Why do we enter Sheepdog Trials?

Why do we enter dog trials? (sheep or cattle, no matter, it's the same) Seriously, why do you enter a dog trial? Why do I enter a dog trial? I imagine all of us could have a different answer to that one, but I'll fill you in on my thoughts, feel free to comment on yours :-)

Lill, ranch and trial dog extrordinaire

I love the challenge, difficult sheep, challenging field and terrain. Many of our trials are on rented sheep: range ewes, commercial flocks that are not used to dogs. So, it can be boom or bust, but is a great learning experience for me and the dogs. And a tremendous challenge, which when one pulls it off, does well, there is nothing like it! If I do poorly, it's time to sit back, and think about "why", not get mad because I didn't "win". No one likes to see another competitor stomp off the field mad at his dog!

A trial is only one judges opinion on one given run. That's all. I have heard people blame, the sheep, the terrain, "there were horses in the next field".. (?huh?), the trial host, (the most thankless thing to do imo, is host a trial!), and any other long list of things.

Right now, I'm running a dog in her second season of open, and i have a PN (Open Ranch in some parts of the country) dog I'm hoping to move up soon. We have several trials coming up, and if all goes well, I'll move the PN dog up to Open.

I always look at a trial as a learning experience, for me, for my dogs. If I can learn one thing, maybe it's a "weak" area that needs work, for either my dog or myself. Maybe it's something we need to team up on and work better on together, to get that flow, the "dance" just right. Or it could be something major that I've allowed to happen, gotten "sloppy" on, that defeated us at the trial. Or, it could just be human and or dog, error. It happens.

For me, "winning" is only part of it. Sure, we all want to win, it's human nature. But WHY we want to win, is a big part of it. Does someone want to win, because they want to "beat" someone else? Or do they want to test themselves against the challenges of the sheep and difficult course? If my dog tries his heart out, and I do the best I can do, and we look great, I am happy.

I never want to be someone who stomps off the course, mad at my dog, because we didn't do "as well" as I thought, or we didn't "beat" someone. (maybe the dog wasn't "ready" yet?) Each trial, is a learning experience, and, if my dog does their best? and we don't win? so be it, I'm still happy as can be with the work and progress my dog has made.

Sometimes, when you do well, and keep a good attitude, even tho you don't "win" the money, you actually "win" in the end. One thing I've never found myself doing? Running to check the scoreboard constantly. I don't know why, but those "numbers" are just someones opinion. I generally "know" if I've been the "windshield or the bug" as the saying goes. It feels "right" to lay down that great run, and honestly, should it feel any less right, because a judge took off more points than they did for someone else?

Yes, I'm competitive, yep, I want to win. But I always try to remind myself, WHY I do this in the first place, that my dog is firstly my ranchdog, my "partner" who would work himself to death for me on the ranch. A dog trial is just a dog trial. A challenge for that day. It's not about "who" I beat. It's about being a winner, acting a winner, and the rest falls into place.