Pre Entry opens May 11, 2009. Entry Forms available below this trial information.

Day of trial entries will be accepted if there are runs available.  Open to all herding breeds and mixed herding breed dogs.

Sheep runs: ADV $35.00      Intermed $30.00      Novice $25.00

Duck runs:  ADV $30.00      Intermed $25.00      Novice $20.00

Course will not be available until the morning of the event.

Adv: Handler will be limited to a post

Intermediate: Handler’s mobility will be limited at certain points on course

Novice: Handler will be allowed to go anywhere on course except through obstacles

Mail entries and make checks payable to Starshine Farm:

Janet Benson

Starshine Farm

33 Oliver Road
Lebanon, CT 06249

Checks will be deposited June 1^st, 2009 and there will be no refunds after that time.  Entries will be taken in the order received until the trial is full.  An alternate list will be used in the case of cancellation.  If entries fill on May 11th postmark date, entries will be randomly drawn. 

For further information, contact: Tenley Dexter at ten.dexter@yahoo.com

Handler’s meeting 8am.  Runs (Adv, Intermediate, then Novice) to start immediately after, sheep first, ducks after the completion of sheep runs. There will be a walk through of each division’s course immediately preceding the running of that division.

Prizes only for Novice Division.

Cash Payouts (see payout chart below) for Adv and Intermediate divisions:

PAYOUT SCHEDULE:

SPECIAL FUN CLASS: Two Person Duck Jackpot class…NO DOGS!

$5.00 entry fee per person. Partners will be paired out of a hat draw the day of the event and will put ducks through a unique course. Winning team takes ENTIRE POT!  Can pre enter or enter day of for same price.

Directions to Starshine Farm:

Directions to Starshine Farm: From Rt. 2, take exit 13 (Rt.66) through Columbia Center (approx 10 miles).  Take a right on to Rt. 87 South and Go 4.6 miles (0.3 miles after "Log Cabin" Restaurant and turn right onto Oliver Road. Second driveway on left #33, across from horse barn.

Motels and Lodging:

At the time information was obtained for this flyer, the following hotels were accepting dogs.  However, policies can change.  Please verify that dogs are still being accepted when making your reservations.

Super 8, 20 Taylor St., Manchester, CT  860-643-1864

Sleep Inn, Willington, CT  860-684-1400

Red Roof Inn, New London, CT  860-444-0001, 1-800-THE ROOF

Budget Inn/Dayville, CT  860-774-4515

Days Inn, East Lyme, CT  860-739-3951

Waters Edge Family Campground, Lebanon, CT  860-642-7470

Point/Time Sheep and Duck Trial in Branchville, NJ - Sunday, November 30, 2008
Hosted by: Outback Farm

Points/Time Sheep and Geese Trial in Portland, CT - November 15th, 2008

Hosted by:  Nutmeg Farms

The ASTA trial in Portland Ct. last Saturday was a great success, despite the rain. We filled about 3 weeks before the trial, but were able to get more stock for the late entries. Handlers came from all over New England and New York State.

Altogether we had 29 sheep entries and 15 geese entries. That translated to two sets of ASTA hats in traditional ribbon colors for the Novice divisions and $860 in prize money for the intermediate and advanced divisions. Not all of the prize money for the goose runs was distributed since not enough competitors scored points. That money will be added to the purse of the next New England ASTA trial.

The geese were hellishly hard to work. If we use geese again we will put each group in crates rather than putting all in a holding pen. The draw was just too strong.

The courses were challenging and a lot of fun. Advanced and Intermediate sheep began with an outrun, lift and fetch. The outrun was about 250 yards. From there the sheep had to go through a pair of fetch panels, around the handlers post, through a pair of drive panels, to a Maltese cross and finally to a free standing pen. The time limit was four minutes.  One head of stock had to go through each obstacle before a team could move on to the next. The course was based on standard border collie courses but with a shorter outrun.

The Novice division began with a take pen instead of an outrun, lift and fetch. From there handlers could fetch the stock through the course. But after exiting the take pen the sheep booked to the other side of the arena away from the first set of panels. Teams lost a lot of time fetching the sheep back up and through the fetch panels.

The goose course was very difficult. In Advanced and Intermediate the stock was placed in a round pen with the handlers confined in a small pen attached to the side of the round pen. There were two cones placed on each side of the pen with a circle in between. The dog had to take the geese around the cones in a figure eight, crossing over the circle. From there the stock were taken out of the pen, through a Maltese cross, over a bridge and finally to a free standing pen.

Advanced handlers were confined to the small pen attached to the round pen for the entire course. Intermediate handlers could leave the pen after the stock had exited the round pen. Novice handlers and dogs began outside the round pen, and handlers were not limited to where they could go on the course.

