Nordic Nursery 2014 in Denmark

When I had managed to crawl up from the deep hole (after the nationals), I remembered that Minna had told me she was going to the Nordic Nursery Final in Denmark with Nell. So I phoned her and told her, me and Coel are in too! NN is a final for the best young dogs less than 3 years from Denmark, Finland, Faero Islands, Norway and Sweden. Think there where 34 dogs entered.
We flew from Helsinki to Copenhagen, the dogs were calm when they came out like they had done this eveeryday.
We rented a car and drove via Bredsten to Holstebro where the trial was gonna be. We stayed one night at Finn Petersen and Gunilla Svedjemark and got to train on their super nice sheep.

At Helsinki airport

Nell and Coel waiting for us to let them out

Minna training at Finns and Gunillas place

Next day we drove to Holstebro: The organizers Anna Östman and Peter Helen, had managed to fix an overnight stay at their neighbours, so we had only 200m to the trial field from our "cottage". Perfect!

Our "cottage"

Chloe Cropper and Stephen Duckworth from UK judged. The trialfield was nice, outrun 350, drive about 150m x 110 x 150m, shed (two uncollared off), pen and single (one collared off). Sheep were just great, light (if you compare to finnish) but putting pressure on some dogs at the drive gates and at the pen.


Coel had a good run the first day, with some small faults before the gates and the beginning of the fetch. Nell had a good start but struggled in the end of the long first leg of the drive, first time for her to run an open course. Marika Klossner and Jymy were beaten of the time the first day.
I never want to know my points, so after all dogs had run, I couldn´t believe it when I was told I was second after Jaran Knive eand Fibula, jiiz...

You can see the run from the first day here  Coel, first day

 In the evening they had organized a dinner for the competitors, staff and judges.  It was great to talk sheepdogs with old and new friends, I have to say that Peter Helen and his son Robin are great (read=hilarous) hosts, the Norwegians are just crazy...I haven´t laughed that much in a long time!

Next day the course was more difficult. The outrun was from the same field, but the sheep were let out on an other field with completely different surface, the outletting people took the sheep trough the forrest between the fields to the other field. The outletting pen was 300m in front of the post, so a lot of the dogs tryed to head for them.  It was difficult for a lot of dogs, I think those who found their sheep without extra commands, could be counted on the fingers of one hand, Minnas Nell was also one of them who went straight to the sheep.

Superb catering here :-)

 I run as second last (because the best run as last etc.), so it was a long day to be nervous...it didn´t help that a lot of the other dogs didn´t find their sheep or crossed the outrun.
At the post Coel hadn´t seen the sheep, he steared at the outletting pen like the other dogs had done... I tryed to set him up with pressure a to get him out wide to the left...I hadn´t done that before, so he didn´t understand at all and backed away from me... I had to let him go out as he wanted, I relied on him that I would be able to whistle him out...but I didn´t have to.
He went out without extra commands like a rocket, wow. The fetch could have been better, the drive was okey I guess,  I had broblems to shed, couldn´t calm the sheep down...think I tryed to call him in to a shit gap...pen okey... Coel anticipated the single and tryed to come in for two (should be one)...at least I got the single. 
We took the sheep of and I had to sit down, I had a hell of a stomache ache, couldn´t even go and watch Jaran. I heard Fibula had problems to find the sheep, a lot of extra command was needed...but the rest of the course had been okey except for the shed I heard. Took pain killers but didn´t help properly, I guess I had been so nervous so my midriff cramped or something. I have tought that I can perform good under pressure, seems I can not.
Then it was time for prize giving, I assumed that Jaran would win and hoped that we would be in the best of 10...it was just amazing, we became second!!!  It felt so nice when a lot of people was so happy for us, I guess people was happy also because Finland is normally never on the prizelist in these games ;-) Happy happy happy!

