Grazing season

Spring went so fast, soon it was middle of May and Jessica came home from UK , with a lot of new experiences and a pup for me.

Vixey 4,5 months, stylish little monkey
(c) Jessica Saukkonen

Vixey don´t think the size matters...
(c) Jessica Saukkonen

Saw her pic on internet, liked her expression and bought her. Her name is Vixey and her breeder Chris Tain is a shephard in Wooler on a farm with 12.000 ewes, I bought her from Sophie Holt though. Vixey is fitting is so well in our flock, she is calm and sensible (I hate "too happy" dogs). Have taken her to sheep three times, she is keen and very natural. Like her, a lot.













 




Trials at Putkisalo -farm in beginning of May, sun was shining but hard wind. When I run Coel it was hailing, he did an okey run and won. At Rhys run it was raining like hell, didn´t listen too much...

Clinic for Ned O´Keeffe from Ireland at Kotikoskis. Liked it, a lot. Hope to have him over again.

Trials in Somero. First day I had to retire with Rhy, he didn´t take one flank on the way to the first gate... Coel was a bit better.
Second day. Coel did a wide outrun and I lost sight of him for some seconds...The outletting person moved her dog in front of the sheep, both me and the judge thought it was Coel so I stopped him, well the dog in front of the sheep didn´t obvoiusly stop...but Coel did, too early. Gave him a new whistle immediately I realized I had been directing the wrong dog. The judge didn´t take any points of that. Hope we´ll get the outletting dogs to wear reflective vests at all trials in the future, as planned.
The judges cars were about 7 meters from the post, so it was not much room for the dogs to flank, the net fence was tied to the car, so the dogs couldn´t run around the cars. Coel wanted to give space to the sheep with a fast bigger flank, because he felt they were touchy and were going fast for the exhausting pen...he tryed to flank fast around the cars to not disturb the sheep - noticed the tied net fence - avaded it and nearly crashed in to the cars tyre.
It looked bad from the post, and Leena and Jessica who stood close said they thought he´ll brake his neck...thank god he is so reactive. Well, he went over the fence and arround the cars...found his way back to the right side and we carried on. I was really upset when I had got so scared, couldn´t concentrate anymore,but Coel did an okey run, he might have been placed fourth.

Samu to the right, with his longtime friend Axel

Samu finished secondary school with honor.

Trials in Tammisaari at Annika Paarvios place. Tricky bunch with a running oxford in it first day with Coel, fought to keep them on the field. Rhys bunch was so much better, missed a gate though and bad handling before the pen caused me almost all points. Ended up third.

Flighty sheep on Saturday

Vixey making new friends at our B&B

Second day even the oxfords had calmed down. Messed up rounding the post with Coel, 2 on one side and 2 on the other, did the same in Somero. How stupid can one be.
Okey run with Rhy, or I thought so, judge did not.

Been helping Samuli out in Rönnäs, weighing lambs, taking ewes and lambs to the pastures, separating lambs, taking them to the island and so on.

Weighing lambs

Met this one on our way from the fields...

Roundabout

Rhy having control

Grazing season begins for the ladies
(c) Jessica Saukkonen