Sheep:

Advanced (3 entries)

First - Tenley Dexter - Star
Second - Tenley Dexter - Tuffy - Aussie

Intermediate ( 11 entries)

First - Ellen Rusconi-Black - Stevie
Second - Tenley Dexter - Kat
Third - Diane Menard - Dare
Forth - Ellen Rusconi-Black - Tyne

Novice (15 entries)

First - Jessica Edgerly - Joker
Second - Mary Wasielewski - Fizz
Third - Debra Duarte - Flair
Forth - Wendy Richmond - Cricket

 

Geese:

Advanced (4 entries)

First - Tenley Dexter - Tuffy
Second - Tenley Dexter - Star
Third - Ymonne O'Brien - Grace

Intermediate (8 entries)

First - Ellen Rusconi-Black - Tyne

Novice (5 entries)

First - Linc Keiser - Sophia
Second - Jessica Edgerly - Joker

Lynnette Milleville, the co-course director for the trial, is building an indoor herding facility on her property and we are planning a winter ASTA trial for sometime in January. More information will be forthcoming.

Linc
 

COMMENTS: trials were combined for prizes due to low # of entries

TRIAL RESULTS:

NOVICE:

PLACE	DOG	HANDLER
1	Chloe	Linda Hoaglan
2	Wylei	Janet Putnam
3	Tank	Ellen Schwab
4	Jazz	Ellen Schwab
5	Mesa	Janna Heuer
6	Hank	Lynne Gish
7	Annie	Theresa Bingham

Goin’ To The Dogs Farm Sheep Trial - July 26, 2008

We were lucky to get wonderful weather---a slight breeze and temperatures staying under 80 degrees.  Cold drinks and make your own sandwiches were provided for contestants and spectators.  There were a total of 22 runs (only 24 runs were available), but only three were Aussies.  Several finals level handlers and dogs provided a high level of friendly competition.  I think we all had fun, and some USBCHA folks were very impressed with the ASTA concept.  My only regret is that there are not very many people in this area working their Aussies. 

The sheep were sorted into pens in sets of three---a ewe and her spring lambs.  This made the groups a little more difficult to work than just ewes---a dog had to read sheep and put just enough pressure on them to prevent fight or flight.  If a dog couldn’t cover sheep, they would readily run back to the pens.  The course started with getting your sheep out of the pen, but the generous 14-minute time limit didn’t start until the gate was closed.  Advanced handlers had their dogs drive sheep about 200 feet, recalled them, and then sent them on an outrun to fetch them.  Intermediate was about half that distance.  Advanced and Intermediate handlers had a handlers’ line, while Novice and Leash could go anywhere on the course.  After the drive, outrun, and lift/fetch, the course consisted of a drive/fetch around a single tree, between two trees, between two more trees, through an L chute, sort one head off, load a trailer, cross the Troll Bridge, and re-pen.  Leash class did not have to sort or load the trailer.

Special thanks to Frances Finley (ASTA member), Kelly Orr (ASTA member), and Amber Orr who drove nearly eight hours to serve as the trial committee and pitch in where needed.  Amber, a 13 year old girl, kept us all organized as well as showing a whole lot of adults how to trial.  Kent Bradley, Eileen Coronado (Coronado Aussies-Deer Park WA), and Pamela Kinkade (my sister) were a huge help in planning and preparing the trial. My beloved daughter Lena made sure the food was put out and picked up and tried keeping her mother’s house presentable.

Thanks to all the contestants who made this trial a success by demonstrating their ability to work stock in a calm and confident manner.  Thanks also to my wonderfully supportive neighbors, to all my trialing friends, my Aussie friends, and to my family who helped make this trial a success.

Teri Kassa, Trial Organizer

TRIAL RESULTS:

Leash (4 runs):

1^st Place - $48  -  Lorrie Crumpler (Newport WA) with Kimber (Border Collie)

2^nd Place - $32  -  Frances Finley (New Plymouth ID) with Choco (Aussie)

Novice (9 runs):

1^st Place - $90  -  Amber Orr (New Plymouth ID) with Cooi (Kelpie)

2^nd Place - $54  -  Bonnie Lindsay (Athol ID) with Kelli (Border Collie)

3^rd Place - $36  -  Misty Bonham (Nine Mile Falls WA) with Spike (Border Collie)

Intermediate (1 run):

1^st Place - $25  -  Dan Williams (Deer Park WA) with Dot (Border Collie)

Advanced (8 runs):

1^st Place - $120  -  Ron Green (Nine Mile Falls WA) with Kane (Border Collie) – tie broken by time

2^nd Place - $72  -  Kent Bradley (Medical Lake WA) with Ming (Border Collie) – tie broken by time

3^rd Place - $48  -  Noelle Williams (Deer Park WA) with Nap (Border Collie)

June 22, 2008

Hosted at Starshine Farm
Lebanon, CT
Sheep and Duck Trial