Sonoma Marin Fair 2015

Coal's pretty purple 7th place ribbon from the Sonoma Marin Fair RESDA Trial

Sonoma-Marin is the only fair I have entered, so far, this season. I like it because it's close by, the entry fees are low, and mainly, because this fair is still based in agriculture as its charter. The scores were very high this year, with the winners Nancy and Ace getting 48.5 points (out of 50 in the RESDA scoring system) and taking the blue after a runoff for first place with Rhonda and Holly, who also scored 48.5.

Coal got 45.5 points, so when you get seventh place with that score, you know the work was pretty much top level and even. We haven't gotten a ribbon for anything in a long time, so it was fun to get something to take home.

Ryme was the also-ran this time. He was naughty on the gather, then worked pretty well although we did not get the chute. Ryme just does not like peeling sheep off the rail, and never has done well at it in a trial (although we work at it in practice continually).  I suppose I should have tried harder to get the chute but it seemed like it just was not happening. His score was really not bad considering: 37.5 points.

RESDA trials, even small ones, are a lot of work. It's the only venue that I can think of, where you set up the venue, run the trial, and then tear it down and clean up, all in one day (or one afternoon). Everyone needs to help. There isn't any host crew, committee, or paid help. So if I enter a RESDA trial, I plan to be there from beginning to end and help out as much as possible. But this one, like the other fairs, is a slice of home-town Americana that the dogs and I enjoy in small doses.