Miscellaneous:








 

We were extremely pleased to have Ernest Hartnagle and daughter Carol Ann Hartnagle (Las Rocosa Aussies) come to judge our trials in April 2008.
 

The Hartnagle's were a pleasure to have here with us and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves!

 

Special thanks for the beautiful photo to
Kelly Farquhar http://www.kfphotography.ca/

 

Hello from Tucker Creek!!!! Waiting for Spring this year seems to have been an eternity. I have been wanting to drop a note to everyone following our April Trials - The trials we were calling "Spring Trials" hahahahaha.... Well for anyone who was here, you will recall it was neither "spring" , "winter" and least of all "Summer" for any more than 2-3 hours at a time. We had all kinds of weather that weekend - none of it nice......

 

But I must say - not a single miserable person - even our esteemed judges who judged, conformation, stock and obedience in the rain, snow, mud and wind. Competitors were simply amazing and in the aftermath - I found myself shaking my head over and over - laughing out loud and smiling from ear to ear at the delightful weekend everyone had in spite of the weather and un-believeable conditions.

 

If you think you've seen poor weather conditions at a stock dog trial - or any other outdoor event for that matter - please share - cuz I can't think of a more challenging weekend to want to spend the day outdoors. In spite of the conditions, the stock were exceptionally cooperative and all precautions to keep them dry, happy and well fed following trials seemed to have paid off as the lambs all made out happy and fat once the mud fell off.

 

Even dogs worked the stock cautiously when icy conditions prevailed after a minus 20 night following the mud of Saturday's trials. Sunday forced our hand on cattle with a healthy decision to call the runs to preserve the dogs and livestock, when ice patches could have made for a wrong turn or fall, and solid ground prevented any attempt to change the course from A to B...

 

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

 

Thank you to Marie Murphy - our stock and conformation judge from Wisconsin who was as patient and considerate for stock and handlers. Who also took some awesome pictures when runs ran out of time while stock handlers took shovels and stock sticks to dislodge rubber boots and pry handlers from the mud - funny we never had to pry stock form the mud - the sheep seemed to know where to be.

 

Thank you to Carol Ann Hartnagle for judging conformation and obedience in the wind and rain and for reminding us that we filled in the entry form for the dogs - and that it was not the dogs who signed us up for these events. Her sense of humour improved at each event and maintained a positive sense of sportsmanship and kindness.

 

Thanks to Ernie Hartnagle for the hundreds of stories at the Kitchen table while people came in and out of the door, cold and wet from outside. For his judging of stock and conformation, for his always kind remarks about our dogs, and for his amazing dinner presentation the evening of the 26th. The food and the company was just great. The subject - one dear to our hearts , the Australian Shepherd. It was a moment in history for all of us - even those who weren't Aussie people - but still appreciated the great company we were in. It was a pleasure and an honour to have Mr. Ernie Hartnagle from Las Rocosa Australian Shepherds address our Canadian and American contingent here in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

 

To everyone who competed, helped, timed, scribed, (those from Canada and the many from the USA that come to help) and those that delivered coffee, stock handled and or lost your boots in the mud, and just plain came out with a smile at the end of the day - Thanks!!!!! You made a most memorable weekend for everyone who was there.

 

Thanks to Emily for the amazing lunches (prepared by herself -an actual chef from the best restaurant in the city) Thank you Jack for hauling the cattle back and forth ( from arena to pasture) to preserve the field for us all. Thank you Lori, Arletta, Kathy, Karen, Kim, Doreen, Madison, Ben, Louise, Gwen, Rhonda, Kelly, Karen, Gord, Brenda, Janice, Annie, Diane, Sigrid, Nancy, Janna, Sarah, Donna, Joe, for being here and participating, and everyone else because there was a large group of people who came out to the dinner and talk the Saturday evening, and we were glad to see you - I hope I did not miss anyone, because every single person was part of the magic that was this weekend to remember.

 

And a HUGE thank you to everyone who showed up with their dogs for the grand photo on the stairs at the Tucker Creek Farm with all the Tucker Creek pups (now dogs). It brought tears to my eyes as they began to arrive - WOW - did I do that!!!! (not really - but I did help.....) All accounted for and all just as lovely as the next - what a great photo and moment in time! Tucker - received his HOF (thanks to all his pups and their owners) certificate the Thursday Ernie arrived at the house (talk about coincidence and full circle). It was Joe Hartnagle and Jeanne Joy Hartnagle who bred my first Aussie (Tucker) almost 15 years ago, and Tucker as pictured in the photo on the stairs os still going strong AND a daddy as of yesterday to three new LasRocosa/Tucker Creek babies. WOW again.

 

PICTURES>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Now in case you weren't there - or in case you'd like a reminder of the fun we had - Kelly Farquhar has posted a series of pictures on her web-site and I am sure she would be happy to share some of these pictures if you want some memories. Kelly is a professional photographer and took this weekend as a project for part of her studies to make her work available for people to purchase. There are some really great pictures of some of the dogs, the mud, the judges etc.

 

NOTE - on page 5 - there is a picture of Jack and Kim retrieving Donna from the mud (it would suck the boots in so tight you needed to release the suction to get them loose.), NOTE THE DOG - He is not lying down - he is standing - in the mud.......It was chest deep in places - apparently our sheep and cattle knew where not to pass through as we never had to pry the sheep loose from the mud.

 

Here is the link for the photos of the TBASCO trials: www.kfphotography.ca/tbascotrials

 

Sincerely,

Tanya Wheeler

President - TBASCO