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The hunt-up route took us past a pasture with four cows. My little velcro dog (we've actually been failed on the hunt-up once or twice because the judge felt she stuck TOO close to me) took one look at the cows and decided NEW QUARRY!
She ducked under the (turned-off) hotwire and started barking at the cows and circling them. Twelve pounds of fury, she gathered up these four cows into a thundering clump and moved them to a corner of the pasture. The cows were running around themselves a fair bit and at one point I saw Stella rolling across the grass. I don't know if she got kicked or was just doing the "Cairn speed roll" they sometimes do. She was completely unfazed so I believe she was just doing a maneuver.
After the cows were apparently adequately clumped to Stella's satisfaction, she finally deigned to glance in my direction. I'd given up calling and whistling for her, so we used the old "I'm leaving" feint and started walking into the woods. At that point she finally decided to leave the beef and rejoin our hunting party.
She did not pass the test, either. The judge allowed a restart in the woods (ruling the cows a distraction) but Stella's indication of the quarry at the den site was lackluster. You could practically see the wheels turning in her head ... "Maybe I'll just blow this joint and head back for some more cattle action!"
It was not our day at the test. In Junior, Dundee took a $20 dump, just as Echo did during her Senior test. Oh well, that's earthdogging some days.
Despite our lack of official results, Stella impressed many onlookers with the pluck and versatility of the wee Cattle Cairn.
I was scared to death, but he made it out of this running circular herd. The look on Dempsy face (and mine I am sure). That won't happen again.
