The rain has continued and things are looking much better now. The grass is getting away and we no longer have to feed sheep.
Not a moment too soon either as the ewes have started lambing and they at last have plenty of feed for themselves and their babies.
So we can relax for a while.
I did manage to get to the Utility trials at Binnaburra.
It is a long drive though, with lots of twists and turns and I always manage to get confused somewhere along the way.
It was really cold as usual, being a flat area the wind is really lazy.
Driftz only had a yard run and managed to place fourth in the novice.
Caleb worked well but at times did not really listen and it cost us.
He also tends to anticipate what is next and this does not work either.
In his second run he did some great work to almost pen so we finished on a good note, and there weren’t many pens over the weekend.
The sheep were small and flighty and inclined to jump fences, not Caleb’s type of sheep and he jumped one out, back into the paddock. Both the judge and myself thought that there was no way we could get it back. However Caleb did some lovely work to get it back through the gate with the others.
I entered Yindi and wished I hadn’t. I wont say much except that she was bad enough for me to decide not to trial her again. A shame as she has some lovely work and at home had been working really well. However she is the type of dog that can fire up if given too many commands, so as a trial dog this does not work. She is also a miserable traveller to the extent that she will hide it she thinks I am going to put her in the ute. So she can just be a farm dog and will be happier for it.
I only entered Leena as an afterthough to get in some casting practise. Although I use her in the yard at home she is not a genuine yard dog, she lacks a bit of strength and nips a bit. She cast ok but did nip a bit too much in the yard and was disqualified.
Tony Boyles Boylee Toby. 
Ken Atherton's Ramulam Ladd. 
Geoff Hillman's Yarralonga Jess
The next trial is another utility. I really only have Caleb now as Driftz is just a yard dog, Bella wont back for me in the yards, Yindi is retired and I am not game enough to allow Balto to jump fences because of his injury.
So it will be a quiet trial for me.
We have two new additions to our doggy family.
Otto is a kelpie by Caleb out of Andrew Gorton’s Just Bounce. He is an exceptionally natured puppy, but we are still not sure what colour he is. He looks black but is not quite, perhaps really dark brown, perhaps blue. We will see as he grows.
The other, recently named Scarlett is an adorable little Border Collie by Grant Cooke’s Grassvalley Moss out of Richard Macguires Macs Gem.
She is a lovely little pup, and she and Otto are great mates and sleep and play together.
So two little champions coming up. One can hope anyway.
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