AHBA Trials

Well, the rest of the AHBA trial went well.  Echo never ended up hanging off of anything, so that was good.  The courses were pretty similar to stuff we've done in the past, with the exception of a heavy-draw freestanding pen that would magically suck the other sheep to it (when you let the second set out of the little pen).  It was fun watching how the various handlers negotiated that obstacle.  I opted for the safe way in case Echo decided to take chase if the sheep broke and headed back to the freestanding pen.  So I just set her up as kind of a roadblock, and took the sheep out of the little pen myself.  I am sure I got hit for points doing that, but it was better than having Echo stress, chase, and return the sheep to me with her cowboy hat and spurs on.

On the other course, the element that hung me up on Sunday was the damn barn.  That was not fun.  But good obstacle.  It's cool how it's only worth 5 points, but if you screw it up, it takes you forever to fix it, so time becomes your punishment.  There wasn't too much different about this course from last year, so I hope in the future, we change it up a bit.

If I had enough sheep, I'd consider doing a ranch trial here.  I don't really want to keep that many sheep though.  I could probably rent them, but then it makes the cost of the trial ridiculous, and a cash payout is probably less likely.  Hmmmm ... I will continue thinking on this one.  I'd also have to get my trailer up to speed, which I've dropped the ball on.  It's currently sitting in the front of my house, ass over teakettle, because it has a bunch of concrete in it that shifted.  I've been too lazy to go fix it.  And now there's snow on it.  And I think I like it like that.

So, despite the worldly advice left to me on my truck this past weekend, I am breeding again!  I've decided to breed Pepe to Wilbur.  I will be creating a new breed called "Ramhams."  You watch.  The lambpigs out of that will be awesome and will eventually go on to win the National Finals.  (Y'all saw Babe, right?)  And then everyone and their brother will have to have one of them just so they can say they have one.  You'll see!  It will be great!