3. Finn Engan & MArco 1. Jaran Knive & Fibula 2. Anja Lehtiö & Coel
(c) Ester Nordby

Me guiding Coel, the small withe spots in the far end are are the drive gates

On the afternoon also Kari, Elisa and Annika had arrived, they were going to trial on Saturday and Sunday in StoåLam-cup.
On Saturday morning it was time for StoråLam-cup, one had cancelled so they had fitted Coel in, but I had to run first because we had a plane to catch. Usually people let their dogs see when other dogs sheep are coming on the fetch, easier then for the dog to spot it´s own sheep...but I wouldn´t be able to do that now.
Neither me or the other Finns or Swedes who were there for the first time, had seen a course like this. It was huge,  three sections (fields) with big ditches between them and on the sides, swampy terrain that continued as long you could see to the right... The outrun wasn´t more than maybe 550m but the terrain and size of it made it difficult.
Peter and Anna are known for making courses that are really testing the dogs. They have to be good outrunners and take directions, they have to feel the sheep and let the sheep choose where to put their feet, they need power to force them over ditches etc..they also have to have brains. It´s what their dogs need in their daily work.
The sun hadn´t rised properly when me and Coel went on, and it rained like hell so I couldn´t see the sheep myself...how the hell should I be able to get my 18months old youngster out there...?!
He went out wide and started to came in before the first ditch, I stopped and whistled him out, out he went and tryed to come in again at the second ditch, stop and out again and with one more he took out properly and headed for his sheep, first goal done.
I couldn´t see much with the rain slashing my face...whistled some stops and walks...had to trust him to handle and bring the sheep to the post 100m in front of me where they should be turned arround for the long drive. Little Harry Potter guided his sheep like an experienced dog and took all commands right...it was really hard to see so far...thinks we missed the second gate, back to the shedding ring, shed done, pen done, single done. Holy shit, we did it, we completed the most difficult course I have ever seen!!!
We saw a few dogs run, and it  was not easy for them either, even if some of them had run at this same course before. Then we had to return to our cottage  to pack and start the drive to Copenhagen to catch the plane. After packing we returned to the trial field to see a few dogs, the weather was much better now and there had also been some good runs, but still a lot of dogs had retired.
I started to realize that Coel had really done a brilliant job, running as the first dog, poor sight and heavy rain!
Well it would have been so fun to participate next day in the double fetch, but we had to leave, maybe next year... I heard later on that Coel had ended up on 7th place, not bad!

 

Proudly presenting the Reserve Nordic Nursery Champion 2014

Me and Minna on our way to Finland

As Coel is only 18 months, he is allowed to run in the Nordic Nursery Final next year too. I hope Norway will organize a trial as good as this, and also two days Open classes after or before NN.










On our trip we had a lot of time to make plans for our new project Next Step, herding clinics and Online training more about this soon...

Update part 4, Internationals 2014 and back to Finland

After the WT me Leena and Jessica stayed at Penyfed Farm four days before we were off to the Internationals in Ireland. There is only room for two persons in Leenas car, so Leena and Jessica drove down together and I came down to Leeds with Juha Moisander from Finland, he continued to Harwich to take the ferry. From there I took the bus and three trains to Wrexham, from where Leena picked me up. Quite an exciting trip I must say, especially to change the trains and hurry/find the next one...and my phone was runing out of battery. I must have looked like a homeless, I had a backpack, and my sleepingbag and a cushion and a quilted jacket, when the Brittish walked around in small tops and micro shorts...
Back at the caravan it felt like coming home, so great to see Efion again, and later on the other Owens.
We were so happy that there were a lot to do on the farm. Over those days we dosed all lambs and gave them vitamines, there were a lot of work for the dogs and we really enjoyed it. We also visited Ann and Doug Lambie, our neighbours, Jessica went riding with Janet.

Dosing at Penyfed Farm

Coel and Rhy bringing sheep down from the hill

Jessica at Ann´s and Dougs farm

Early on Thursday morning me Aled and Kevin Dodd drove to the Ireland ferry, we arrived on the afternoon and went straight to the trialfield, or maybe not straight...it wasn´t the easiest place to find.
At first the trial field was a disappointment, it was small, like a normal open (class III) field in Finland. It was on slope with dips, so it wasn´t spectator friendly at all. Only one of the the "grandstands" was put up and it didn´t have any roof, because it was built on a slope (to the side) so they said it wasn´t safe to put up it up. You could only see the whole course if you were lucky to sit high up...and even then they would disappear inte the dips... It felt that we had payed for nothing, when we bought the grandstand tickets in advance, we payed so we would be able to see everything and so we would stay dry.
Fortenately the weather was great all three days, and we sat on the side of the course so it was okey. The last day, the final with double fetch, we came there 7am and got good seats.

