1st of February me and Minna Eronen started our trip to UK, this time we took the VERY expensive ferry from Helsinki to Travemunde. This because the weather can be really bad trough Sweden at this time of the year, snow storms etc. Minna had Nick with her, they were going to stay and train for a week and then fly home to Finland.
The ferry was late because of hard wind, so we sat on the ferry for 32 hours, jiiz that was a long time. We arrived late to Travemunde, stayed over night at a hostel and continued to Hook of Holland the next day.
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| Wild ponies on Brecon Beacons |
The ferry to Harwich was good as usual, slept well and dogs had good kennels. At first we drove to South Wales, stayed a couple of nights at the second farm I was going to work on in April. The farm was big and quite tidy and the farmer seemed nice, talked a lot though, in the pub they called him The man who loves to talk.
It was raining like hell so all fields were flooding. Went to visit Kevin and Sophie as well, trained a little at their home farm. Kevin came to watch us aI also picked up Rhemy, a service pup, from Kevin. The mother is a nice bitch called Meg (what else), she is by John Lightfoot´s Taff and out of sister to Pennant Williams`s Sweep.
England
We decided to drive up to Anni and Digs in Burton, they had dry weather so we would be able to train there. And it was dry there.
We trained the dogs on the smaller homefield, I also started Rhemy there. Rhemy is really keen, a stylish little monkey who gripped like a troll and didn´t let go, not hard but not too soft either. I love him.
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| Kemi Rhemy |
One sunny but cold day we drove to Deerplay for training. Shirley hold the sheep on the top and I sent Coel. Coel went up like a misile with none or at the most one extra command, good boy. Didn´t send Rhy because he had been trialling there two years ago, so I assumed he would go up.
Minna trained Nick down on the field, he is starting to look really he good. After a cup of tea with Shirley and Jim, they should us several of their young dogs, really interesting and exciting to see what type of dogs they had and how they trained them.
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| Ladies waiting to see Dr Anni & Dr Digs |
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| Rhy having a chat, Coel doesn´t bother |
Before Minna left we helped Anni and Digs to gather the 17.000 ha marsh. The tide came two hours to early, so it almost ended up badly. Anni´s dogs were taken to hospital, both had bad hypotermia.
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| Digs telling us the plan for the gathering on the marsh (c) Minna Eronen |
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| High tide came two hours earlier than we thought... (c) Minna Eronen |
After Minna had flew home, I stayed in Burton a couple of weeks helping Anni and Digs on the farm. A couple of times me and Anni went trialling, no success at all for me...we struggled to keep the sheep on the field...
We also went to see the English Nursery -final, Rhemy escaped and tryed to stop the sheep when they were brought back from the exhausting trough the field... Ha managed to go round them and balance them before I caught him
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| Awaaay...! |
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| Ha, got ya! (c) The gather |
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| Boyz watching a run at a trial |
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| Rhemy and Vixey, learning to wait and be quiet in the shed |
Before I went to SW, we gathered the mars again. This time it went better, even if it was still scary.
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| Hard work to pull the ewes up, the water is ice cold |
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| Coel guiding the ewes to safety |
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| Last bunch on the bank |
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| Cherry and Coel taking the ewes home |
Higher salter Roeburndale
One day I had the opportunity to go gathering a hill with Ricky Hutchinsson for a farmer at Higher salter Roeburndale. In the beginning it was snowing, later on the weather cleared up. It is really steap at some places, me and Coel really enjoyed it!
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| Coel guiding the ewes down the steep hill, over a stream and up on the other side |
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| Beautiful views |
South Wales
After the English Nursery final, it was time for me to drive down to South Wales were I was going to lamb for 6-7 weeks.
The first place nearby Merthyr Tydfil was in the middle of nowhere, it was a mix of green and rough fields. There were about 600 crossbreed ewes, 400 lambing inside (my main job) and 200 outside. The shed was quite small, so it was quite tight but cozy inside.
It was long days (as always over lambing) and hard work, but I loved it. The farmer trusted and appreciated me, which encouraged me to work harder. He always remembered to say something nice, thank you, good job, well done etc. and we had good laughs. The best compliment was when he said, its´good to have you here, you take care of the sheep as they were your own.
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| Karl feeding ewes |
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| So beautiful so it almost hurts <3 |
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| Yes madam, I´m afraid you have to move to an other field now |
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| Yes you have to move on, it´s gonna be okay |
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| Rhy found a ewe with a newborn lamb |
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| Moving small bunch of ewes |
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| Taking ewes and lambs out to the grass field |
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| This ewe had a big proplapse and a ring womb, very proud of myself to sort it out and pulled out three good lambs. |
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| There is always one, who doesn´t want to cooperate |
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| An other working day in paradise |
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| My work desk |
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| Rhemy taking the empty ewes and rams out |
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| Rhy guiding asingle mum with her lamb |
We had a radion in the shed, where I spent hours and hours on my own with the ewes and lambs and dogs, my favourite song was Coldplay´s Hymn for the weekend... (lambs -> "drink for me, drink for me..."), I knew this song would take me back in my mind every time I´ll hear it afterwards, and it does <3
After three weeks it was time to say good bye and continue to the next farm
The next place
was a bigger farm, about 1.200 cheviot ewes. If I remember right, about half lambed inside and half outside. The owner took care of the ones outside + the cows.
