Course Director----- Ron Green
COURSE DIRECTOR
I belong to the INASA club in eastern Washington. The membership there voted me into the job of course director for our Dog Days of Summer herding trial. I was a bit leery of taking this job, but all my friends on the herding side of the club promised to back and support me.
Now let me clue you all that I had prior knowledge that trouble was brewing inside the membership of the club. The herding side wasn’t feeling that the conformation side was being fair. A motion had been made to make them each their own controlling bodies. It was refuted. As a result everything stayed the same. This broadened the dissention among the membership.
I have now accepted the job. I am the type person that goes all out. I began looking for sponsors for Dog Days of Summer. I must of sent out hundreds of e-mails searching for sponsorships. Rejections abound, many weren’t even replied to. Ever so slowly some promising responses started coming in. I am now getting jazzed up! Hey this is going to work. We are going to make this the very best trial INASA has ever had.
April has arrived, and the beginning of my trial season. The Silver Bullet in California is the first stop. I gave out fliers at this trial with my name on it, from this point I feel committed to the job. At Rouge Valley Oregon I also gave out fliers. I have many friends at these places, both Aussie and Other breed folks. I am now starting to feel proud of the job I have taken. I am telling the club of the positive response I am getting from the other clubs. The shape of things to come has now taken place. By the way Choc-ko scored well but did not win either of these trials! In Ferndale, Washington the response was so high that I began bragging about how good of a trial we were going to throw. My name is now splashed all over the place. Idaho, my best friend and supporter Teri has now joined in the trial season. We are promoting to the best of our abilities. Choc-ko wins HIT other breed. High combined other breed. Kat wins most promising started other breed. Pretty good trial for us!
The fight within the club now boils! All of a sudden tempers flared, things were said that could not be retracted. I now find myself straddling a fence. I have loyalties to both sides of the club. I have been informed that the herding side was done. Was I upset? You can bet all your money I was. On the other hand I understood! Now where does my loyalty’s lie. My loyalty lies with my best friend. She was verbally assaulted unjustly in my opinion. Now the club is going to split. I have made promises. How can I keep my word to people? Things are in turmoil! Rumors abound. What am I to do? I have made promises of at least 9 Buckles to winners, if I quit the job, how do I explain to my sponsors? How would I let all the people know that I have made promises to that, I quit? What would that do to the trial or INASA? I feel at this point my name is at stake. With or without my friends I have to do Dog Days.
THE BIRTH OF A NEW CLUB
How many people have tried to name a club?????? Luckily we have the people with the knowledge to form a club with ASCA in our group. Now we need a name. Well we felt that we were the Black Sheep of the INASA club, so why not Black Sheep Australian Shepherd Club?????? Thus it became the name of the new club. The new members ask me to be vice president, I feel honored. Now what have I gotten myself into? Shoot here I am a Course Director without support, and now I am taking on another job. Not to mention my job of choice training my dogs. Choc-ko needs just one cattle qualifying run on cattle to get his WTCH. Two days before going to Graham, Washington, the Black Sheep made and offer to INASA to do the herding side of Dog Days of Summer trial. A flat refusal! My mind is in turmoil. Well I have a trial to attend with a great partner Choc-ko, that doesn’t argue with me.
Here in Graham I am lost. How do I personally promote a trial that my heart isn’t in? I have my nine sponsors for buckles, I have sponsors for many other gifts, but yet I feel hollow. Well I am going to let the chips fall where they may, I have now informed INASA and Black Sheep if they did not come to some sort of an agreement I would quit both! Now the ball is in their court so to speak.
THE GRAHAM WA.TRIAL
Choc-ko did real well in his sheep and ducks runs. I went to watch the open dogs work cattle. The cattle were dairy grade replacement heifers. Wow what a challenge they were giving those poor dogs. The advanced dogs were having similar luck. Not a single dog had penned any of those critters. Shoot, and Choc-ko needs to qualify to become a champion!!!! Well we will just go do our best and see what happens. As I walked into the arena I was filled with confidence. Choc-ko has worked real hard cattle before. I believe in his and my ability. The lift went well, first and second panels easy, now comes the challenge! Now not only did he pen those heifers, he did it in championship style. With his cattle run he took High In Trial for the day. Now this is one of the highlights in my trial days. For the three day event with many fine well know dogs and handlers he took High Combined Stock Dog of trial, scoring over a hundred points above the second place dog! Now that’s the way to become a champion!!!! There was a positive at this trial also. One of the leadership of INASA approached me and said they had reconsidered the offer of the BSASC. Now how do we get this to work?
