March 11th 2011

Wagin trial this year was another hot dusty trial. The thursday was terrible and hard on dogs, sheep and handlers.

Actually the whole trial was a bit of a non-event for me.

I had come down with a dreaded fluey, sinusy, sore throaty thingy on Wednesday which was bad enough, but it developed into a serious migraine by Fri.

However, stupidly I struggled on, and was so bad on Fri afternoon, I left early, but had an awful drive home.

I had elected to travel which was unfortunate as I had really early runs on Thur and Fri, meaning I had to get out of bed at about 4am both days, so lack of sleep dis not help at all.

So on Sat I had to stay home and miss all the fun, nursing one of the worst migraines I have ever had.

The sheep at at Wagin have for years been big, strong, and foot stamping, and inclined to chase the weaker dogs right off the grounds. So I though they would suit Caleb nicely and gave him three runs. However they were tiny, lamby Dohne cross things that split and ran everywhere. Poor Caleb tried and didnt really do anything wrong, he just has too much presence on those sheep so we got three crosses, although he did manage to get the race on his first run.

The sheep did not suit Driftz either, and we had one retire and one cross, rather an unexpected one as she had done a nice cast and for some reason as we walked to the winding peg she circled the sheep.

Leena didn’t seem to want to trial and did not cast well, sticking and crossing on her first run.

We managed a very untidy slow cast for her second run and did get one obstacle and a score.

For some reason she did not want to come off balance, so back to the training board. She is not an easy dog to train as she does not take pressure too well. So I have to keep it fun for her as well as also insisting she obeys. She shows patches of brilliance though and I am not ready to give up on her yet.

I had entered Bella in the open on Sat and was looking forward to running her but had to scratch her.

So finishes one of my least enjoyable trials. Probably not very enjoyable for my dogs either as my patience was very thin due to intense pain. The stupid things we do just to trial.

And on a year like this we can do without any more hassels.

Our dams are nearly dry, and we are sick of pulling stuck lambs out of the mud, it’s hot and terribly dusty.

The ants and the mice are taking over the house, which is so dust covered I have practially given up cleaning. The blowflies are still hanging around, the paddocks are as bare as they have ever been, and the sheep seem to be constantly hungry, despite the amount of feed we have been taking out to them.

Many farmers are depressed and worried. Another season like last year will be the end for many of them. So we look to the skies and the long range weather forecast, which does not sound promising either.

Still as we look around the world at the dreadful disasters that are happening we would count ourselves as lucky.

So we just pray and thank God for what we have, great friends, family, and a fairly comfortable life really, and pray for rain, lots of it, not too heavy.

Sam Weaver penning with Daheim Queeni.

Jim Mcnab's Cobber

Marrianne Rogers handy sweep dog coolong off between runs

Jean Hydlemans Ramulam Maddie. A crossbred by Ken Athertons Boylee Doug.

Gordon Curtis and the handsome Binnaburra Jonnie, about to have his first run.

Marriane Rogers Christies Coco at the bridge.

Phill Dorrell and Ramulam Patch.

Phil and Patch surprised everyone by winning th dog high jump on Sat, not only creating a new record but beating a dog that has won for the previous 6 years or so.

And for something a little silly, my daughter Sam's dog Kumbark Yindi, chasing bubbles.