Kevin and Greg

If you wanted to know in advance, how your run´s gonna be...

Big mama

Kevin and Greg, Reserve Supreme Champions

James and Silver shedding

Taxi

International Supreme Champion
James Mc Gee & Silver

James MacGees Silver only 18months old, won and became an International Supreme Champion. I liked this dog at the WT, but now he was evenmore impressing. Kevin and Greg were second, very happy for him. He had an even better run with Jimmy, but they were unlucky to have a very odd ewe in the shedding. Two ewes were glued like siam twins, one with and one without collar, he managed to get the uncollared one off three times, but she just run back to her mate, the last time they got her shed off, her friend attacked Jimmy...then the clock beat them.
I hadn´t planned in advance how to get back from Ireland...fortunately Ned O´Keeffe and Mirjam Lettner helped me and I got lift with the ISDS president and Judith. Then I met up with Leena and Jessica in Dublin, next morning me and Leena started our journey back to Finland. Jessica flew back home.
We had time for a short stop at Annis and Digs new home, the´ll be shepharding on a farm with 2.000 ewes.

On a beach in NW

Disaster, again
After three days we were back at my home. After two days we drove to Rantasalmi, where the second qualifications for the Finnish team was organized. Some handlers hadn´t pre entered, so even Coel could run there.
There was something funny about the field, even very good listners lost their hearing at one part of the field, and brought the sheep quite reck less to the handler. The ewes also put quite lot of pressure for some reason on the dogs, a lot had troubles with them...lost the pack or gripped. Rhy had a very good run, but unfortenately I was "a sleep" or felt too safe, and he gripped when one ewe bolted at the pen. I should know, that when the sheep puts a lot of preassure on the dog, Rhy might get tensed and wants to "get them", shit.
Coel brought me the sheep all too fast, he wasn´t able to listen at all and  seemed to be distressed when he hadn´t heard or feld that I didn´t aid him. I got him calmed down and the rest of the run was okey. After all, pleased with Coel who is still so very young.
Next day both had decent runs but nothing to cheer about, so not many points for either of them to the qualifications. The Continentals 2015 are going to be in Italy, even if I probably wouldn´t have money to go there, it would still have been fun to have had the option... Well, only the Nationals left to collect points from, with only one decent run of four with Rhy, I had to say thank you good bye to the team.

The Nationals, an other disaster for us
Where held in Tammisaari, oraganized by Annika Paarvios team. The field was a bit different than usually, in a nice slope with some dips, but the winding grass was quite long and you could see it would be hard for the sheep to move there. Different from other countrys I have been trialling in, the trials in Finland are often with lambs, they can be odd to work when they don´t have a leader.
In one lamb group there could be rams and ewes mixed from three different breeds; Gottlands sheep, Texel, Oxford down and Finn sheep (?). The groups where quite similar, but like the judge said; There were only a couple of really difficult groups, but there were many that you knew you won´t  be able to do a good run with, even if you get around.

Quite long outrun, so the fetch was hard for sheep and dogs in the long winding grass. Coel had a group with a stroppy ramlamb, at the first gate Coel had enough and gripped. Rhy had a bad fetch (not listening), the rest okey.
Second day Coel had an okey run and so did Rhy. Very pleased with Coel, it was hard, difficult surface which made the gluey lambs even heavier.

Rhy with the first bunch in the final

Rhy with both bunches

Rhy made it to the double fetch final. A lot of dogs struggled on the drive, it was really hard for the dogs and they run out of time...
First outrun okey, the second bunch were on an other field quite difficult for the dogs, some extra commands to get him there. The drive was very hard, heavy group with many ram lambs. As a shorty, I couldn´t see either sheep or dog when they went trough the second gate...just whistled something...luckily Rhy brought them to the crossdrive by himself. The int shedding was not good, in the end me and a ram lamb who wanted to stay with the ewes, had a battle that I fortenately won. Pen okey. We were both cooked, mentally and physically.
I usually love to trial, but this was not fun, just wanted to cry really. I hate when the sheep are so gluey and not reacting properly to dogs, you have to push for every step. Think we ended up 8th. The only good thing was, that Jonna and Magda had a good run and became 4th.
I really really really miss UK, I want to live and trial there, not here. At all. Anymore. Ever.