing to listen to me after she and I had really only been working together for a few weeks.

Only six months prior, Stella was a whirling dervish. Only 4 weeks prior, I had thought I had turned her into something worse than the whirling dervish. Only 3 weeks prior, she and I had our 'argument', and only 2 short weeks prior to this trial she had started listening to me. I was really proud of all the obstacles she and I had already overcome and was excited to work more with her.

For the first time in a very long time, I left a trial feeling excited and happy about the quality of work from me and my dog.

We spent the remainder of the week watching the open class. That was tough going, and not for the faint of heart. One day Stella and I will be running on that field.