Sunday 5 August 2007

Macclesfield Sheepdog Trials

Yesterday we decided to take Badger out to show her what proper grown-up dogs do. We thought that Macclesfield Sheepdog Trials might be just the thing. The place was crawling with border collies, slinking around, looking shifty and generally lurking. Some of the dogs looked terribly inter-bred: blue-eyed dogs, brown-eyed dogs, some with one blue eye and one brown eye!



Some of the dogs waiting for their turn to show off on the field.

We watched intently, pointing things out to Badger, but all she was interested in was a nine month old puppy playing with a paper cup. OK, we said, just a quick sniff. The two of them romped for a bit, then we called her back to watch the show.



This is called the 'outrun' and the 'fetch' we told her. She seemed to be concentrating.


This is herding them towards the pen. Badger wagged her tail. Oh no, another dog wanted to play. A big male dog with a very woolly coat this time. They played boxing for a few minutes, then Badger sidled up to the old farmer sitting next to me. He had just arrived with a bacon sandwich and she thought she might con some out of him. No chance.

Come here Badger and watch what's going on.




This is what you should be doing with the sheep, not scattering them.

Badger was now intent on making friends with Devildog. This be-muzzled little creature was frantically snarling and foaming at the mouth trying to extracate herself from the restraining grip of her owner. She doesn't like other dogs much, she explained.

We then took Badger to the point where the penned sheep were herded after the trials.



This really caught Badger's imagination. She was looking lovingly at them, and then at me. 'Can I go in there with them?' she seemed to be saying to me. 'Don't even think about it' I replied sternly.


Badger trying to look appealing.
By this time my toe was throbbing and Peter was looking thirsty so we went back into Macclesfield to visit our Musician who has just opened a bar! We went to the opening night a few weeks back, but thought it was high time we paid another call.



The Musician behind his bar with his new hair style. His fiancee has plaited some red braid into his hair and then gelled it up a bit. We had a drink and some lunch, and very nice it was too.




Pulling a pint for Peter.



Another view of the bar.

Poor Badger was getting very tired by this time. She showed just what a real, proper, grown-up dog she was during the evening when she wearily climbed up on her Mum's knee for a cuddle and a sleep!



Badger, really! You are supposed to be a tough, working dog who lives on a farm, runs wild, rolls in shit and eats disgusting objects, not a pampered little lap dog!

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Joes bar looks just the ticket - I'm off!

I bet Bader was laughing up her furry sleeve at all the hard working dogs.

Great blog - as always.

Love Ann xxx

sheilabythebeach said...

Oh, I just love to watch sheepdog trials! Those dogs are so amazing to watch.
Thanks for the sheepdog blog today!

Anonymous said...

That is one magnificent sheep dog or whatever. I think it deserves a place of honor at the end of the day.

And the bar pic was nice. The furniture in there was fantastic.

But most of all I like your dog.

Abraham Lincoln
Brookville Daily Photo

TCA said...

Baaaaaa...

Halfmom, AKA, Susan said...

Hey - that's the first picture I've seen of you - with Badger curled up in you lap! Look at all that blonde hair!

I would love to go to a real sheep dog trial - that would be very fun. Actually, I have gotten to rather like sheep over the years - having lived with them for two years at university - but the liking came later after I got over how completely stupid they were!

So, can you tell the toe is healing up?

Thanks for your comment(s) on the blog - but play nicely and at least tell me what those words mean to you so I can finish up my post please!

As to pontificating - well that's a different matter. I hope I ask enough thought provoking questions to give people a chance to come to their own well-formed opinions - so, you will have to tell me if it seems "pontificatory" (is that a real word?) to you.

Do you have an email link that works on your blog? my email address is sumc144@hotmail.com I have a comment I'd rather make in private.

Vintage to Victorian said...

Seeing Badger there curled up on your lap reminded me of our long-gone Rosie. She always loved a cuddle. What a lovely day you all had at the Trials. And to my mind Badger didn't have to try very hard to look appealing!!
Sue

Unknown said...

Lovely photo of Badger with her tongue out - was it thought of all those sheep? I never made it up there while I was in Macc, although we were tempted on several occasions.

I suspect I know where that lovely bar is, despite not having been in Macc for a while (although I can't remember the name of the place - Dean's Court?) I think I've been in the building before on many occasions when its had various other names - always for a drink tho' mind you.

Anonymous said...

Raelha - the bar is definitely in a court, with the entrance on the right as you walk downhill down that pedestrianised street with the Early Learning Centre on the left(I can't remember any of the other shops).

Joe's seems to have lost a bit of weight. I was hoping you'd have a photo of him contentedly patting a beer gut.

Jack

Martin Stickland said...

Gosh what an adventure!

I like the look of badger and so would Bandit!

I like your style of writng but when you mentioned a farmer with a bacon sarny I could almost smell it and my little tummy rumbled (well, big tummy)

Unknown said...

