Nordic Championships 2015, Denmark

26.8 Wednesday me and Leena arrived late in the evening, after a unnecessary drive (175km extra) to Putgarden (had put Putgarden as destination...), to Struer in Denmark. We had rented a nice cottage with fenced garden for the dogs, Jonna and Mico were already there waiting for us, over one or a few glasses of wine...

Two smurfs between the other competitors

On Thursday we just relaxed and went to check out the field. It was quite big and hilly, you could see that a few dogs would get lost there and maybe end up at the outletting pen, I liked it. Outrun less than 400m and the drive was quite short, like a normal open trila. They also told us that on the first qualification day no single only shed, and the opposite on the second day. I assume this is beacause there is 60 dogs running, it could be dark otherwise.

Coel day one

Qualifying day 1

Coel

Rhy, preparing the shed

 I was running first with Coel. He seemed to be a bit wide so I gave him an in call -whistle which he took, I let him decide where to stop and lift, went well like the fetch also, an okay drive shed and pen. I was happy with my young boy, even happier when I was told I had got  94p/100. I thought it had been okay, but 94p...that´s only 6p off, wow!!



With Rhy it also started well,  the drive felt struggly and I couldn´t get rid of that feeling in the shedding ring... I was in the wrong mood and didn´t concentrate, I called Rhy in to stupid gap were the ewe was already heading for her friends. Well, Rhy did what he was asked, didn´t grip but made contact, disq. At first I wasn´t so annoyed, but after I heard I had had 49p/50 OLF and 24/30 of the drive...really good points. I could have kicked my ass, shit shit shit I´m so stupid. I ruined our run again, it´s like I wouldn´t want to succeed...I really do need a shrink.

The ewe is defenitely going to run trough and Rhy is defenitely going to stop her...

When the first day was over, only Jaran Knive and Bea were better with 96p. Jiiz, me and Coel second after Jaran with 94p...that was amazing, to good to be true really to have your name between all top handlers and their dogs. I knew it wouldn´t last, so I decided to sip on this candy as long as I could.

In the evening me and Jonna stayed and participated at the Nordic Ch committe´s meeting.

Qualifying day2

As Rhy had been disc the first day, I run as number 1 the second day, at 7 am. Okay run, but not as good at the first day, got everyhing done think he got 85p. 

Rhy

Rhy

When Coel had been second day 1, I was gonna run him as the second last dog before Jaran who had won, approx 5.30pm in the evening...a long day in front of me. As the day went on the sheep got heavier, started to graze and didn´t keep together...some grips and difficulties for some.
Leena had got the flue so she was really tired, we decided to go to our cottage and try to get some sleep. Well, Leena slept but I just laid flat on my back staring at the roof...

Me and Coel waiting for our turn...

I wasn´t that nervous I had thought I would be, just excited really. Karin Mattson run before me, I would have liked to see her run because she is a great handler and I hope I would learn something by watching, but I had to go trough our run in my head.
Coel went out well, I let him decide again were to lift and let him take care of the lift by himself. I was aiming for a nice and calm fetch, it was maybe to nice... Rounding the post one stroppy ewe didn´t want to go with the others...she stopped and confronted Coel...the other ones continued for the outletting pen...I had to put Coel to get them back...the ewe didn´t still want to go and stood up against him, Coel kept his ground and waited... then he suddenly did a small scuttle towards her and they all went on for the first gate, I thought she was beaten. But no, on the first leg and the cross drive, Stroppy turned several times towards Coel, we handled her well but it was really difficult... On the cross before the second gate, she left the group and walked stroppy towards Coel and stamped...they stod nose to nose for what felt like ages, I just whistled steady steady...I was told he did a small jab (don´t  remember anymore) but didn´t grip, and Stroppy continued with the others. Then we got them trough the second gate and then towards the pen. At this point I thought a vein in my head would explode...
At the pen they had this situation again were the others wanted to go in, but Stroppy stood nose to nose with Coel again...Coel kept his head and put her in.
Then to the single, the first time ever Coel didn´t let go immediately of the others, when I called him in to single the collared one...he didn´t want to let go of Stroppy...but he did and judge called okay... What a relief, we succeeded to fight us trough the course without gripping, so happy with Coel!!
Well Coel wasn´t ready yet...he did everything he could to not let the singled ewe go back, even if I tryed to shout ligg ligg ligg, and the outletting dog tried to push her to the group...Coel just kept on holding her...at last I made him let her go, hah what a boy :-)

Coel <3

Even if I knew that the points wouldn´t be good because of the stops on the course, I was really happy with Coel. A lot of people came and told me how good he had handled the ewe, that felt also good. When the announcer had got the points of the secretary, he asked the judge if they were right, because there were only 4p of 30 left of the drive...
The judge came to talk to me in the evening he explained; if it would have been an normal trial, he wouldn´t been so hard on me, but because it was a Nordic qualification trial he had to be hard. He said he could have disqualified me because the dog almost made contact, even if he didn't actually get hold of the sheep he what I called buffet it on the driving, he said. He didn´t want to disc us because of the team points, so instead he took 26 off.  He also said that we had a bad ewe, that we did everything we could, couldn´t have done aything more...that he was surprised over how patient and well Coel  handled it.
Nice to here, but what I didn´t get was; if you have a bad ewe and your dog takes it around the course keeping the lines without gripping, and everything is under control...why would you be disqualified/penalized hard for that...? I´m not moaning over the decission, I just would like to know what I should do the next time...because there will always be a next time.

Jo-Agnar and Sisko won, they are now Nordic Champions again! I had said it before, that man is amazing, especially in the shedding ring. Sisko also had a ewe that confronted her at the pen, Jo-Agnar and Sisko handled her brilliant and put her in!

Peter Hele´n and his crew had oraganized a relly good trial as always, good sheep and everything went on really smoothly!

Even if we didn´t perform our best both days, I´m so happy to have the best dogs for me, I wouldn´t swap them to any other dogs! Now I have to start working on my own "head", because it´s there the real problem is.