4th Annual McCormack Ranch Sheepdog Trial (Part 1 of 2)

A friend and I recently spent an enjoyable Sunday at the 4^th Annual McCormack Ranch Sheepdog Trial.   This was a first for me – although I had an inkling of what was involved.   Sunday was the last day of the sheepdog trial.  The multi-day event started the Thursday before with a sheep run through Main Street in Rio Vista.  Rio Vista, “Gateway to the California Delta”, is in Solano County.

Saturday is the day packed with the majority of the events, but we both had other plans that day.  In addition to the sheepdog trial on Saturday there was a wool spinning demonstration, Lamb BBQ, and sheep shearing demonstration.

It was a beautiful sunny day with a light breeze.  As we were approaching the general vicinity of the turnoff to the ranch we started seeing cute “sheep” signs pointing us in the right direction.  The turnoff was manned by members of the Rio Vista Soroptimists, and we handed over the event tickets we had purchased ($15) on-line.  We were really glad that those manning the entrance mentioned that it was 2 ½ miles to the site of the event.  Otherwise we would have likely thought that we had taken a wrong turn – despite that fact that there were arrows periodically pointing the way.  We both commented on the excellent condition of the narrow gravel road.

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The rolling hills were green – and a very pretty sight.  The darker green hills were planted in winter wheat – which swayed in the gentle breeze.  Numerous hawks were circling in search of prey.  We spotted several ground squirrels and the entrance to their burrows alongside the road so no doubt ground squirrel is one of the staples on the hawks menu.

I was very impressed by how organized the event was.  The gravel parking lot had ample sized parking spaces delineated with white spray paint.  The $3 parking donation benefited the Rio Vista Food Pantry.

A wagon with hay bales to sit on pulled by a tractor made regular runs up and down the hill – from the parking lot to the staging site.  We had brought folding chairs and food and drink so we were glad we did not have to trudge up and down the hill carrying everything.

On the top of the hill 4H and FFA youth were selling programs ($3) and there were booths with food and drink available for sale.  All of the proceeds from food and drink sales benefited various Rio Vista non-profits.

From that vantage point we could see both the Sacramento River and Three Mile Slough Bridge in the distance.

There were some hay bales placed along the wire fence separating the viewing area from the site of the trials, but we were glad to settle into our chairs.  Bales of hay do not have much give.

The sheepdog trial took place largely in the grassy area below us where the fetch panels, pen and handler’s post were located.   The objective of the trial is to test a dog’s ability to maneuver sheep in a calm, controlled manner.  These skills are designed to simulate those that a dog and shepherd use in the daily management of the sheep.

I learned a lot about sheepdog trials and Border collies that day – although I am sure there is much more to learn.  For example, I did not know that each team (Border collie and handler) begins with all possible points and then points are deducted for flaws.  Points lost cannot be earned back.  I also had not known that each trial is timed and points lost for incomplete phases of the trial.  I did note that handlers were consulting their watches – and it was soon obvious that the “time is up” signal was a gentle beep of a truck – presumably in which the time-keeper was sitting.

Up Next: 4th Annual McCormack Ranch Sheepdog Trial (Part 2 of 2)

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