Sunday, September 25, 2011


Star
Twinkle, twinkle, little Star. 
Do you know how special you are? 
Up on a pedestal so very high,
that's where you belong, in my eyes.  

Many a trial, you were number one, 
winning everything under the sun. 
Now sadly, it seems your time is done, 
oh, how we will miss seeing you run.


Twinkle, twinkle, little Star.
Do you know how talented you are? 
You raised the bar so very high,
made us reach up for the sky. 
Great dogs to follow? 
I hope, I pray,
I have one as good as you some day! 


Happy retirement Star, the pleasure was mine.......  

Becca - World Sheep Dog Champion 2011 -

Thursday, September 22, 2011

After 4 weeks on the road, 2,328 miles, 18 dogs, 4 trials, 1 judge, and couple of art booths, here is what I learned:

You can lose, but you needn't be a loser;
You can ride your bike through sage brush;
The weather in Colorado is dramatic, the people aren't;
Winners always share wisdom with you;
Some people make excuses, some people need to be excused, and for some, there is just no excuse;
Boots, hats, and kids go good together;
Red sheep collars look better than orange;
Some people are grumpy even if they win, and some aren't, even when they lose;
Nothing fixes a bad open run like a great nursery run; 
Range sheep don't like dogs with too much eye;
Hats make great decorations;
Its bad, very, very, bad, when humans throw up by your dog trailer;
Always pack Lysol wipes;
If you put a fake snake in someone's bed, eventually 3 will show up in yours;
Bring lots of metronidazole when you go to Meeker;
Shaving your legs in a trailer shower is harder than doing a marked shed;
Two shedding rings are not better than one;
For the most part, people can enjoy your art, but they have to live the life depicted in it to want to own it;
Life is short, don't be afraid to wear your best clothes to the post, you may not get another chance;
Sheep have really cute buns;
If your dog over flanks, your drive looks drunk;
It is possible to watch a rodeo and a sheep dog trial simultaneously;
It is better to step off a horse than to fly off, you can always pretend you were just checking your cinch;
If you hit the ground, lay there for a moment, people don't laugh as hard when they are worried;
Give the sheep a moment to look through the panel;
Some pen gates can't be shut until the sheep are well inside;
The bigger the crowd, the drier your mouth; 
It is flattering to see your name on a jacket, even if you are pretending it's not;
The farther south you drive, the more your wrinkles show;
People from Texas are slow talkers, but not slow thinkers;
Jack Knox is a funny talker and a deep thinker;
If you form an opinion on a dog based on one run, get used to being wrong;
Hub looks exceptional in pink;
No one entered should go first, that's a variable we can fix;
Watch the old dogs run, it may be your last chance; and
Dorothy was right, "There is no place like home!"