Bryant, It's usually this way when you are lucky enough to have quite a few good dogs in the competitons and was especially so this time. The luck of the draw on cattle and personal likes and dislikes of the judge will determine the placings. This judge seemed to llike gentle cattle, softer kind of dogs and smooth runs, thats what he scored well. I agree that looks pretty and should be scored well. I just dont know how real world that is sometimes on the back 40.. lol For competition, Me, I 's rather see it when you got a rough cow or two in the bunch that wants to do her own thing and the dogs get her educated and put her back in the bunch. Then continue the run successfuly thru all the gates right and still be under the alloted time. I think that tells the real story on a dog and his ability. It's easy when every thing is perfect and the cattle all do what you want but It shows ya what a dog has and is when the cattle are a little tougher to handle and have a mind of their own.
Me and several others thought Clues dog was the best dog in the show because of how he did successfully handle a tough cow and completed the course with style and under the time frame. But hey, it's just a friendly show and it really dont matter, run the better 10 sets of dogs on another day and the placings may be totally opposite.. JMO
Few more pictures:
This is a couple of the spotted dogs that did some good things .. The feller first sent em to cattle, they aint messing around or checkin up, they gettin to the front to get those cattle stopped and bayed up.
This is a picture of how open this place was and how far it was between gates... Camera is still on zoon.
Some dogs doing some things you dont like to see, I am sure it cost em points as well as some admiration by the owner..
