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The Set Out Crew that got Skewered. 2004
Every have one of those days you wished you never got up? Well, I most certainly have. Matter of fact, one fine spring day, about 5 years ago. I was working set-out for a Border Collie trial. The set-out crew was Sarah, Karen and me. (the names have been changed to protect the guilty).
All three of us were fairly new to set-out but the trial host had a great set-out setup. They had a nice round pen with a set-out alley and a hefty gate. One person would work the pen, one would hold the next set of sheep at the top of the alley for the next run and one person would be gate queen. I was duly elected as Gate Queen. My job was to open the gate as the sheep were driven down the alley and shut it. The person on the field would pick up the sheep and hold them for the runs.
We were setting for ProNovice; the day was sunny and warm. So far about halfway we had done a good job and no problems. It was pretty easy after a while…matter of fact too easy. This should have been the first sign.
The dog holding the sheep at the top of the set-out decided that she wanted to take over. Karen who was chatting to the Sarah who was in the pen, failed to notice that her dog began to drive the sheep down the alley. Then the dog decided a very fast pace with a quick nip on the heel would mosey those sheep right along.
Meanwhile my back was turned to the scenario behind me and I was watching the trial dog start his outrun. He was coming up on my side and had a nice wide outrun.
Then I heard "Diane, &(*%*&$....look %$@#^ out" and I turned to see five Scottish Blackface ewes coming at me at full bore. I spread myself in front of the gate, hoping to stop them.
NOTE: to people who might try doing this in the future. THIS IS A VERY BAD IDEA.
This merely lets the sheep know you are a huge target. They ran, jumped and plowed into me. One hooked her horn into my elbow and spun me and the gate open. These sheep spilled out onto the course as the trial dog was fifty feet below them. I was still hanging onto the gate as it swung to and fro. I had each arm hooked over the top and my back was pressed to the gate and my legs were dragging on the ground. Meanwhile my new found ewe friend with her horn still attached to my shirt, helped the matters by dragging me and the gate back and forth for some spectacular visual effects to the audience below. This was probably a 9.5 out of a scale of 10.
Jane, the dog, by this time had realized she was in deep dog poop and ran and hid while her handler yelled at her and ran down the alley to help me. By God, I was not going to let go of the gate as I was told to man the gate at all costs. The ewe had worked herself free by this time and joined her cohorts.
The trial dog barely broke stride and picked up the extra sheep as well as the sheep at the top. The person at the top was trying to hold the wayward ewes separate but to no avail. All ten sheep raced down the hill. They were pretty pumped and were not stopping for anything after the gate incident. They ran straight to the exhaust and trying plowing through that gate since they just had a successful gate breakaway a few seconds prior. Who says sheep are dumb?
Karen pried me off the gate and my elbow was shooting pain. The ewe had hit the nerve and bruised it badly and I could hardly see straight. Karen in her haste to help me had gotten dirt in her contacts and couldn't see. Luckily for me, Karen is a Doctor and determined that my arm was not broken but bruised. Sarah was trying to hold up the mob in the pen who also wanted to join their newly freed sheep pals and wrenched her shoulder so in a space of 2 minutes the entire setout crew was wounded. As Karen and I limped up the alley the radio cracked "What the heck is going on. Why did you let the next set out?"
We answered that an accident had occurred and we did not do it deliberately. Then we asked for replacements.
There was a dead silence and we asked for replacements again saying we all were hurt and needed help.
"OK" then silence. I am sure the trial host though we were nuts!!!
A few minutes later a new crew appeared and examined out wounds and satisfied that we were going to live then took over the duties. We all slowly walked down spectator's area.
The judge peered over to us; the sad and battered crew and mentioned he gave the dog a rerun and said it was pretty exciting to see me swinging on the gate. We all survived but amazing enough we have never be asked to set sheep together as a crew again.
Every have one of those days you wished you never got up? Well, I most certainly have. Matter of fact, one fine spring day, about 5 years ago. I was working set-out for a Border Collie trial. The set-out crew was Sarah, Karen and me. (the names have been changed to protect the guilty).
All three of us were fairly new to set-out but the trial host had a great set-out setup. They had a nice round pen with a set-out alley and a hefty gate. One person would work the pen, one would hold the next set of sheep at the top of the alley for the next run and one person would be gate queen. I was duly elected as Gate Queen. My job was to open the gate as the sheep were driven down the alley and shut it. The person on the field would pick up the sheep and hold them for the runs.
We were setting for ProNovice; the day was sunny and warm. So far about halfway we had done a good job and no problems. It was pretty easy after a while…matter of fact too easy. This should have been the first sign.
The dog holding the sheep at the top of the set-out decided that she wanted to take over. Karen who was chatting to the Sarah who was in the pen, failed to notice that her dog began to drive the sheep down the alley. Then the dog decided a very fast pace with a quick nip on the heel would mosey those sheep right along.
Meanwhile my back was turned to the scenario behind me and I was watching the trial dog start his outrun. He was coming up on my side and had a nice wide outrun.
Then I heard "Diane, &(*%*&$....look %$@#^ out" and I turned to see five Scottish Blackface ewes coming at me at full bore. I spread myself in front of the gate, hoping to stop them.
NOTE: to people who might try doing this in the future. THIS IS A VERY BAD IDEA.
This merely lets the sheep know you are a huge target. They ran, jumped and plowed into me. One hooked her horn into my elbow and spun me and the gate open. These sheep spilled out onto the course as the trial dog was fifty feet below them. I was still hanging onto the gate as it swung to and fro. I had each arm hooked over the top and my back was pressed to the gate and my legs were dragging on the ground. Meanwhile my new found ewe friend with her horn still attached to my shirt, helped the matters by dragging me and the gate back and forth for some spectacular visual effects to the audience below. This was probably a 9.5 out of a scale of 10.
Jane, the dog, by this time had realized she was in deep dog poop and ran and hid while her handler yelled at her and ran down the alley to help me. By God, I was not going to let go of the gate as I was told to man the gate at all costs. The ewe had worked herself free by this time and joined her cohorts.
The trial dog barely broke stride and picked up the extra sheep as well as the sheep at the top. The person at the top was trying to hold the wayward ewes separate but to no avail. All ten sheep raced down the hill. They were pretty pumped and were not stopping for anything after the gate incident. They ran straight to the exhaust and trying plowing through that gate since they just had a successful gate breakaway a few seconds prior. Who says sheep are dumb?
Karen pried me off the gate and my elbow was shooting pain. The ewe had hit the nerve and bruised it badly and I could hardly see straight. Karen in her haste to help me had gotten dirt in her contacts and couldn't see. Luckily for me, Karen is a Doctor and determined that my arm was not broken but bruised. Sarah was trying to hold up the mob in the pen who also wanted to join their newly freed sheep pals and wrenched her shoulder so in a space of 2 minutes the entire setout crew was wounded. As Karen and I limped up the alley the radio cracked "What the heck is going on. Why did you let the next set out?"
We answered that an accident had occurred and we did not do it deliberately. Then we asked for replacements.
There was a dead silence and we asked for replacements again saying we all were hurt and needed help.
"OK" then silence. I am sure the trial host though we were nuts!!!
A few minutes later a new crew appeared and examined out wounds and satisfied that we were going to live then took over the duties. We all slowly walked down spectator's area.
The judge peered over to us; the sad and battered crew and mentioned he gave the dog a rerun and said it was pretty exciting to see me swinging on the gate. We all survived but amazing enough we have never be asked to set sheep together as a crew again.
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