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| Sanne and Jessica were visiting the labor camp |
I had been offered jobs at three other farms, so now afterwards I regret I didn´t leave earlier. After I came home, I have been contacted by several persons, who told me I´m not the first person who have been treated badly. So if you are offered a lambing job in SW, feel free to contact me and make sure it´s not on this certain farm...
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| Wow, whereyou have a really nice coat |
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| Nightwish, no I mean Night shift with Jessica <3 |
Irland
Before I went home to Finland, me and Jessica took a road trip to Ireland. We had only been there once before, two years ago to watch the Internationals.
First we visited and trained at Barra O´Brien´s farm and the next day we went to a trial, not much to tell about our runs. Then we drove south and went to Ned O´Keeffe´s trial. Big strong suffolk ewes, both dogs worked very well, I think Coel was third. The judge Dennis Birchall was very impressed by Rhy , he put some stroppy ewes on their place.
On Monday we visited Simon Mosse, a very nice and straight coach. It´s a really beautiful country, with a lot of nice helpful people. I hope I´ll be able to go back soon!
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| Training at Barra´s farm |
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| Working horses at a trial |
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| Working donkey |
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| Jessica training Dew, for Simon |
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| Letting out sheep at Ned´s trial, Jessica and Dew <3 |
Jessica was going to stay in Burton, she had made a big decision, she left her home and work in Finland, and moved to England to work with sheep. She would stay with Anni and Digs over lambing, and then gradually start to find a job and somewhere to live.
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| Matilda pleased with her coat |
Llangadog trial, South Wales -> NW
The trial has got tricky outruns and often tricky sheep as well. Both dogs went up without any problems, Coel had a good run and became third.
I stayed a couple of days with Kevin and Sophie, trained the dogs and walked up to the hills.
I also went to see Ann in TyNant, unfortenately Doug was away lambing in Scotland, but we had a great time with Ann, trained dogs and moved some sheep. I also went and trained at Aled´s, unfortenately he was in America so I didn´t see him.
One day Rhemy run in to me and hit my knee from the side very hard. He got really lame and a ligament in my knee was teared, shit that hurted. Super doctors in SW, the examination and painkillers were all for free.
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| Llangadog trial, tricky fun outrun trough two fields |
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| Up to Brecon Beacons with the boyz |
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| Rhemy and Coel, Brecon Beacons |
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| Ann and Craig in their hill in NW |
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| Ann´s and Doug´s fields on the hill, North Wales |
Before I went home, I met up with Stuart and went to a trial in Escrick, same trial me, Leena and Jonna went to a couple of years ago. Small field with small fast tricky hebredian ewes. If I remember right, Coel was fifth the first day and Rhy was third the second day.
Stuart checked that my car was fit enough to make the journey to Finland, then it was time to say good bye and drive to Hull.
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| Hebs at Escrick sheepdog trial |
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| Stuart going trough Filippa (the car) |
Back to Finland
This was the first time I was doing this long trip on my own, I felt a bit lonly and missed Leena when I was waiting to get on board on the ferry to Rotterdam. The kennels have ususally been very good and dogs have been calm and okay when I have picked them up.
Not this time, in 3 or 4 other kennels, there were hysterical labradors barking like idiots. I waited outside for a long time, and they didn´t stop. I asked the staff if I could take my dogs and keep them in the car, but that was not allowed. I went to see them once during the trip, the labradors were still barking. Next morning, when we came to the kennels, they were still barking. All dogs in all kennels, were blowing and had teared their beds...even Coel and Rhy, something they have never done before in their whole life.
I was a bit nervous, how far I would be able to drive on my own. First day I drove from Rotterdam to Malmö 900km 11hours , stopped two times, whereof Rhemy rolled in human shit on the first one. Nice.
Stayed with Lisa Hansson over the night, had a morning training session with her and continued to Stockholm 611km 9hours, two short stops and 1h walk with the dogs. I had thought I would be able to book the Viking Line night ferry to Turku the same morning. But no, it was full. Thank god they had room on Silja Line. Next morning I arrived to Finland, then two hours driving and we were home <3
It had been a intrestering and educational time, learend a lot more about lambing and had a great time! Also learned that people are not necessary what they would like you to think they are. I will still try to trust people like before, but I´m sure gonna do my homework in advance the next time.
Coming up soon, the Continentals
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