NEGOIATIONS
A meeting was arranged. Details were worked out. Hey now we are going to have a trial. Once again I am jazzed. Through the delay of movement with sponsors I have lost several that would have contributed, on the other hand I have picked up two more buckle sponsors. Now we will be offering 11 buckles. I have a long list of sponsors that I would like to thank. Sponsorship of a buckle is not a cheap thing to do. I have been in contact with the buckle company many times now. Teri and I have drawn what they should look like and put the clubs initials on them INASA and BSASC, its an Aussie with two head of cattle. All were basically, the same with the exception of the WTCH’s only, which would be oval. Delivery date will be two days before the trial. Entries are coming in fast; many are friends I have made on the road from California to Montana. We are going to have more other breeds than ever before. I would like to think this is because of me. *Big Grin*. Some of the membership even gave up their entries so that others could come.
I have been working my butt off lining arenas and hauling all the materials panels, center pens etc. plus my regular job. Everyone should be a Course Director once in his or her lives. You just have no idea the lengths we go to please people, how hard we try to make everything perfect!!! At this point I want to thank all of the membership of BSASC for their help, guys ya’ll are the best!!!!!!!! MY special thanks, to Teri Kassa who worked all day as a teacher and stayed up all night working with me. With out her help I would have been a fish out of water. I also think Teri would be the perfect person to be Course Director for BSASC`s first trial. Teri, I will be there for you as you were for me. Please membership give the next person at least as much help as you did for me, and more if you can.
THE WORK
The trial is now drawing close. So many things left to do. How are we going to be able to get it all finished? But hey the buckles arrived. Oh my they are so beautiful. Ohhhhhhhh NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! The Aussie looks like a Border Collie and it has a tail. This is not a good thing……… Gezzzzzzzzz it is just one thing after another. And for the last month I haven’t had time to work Choc-ko. Here we are two days before the trial and I think of working my dog, can’t the sheep are due tonight. Hmmmmmm its 5 p.m. where are they? 6 now. 8p.m. And waiting, so I call home and he hasn’t called. Dang 4 hours I have waited and I can’t leave because he has to show. Finally there he is I was worried. Maybe I can work Choc-ko tomorrow on these critters.
Friday I am beat but the duck arena needs setting up. Where is the member who promised to do this? He promised to show hours ago! Well so much for depending on someone. Another member shows up and the Judge, Roy Sage. Thanks Fred and Roy for the rescue. All is done I am truly beat. Whattttttttttttttttttttttt you have got to be kidding!!!!!!!!!!! Van Hecke the judge canceled. It’s now around 9p.m. Friday 11 hours till trial time and he calls!!!! Thanks a lot buddy!!!!!!! Would have been nice if he had contacted or warned me. Well I hope his reason is a good one. He has to live with himself. Here once again I have to thank someone for bailing me-us out. Sharon Simmons is and Angel. If anyone, has a word of bad to say about her, save it. I owe her!!!!!!!!!! Enough said? She can do NO wrong in my book. Thank you Sharon from the depths of my heart. I set the sprinklers on arena and head home. Poor Choc-ko is going in blind; no practice in at least a month, sorry boy.
THE DOG DAYS of SUMMER TRIAL
Finally, here we are at the judges meeting. Minutes from now someone will be out working stock. I am tired but somewhat relaxed. I have put months of spare hours, spare minutes into this and now its happening. I finally get to see our show booklet. Kyle my hats off to you for the excellent job you have done. Even with my last minute arrivals you came through. I would be proud to hand one of these to anyone, even the President of the USA.
We have two judges that I admire. I truly believe them to be some of the fairest judges I have competed under. Thank you Roy Sage and Neal De’Shazo. We have one judge that I now adore, Thank you Sharon Simmons, for bailing us out of a jam. Even though I have trailed under Sharon only once my belief is she judged us fairly- Even so, I brought it up at the handlers meeting and offered to refund any ones entry fees, not one person pulled out. As a matter of fact we had a waiting list a mile long.
