By Anne Wheatley
*photo credits to Anne Wheatley and Helen Knibb
I expect most of us were holding our breath for better weather after the wind and rain and chill of Shepherds Crook, and fortunately we got it. We actually saw the sun periodically, and it felt glorious.
Open 1 was held on Day 1 on the big, fairly narrow field with a challenging long outrun. Paul Batz set for the first nine runs and before I went up to set later after my run he cautioned that less dog was best. Some groups were splitting and one or two sheep just leaving, seemingly unprovoked. The Indian River sheep are never push overs and I love that. On occasions when I’ve done well I’ve felt that I earned it. The class started with three 40 something scores in a row before 
Tracy and Lad scored an 85. Then Mary Thompson and Daisy scored another 85 and then with Teagan got 80. Game on. A very close run off later resulted in Tracy and Lad winning 1st place.
Nursery 1 was held on day 1 with 8 teams. 3 teams included 2yr old Teagan x Bud litter mates - Mary Thompson and Rain, Lorna Savage and Jackson and me and Rye. It was particularly fun for me to see their similarities and differences. Mary and Rain won it and Andrea de Kenedy and her young Sweep came a close second.
Open 2 was held the next day and the sheep had settled nicely by then. But that draw to the exhaust needed managing and for a few runs it poured rain. Amanda and Tui were first with a beautiful 26 point drive and a 91. It was good to see Amanda back on the field. Tracy and Lad were second with 90.
Nursery 2 resulted in Marilyn Terpstra winning it and Andrea and Sweep gaining a second leg.
The Novice day was really great. Not just because the sun shone, the leaves were brilliant and it was sort of warm, but because the Novice Novice handlers did themselves proud. There were 9 dog/handler teams competing. The dogs were all well under control. Lynn Inia and Fleet won the first class with a 71 and Felicia Pines with her dog Cove came second with a 65. Third place went to Janet Thompson and Banjo with a 62. All good scores.
Pro Novice 1 resulted in an exciting run off for first place between Pamela Hall and Fen and Kathy Keats and Tess of outrun, lift and fetch. Tess won that. Andrea and Sweep were 3rd with 67. My Rye was 4th with 65 - oops, I guess we usually don’t talk about 4th place.
Competitors showed their dogs’ good pace again for Novice Novice 2 resulting in a win for Felicia Pynes and Cove with a 69 and second for Peter Bangarth and Aoife with 60 points. 3rd place went to Lisa McPherson and her Robbie. Good job NN handlers and dogs!
The top 7 scores in Pro Novice 2 were in the 70’s. Andrea de Kenedy and Sweep won it with 76. Lorna Savage and Jackson were 2nd with 74 and Celeste Lacroix and Darcy came 3rd with another 74. These dogs are pretty darn good drivers.
I’m so grateful to the hosts and managers of trials. I hope they forget between times just how much work it is to make them happen. We’d be lost without them. Thank you Cynthia and John Palmer for doing it all to make Indian River SDT come together. Thank you Helen Knibb and Teresa Castonguay for managing the pens for 3 days. Special kudos for the photo taken early morning at the top and posted here and on the club fb page. Thanks to the set out people and the scribes and the posters and everyone else who helped out. Special thanks to Lorna Savage, Tara Dier, Carolyn West, Tracy Hinton and Viki Kidd for judging.