Cow dog trials

I like the idea of that one in OK. Two dogs and 5 head of cattle

One of these days I am gonna have a Stock dog Trial on our Place North of Caldwell. It will be two events cow penning and hog penning. I'm thinking the the cow penning will be the first event and top 25% advances to the Hog penning.

On our place We have two big square open blocks in the front of the place each is 50 acres which will be used for the cow penning. The course will use both blocks with two mock gates to drive through in each block and ofcourse the gate between the blocks, and the gate entering the lot (6 total gates). This will be a timed event with the time starting when the first cow is driven through the first gate, or after 1 (or so) minute, which ever comes first. During that initial cushion of one or so minutes the contestant can choose to settle his cattle for up to 5 minutes which will not count against his time. To be settled, the cattle must be stationary, meaning they cannot drift farther than a set distance. Time will start again if cattle drift farther than said distance or contestant signals he is thorugh settling his cattle. All cattle and horse/rider must pass through each gate, dogs to not have to pass through the gate. ie they can go around or under the fence next to it. The third gate which will be the gate between the two pastures. At this gate time will be paused for 1 min (or so) after the last cow passes through the gate. During that time the Horse/Riders cannot pass through the gate untill the 1 min is up and dogs must control the cattle on thier own with only verbal commands/help from the contestants. After that the cattle must be driven down the fence line arund a post then through the two remaining gates and into the lot. Time stops when the last cows tail head passed through the lot gate. The course will cover a good bit of 100 acres.

Dogs will be judged on control of the cattle with no penalties or preference for being soft or hard on the cattle with the exception of being hard at an inappropriate time.... ie when cattle are allready doing right(this will be a penalty)

Other penalties:
   Taking attention away from cattle for more than a moment. This is not a lookout like in a hog baying but rather things like urine marking or crapping or obvious innatention to the cattle.
   Not turning a break away cow back to the group after 45 seconds or so, or rider having to help turn the cow back. However In this instance if the cow is not being turned by the dogs after 45 second and the rider goes to hep bring her back it will only count as one penalty.
   There is a good probabilty of other penalties yet to be determined

A penalty will add time of some ammount. Fastest time wins. Dogs will be judged the whole time. Penalties will apply even when cattle are being settled and the third gate pause. Dogs must be working cattle from turn out(of dogs) untill the end. WITH the exception of a pre determined space before each gate. This is because allot of guys call thier dogs off the cattle while manuvering gates, which makes it easier to drive them through expecially when talking about the lot gate.

Hopefully I can get this going in the next 5 years. I Have to work on a hog pasture first and figure out how to get some wild hogs that will drive decent.

Waylon