Ah, Duke´s Court, of course it is. And I remember the caff that was underneath the bar - we used to go there for cheap lunches. I also remember the office suppliers opposite the entrance - Bullock and Bossum or something like that. It always used to amuse me as both names were one letter close to having a slightly naughtier meaning.

Lavenderlady said...

Badger is no dummy. Looks to have a very good life!

Anonymous said...

As I'm sure you are aware, Badger behaves the way he does because he knows he can get away with it.

Gill said...

Hi
Thank you for your congratulations on my Masters and teachers dipolma, I can now teach Reiki, Auricular Ear Candling, Indian Head Masssage and Crystal Therapy, meditiation. Next I want to do a course for the crystal massage I do. All good stuff. I so enjoy it. Need to get a group going for holistic & spiritual subjects to swop info and ideas.
Love your dog he looks like the Welsh border collie we had when I was growing up, unfortuately he was very highly strung and used to run round the room barking in all the corners as if he was rounding up sheep!!
I too love Joes bar - Joe is not bad himslef! may be have to get myself there too!
Keep writng
Love Gillie xx

Ash said...

Very nice images. I love the last one the most :-)

Gollum said...

Thanks for visiting my blog. Loved your post on sheepdogs. Many years ago when I was in the United kingdom and worked for IBM, I had an assignment for which I had to spend a year in Scotland before I got abck to England. The little village I stayed in had quite a few sheepdogs who were better mannered and toilet trained than my mates after a drink :)I think Badger is mighty cuddly.

somepinkflowers said...

what a great posting
with your pup
badger

*** Looking Appealing ***

how do they know how to give that look, like,

aren't i the best doggie,ever?

i hardly ever get to see sheep
that up-close & personal
here in Florida...
so thanks for that.

:-)

Anonymous said...

Great photo's! Thanks for sharing them with us! I love the sheepdog's!
*HUGS*

The Lone Beader® said...

Your blog is great! I love your sheepdog photos. Cheers from Boston=:)

Rising Rainbow said...

I bet Badger was probably laughing at all those working dogs too. Looks to me like she's got life figured out just fine.

Ming the Merciless said...

HAHAHAHA! Awesome post! Bader is gorgeous and despite his lack of "professionalism", he is still adorable.

Gill said...

Hi
Dousing is using a crystal pendulum, your energy runs through the crystal to make choices or to guide you or to give the answer to a situation.
Angel cards are a set of cards that you can use like the tarot or just to ask your question and the card/cards pulled will give you the answer or insight and tell which angel is there to help/guide you and which angel you can call for help in the current situation.
Hope this will help you, I use them all the time along with my tarot.
Love Gillie xx

GiuCe said...

sheepdog!!!... images like "Babe" movie xD

Maxine Perella said...

great photos, those. just like sheppy the sheepdog. which i think was a TV programme once upon a time ... but i might be wrong. anyway i'm always excited when i come across another british blogger - hurrah!

Stephen said...

Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving the comments. You have a very nice blog with many fine pictures and stories. Dogs and cats can be very interesting characters, almost like little people sometimes.

I'm afraid I don't have any pictures to post on my blog right now, as almost all our pictures are non-digital. The stories will have to stand alone for now.

Thanks again, and keep up the good work.

Stephen from Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
http://stephen-has-spoken.blogspot.com/

Daszzle said...

Sorry this is quite unrelated to your post, however I say that you like Nick Hornby novels... how did you feel about "A Long Way Down." I'm a bit dissappointed I think, but I'm not done yet.

Shammickite said...

Good old Badger... suffers from Attention Deficit Disorder when it comes to learning how to be a Proper Sheep Dog does he? I don't blame him, it looks like hard work barking and running after those silly baa-lambs.

BTW did you know in Aussie slang, a Bra is called a Sheepdog?
Rounds 'em up, keeps 'em together!

Anonymous said...

Llama - if you dont do a new blog soon, I will have to get a life of my own. So get your act together

xxx

lorenzothellama said...

Yes, yes I know Ann. You know I have such an uninteresting life there is nothing to write about!
Lorenzo.

Merisi said...

Can hardly keep up with your blog! :-)
Loved the post. Badger and the sheep remind me of the movie "Babe" (which I happen to love, especially the Three Mice singing *g* ).

Gill said...

All things are made up of elements, we all have a bit of everything, physical, spiritual, mind and soul.We are all influenced by our surrounding and conditions and our attitude towards them. It is how we handle them that makes the difference. We are influenced by people in our lives the same as we are influenced by the different planetary aspects in our lives. When they active use and direct them to your advantage.
Understand and know yourself and use them to improving your life. It is the Universal Law - what you give out you get back - you are not a victim you make yourself a victim. You have no evil unless that evil is within.

Gill said...

My fiend Sue has had the same problem. Yes Reiki will help or ask your angels
Gillie x