Day 1
Here we go lets have some fun… Sheep were flock bound and very hard to work in three’s. Choc-ko with all his training (big grin) cannot make them move. Most of the other contestants were having problems also. But a lot of fine dogs and handlers did the job and worked them; they have a lot to be proud of. Ducks, Choc-ko has no problems with, everything went smooth; others weren’t so lucky I heard. Some must have done much better as we placed 4th. Cattle were tuff, big and tuff! Made a lot of dogs look bad including Choc-ko. I set the sprinklers, feed and water the stock and head home. One of the other members offered to move the sprinkler after dinner.
Day 2
OOOO no they forgot; now we have a huge mud puddle in front of the take pen.
We ran 4 sheep and they did much better. Contestants are very understandable. But once again Choc-ko didn’t do as well as he should have. Must have been over trained, you think? Ducks once again we did well on even though it was a gate cut. Cattle were much better today, thank god. Choc-ko took a first on advanced cattle.
Day 3
Ducks pretty smooth. At every trial I have attended someone has something bad to say about ducks (LOL). The sheep are learning and did much better for most, Choc-ko and I have not figured them out. Cattle are working ok; Choc-ko once again took a first. All that extra training must have paid off.
STOCK HANDLERS
This is a very hard job! The pay for a whole days labor is a free lunch. You get the joy of walking through cow pies, and sheep raisins. These cattle had no problem at trying to kick you. The sheep were more than eager to put their heads down and ram you. When you do a really good job no one notices you. One little mess up and it’s a disaster!
With all my heart I want to thank my sons, Jasen and Eugene, Dad loves you guys, also Will, Pete and Matt friends of mine. Ducks are also another critter that’s a pain in the ***!!! They hate leaving their buddies. Thank you Steve and Dorothy shoot I even got to give a hand on ducks.
I did not hear one complaint about my stock handlers. I am very proud of each and everyone. You each have done the club a great service!!!
TIMERS
To the timers and there was many, a hearty thank you. To sit and watch a clock for even a few minutes would drive me nuts. To do this job all day would leave me in shambles. Our club wants to thank you very much for a job well done. Without volunteers like you these events would not happen. Danna, what wonderful lunches you fed us. You will certainly be a hard act to follow.
COMPETITORS
What a wonderful group of people! I gave you the stock from hell and you gave me encouragement. I gave you a huge mud puddle, surrounded by dust. You gave me a pat on the back for making it like real ranch work. When I was out “YOU” let me in. When I was down “YOU” lifted me.
Each person who got out and gave it their all, was cheered by their peers. Applause was the rule of the day. Everyone was looking for the good, over looking the bad. As I sit here working on this story, I reflect back as to why I became a member of ASCA. It’s people like these, everyone is like an old friend, even if I just met them. The hand comes out for a shake without thought. A hug is given, just because. Advice is given without malice. “YOU” folks make me proud to be a member. When it was time to call it over, without me even asking “YOU’ were standing there asking me if you could help taking down the arenas. In an hour it was down, saving me 2 days work. “YOU” all deserve a pat on the back. Thank U Thank U Thank U!
This was very tuff stock! To all whom took a buckle or prize or ribbon home, know that you earned them. Please give that dog of yours a loving pat from me, because it also deserves it. After all this is a dog trial. Without these astonishing, working partners our paths may have never crossed. To each of those of you who went home without winning a prize, “YOU” have won my respect. We now know some of the aspects of herding we need to work on. Well at least I know Choc-ko and I need to improve.
I now have new insights into the herding world. All the many pressures that is put on clubs, and members, to make a trial happen. I now know the work that goes on. Most contestants could not have a clue. The costs are enormous. Without donations I can’t see how a trial could be thrown. One judge not showing even with donations would make it a financial lost. If I have ever griped at one of your trials, please accept my sincere apologetics. I now know!!!! What can go wrong will go wrong. I now know that you do the best you can with what you have to work with. I now know one person can’t do it all. I know u can’t tell how a sheep will flock from the color of its face. I know you shouldn’t get cattle hundreds of miles away. I now know raise your own or use someone else’s ducks they are going to make you look bad. So my warmest thanks goes to every club who puts on any dog-related events. I now know what you have gone through.
My goal in life is to be the sort of person my Dog, thinks I am.
Ron Green