Tenby Day 5

August 18:  Today was sheep dog trials day.  We drove about an hour and half north to a farmer's pasture and joined about 15 active participants and a couple dozen observers for the south Wales competition.  We watched the trial for about 4 hours.  The dog, almost all border collies, truly seem to enjoy this work and are so focused on doing the right task at the right time.

We first saw several novice dogs or youngsters who were still learning the ropes.  The trial is ordered in the following way:
  1. Outrun - the dog runs out around the field to 3 or 4 sheep released at the far end of the field.
  2. Gather - the dog collects the sheep and gets their attention.
  3. Fetch - the dog drives or urges the sheep straight back to the shepherd through a gateway about 20 feet wide.
  4.  Drive - the dog guides the sheep around the shepherd and back out to two other gatesways, one on the right and one to the left.
  5.  Shed - the dog and shepherd work together to position the sheep within a circle and split them into 2 groups.  The maneuver is successful only if the dog runs between the sheep to the shepherd.
  6.  Pen - the dog and shepherd again work together to move the sheep into a 15-foot, three-sided pen, with a gate on the fourth side.  The shepherd has a crook but cannot touch the sheep.  The sheep are released at this point and they scurry down the field to a gate into another pasture.

All of this must been accomplished within some time limit but we never got an understanding of the amount of time allowed (and it may have varied by the dog's  level of experience).

Of all of the trials we watched, we saw maybe 3 shepherd and dog pairs complete the run.  Once a dog did not complete the required step, the shepherd could "practice" any of the skills.  For example, if the sheep didn't go through the first gate, most shepherds brought the dogs back and either attempted the shed or the pen.  The novice dogs get the benefit of the experience, and the mature ones show off their talents.

We also saw some very ornery sheep who weren't going to be pushed by a little dog, who followed a dominant ewe who would not go where it was being directed, or who were closely attached to each other.  We saw some hoof beating on the ground (a sign of a possible charge by the sheep) and several nips on the sheep by the dog (an immediate stoppage of the run by the dog).  Although all the sheep seem to be the  about same size and condition, the temperament of any batch was purely random.

The other interesting thing we learned were the commands used by the shepherd.  "Go Bye" means go to the left of the sheep; "Away" means to go around to the right; "Walk On," "Lie Down," and "Stand" are obvious commands.  When the run is over, the command is "That'll Do."   All of these commands can be spoken or whistled using some sort of the triangular mouthpiece.  

Attempting the Shed

Trying for the Pen

"You want me to go where?"

A successful Pen ultimately

Focus, focus, focus....

We drove back to Tenby for a beer, the Olympics, and dinner.  BBC Sport shows many more sports at the Olympics compared to US network coverage, and with no commercials.  They also use two channels.  But like the US, the BBC follows "Team GB" athletes and has long-winded interviews with medalists.