A different kind of trial ...

So I was looking at my place tonight, and taking a few measurements to see what I could fit here at my place, and being that my place is really too small to fit a sanctioned course, I have been brainstorming. 

What about an armchair trial?  What about a trial where you stand on my deck, and you need to whistle your dog around the course in my pasture?  Novice could stand in the center of the pasture, Intermediate could stand on the fenceline, but Advanced needs to stand on my deck with the beverage of choice in their hand.  All whistles.  Any spoken words cause a disqualification.  Yeah.  That can be the morning trial.

The afternoon trial ... all the handler names go in one hat ... all the dog names go in the other ... and a drawing is done.  You then have to run the dog you draw in the class the dog was run in from the morning, and all handlers will have to learn their new dog's whistles over the course of a liquid lunch.  Again ... same setup as the morning.  No spoken commands. 

Cash prizes.  No sanction (obviously).  No ribbons.  No fancy prizes.  Just cash.

The course could resemble an agility course of sorts.  A few poles to weave the sheep through (known as a serpentine), send the sheep up and over an A frame of sorts, push the sheep up on to the hay table, etc.  Hmmm ... I might be on to something here.

Spring.  Late spring.  Everything should be green by then and photos will be nice.


The first annual Knotty Pine trial. 

If I can find someone to build me a ramp to go up on to my deck, we can add that to the course! 

Hmmm ... this might be fun.