So, yay, nippers! I finished loading the trailer, putting the nippers in my shoeing box (I have a lot of expensive tools and yet I pay Kevin to shoe Asia. Why? I got rid of my anvil and forge, can't shape shoes anymore) and loaded Asia and headed to the field trial. Found the state park with no problems, called Jim, he was already there and he gave me directions to the field trial. Drive down the main road, look for the plastic bird dog pointing down a gravel road. Turn left onto the gravel road and drive down until I see the horse trailers. Easy enough, right? And it was until I found myself at the end of the dirt road with planted pines tight on either side and a locked gate directly in front of me.
Oh, this is bad. I've got a horse trailer behind me and even if I had a spotter to help me back the trailer, I didn't think there was room among the pines to turn it around. I turned off the truck, muttered some nasty words, and got out to go look at the gate. I could see a padlock on the gate, but on the other side was a nice, paved two lane road with no nasty ditch between the gate and the road. All that stood between me and the road was the padlock. I was wondering if I shouldn't unload Asia, tack her up and go in search of a park ranger. Meanwhile, I called Jim and when he answered I explained where I was and the predicament and we realized that I needed to be specifically told to turn into the Pioneer Camping area off the dirt road. I couldn't see any horse trailers from the road and didn't see another plastic bird dog, so I happily followed tire tracks down the main dirt road to the gate.
And then I got close to the gate and it was my lucky day times two because the padlock was there purely for show!! The gate was held closed by the horizontal wires in the livestock fencing. Each strand had been twisted around part of the chainlink fencing making up the gate and was holding it closed, but I was able to unbend the wire and free the gate. There had to be at least 15 wires, but it didn't take too long, maybe five minutes. Meanwhile, Asia was getting tired of standing in the trailer. The Tahoe was turned off, she wasn't moving, there were no horses that she could see, I'm sure she thought that she'd been brought out into the middle of nowhere and was going to be left for the cougars and timber rattlers. I could hear her stomping her feet and snorting. I was worried she'd get too hot because it was warming up rapidly, already in the mid 60s, but when I loaded her at 8:00 a.m. it had been upper 40s, so I'd put her light turnout sheet on her. That kept her warm for the ride in the stock trailer, but really too warm for standing around when the temp had risen so. I didn't want her to overheat and considered going in and taking off the blanket without unloading her, but decided just to hurry with the gate opening. I thought she'd get really upset if she thought she was about to get off the trailer but then had the trailer door shut back in her face.
That's the gate, picture taken from the side. Looks like a nice, wide grassy spot in front of it and there was, but not enough to turn around in. See the pretty road behind? Pretty, pretty escape.
So, I opened the gate and was relieved when it swung easily on its hinges and didn't fall off. No ditch, just a wide entryway onto the 2 lane road. Jim asked if I could U-turn. Didn't want to risk it as there was a slight curve to the right. I didn't want to be in the middle of a 3-point turn and have a logging truck take us out, nor did I feel like I could stop the Tahoe and trailer and hop out and shut the gate after exiting, so I knew I'd have to come back and shut it when I finally found the field trial.
Headed down the lovely, paved road and got to a 4-way stop. I cannot begin to thank Crisp County enough for putting up street signs out in the middle of nowhere. J took the GPS to Poland with him, so all I had with me was a road map and the secondary roads weren't on it. So many times I've been kind of lost out in rural Georgia and gotten to an intersection and there's no road signs. No way to figure out where the heck you are, but this intersection had signs and I was on Ferry Landing Road, which I remembered seeing intersecting with Hwy 280 as I was heading west on 280 to the state park. I kept on Ferry Landing and a few minutes later I was at 280. Turned left and back to the park, thoroughly confusing the gate guard with my miraculous reappearance after she'd not seen me exit the park. Hah! Magic! Really, just incredible good luck.
So, back in and turned left at the plastic bird dog pointing down the dirt road and then the first left into the Pioneer Campground, which is what the Georgia DNR calls all of their unimproved camping areas, meaning no hook ups. Primitive camping! This time it was full of horse trailers. It was interesting to see the range of trailers. Horses are secondary to dog field trials, being purely a means of following the dogs while they're hunting. Some of the rigs were very expensive and others were pretty cheap.
Here's a pic of one of two of the nicer rigs and the kennel name is on the side of the one behind, along with a proclamation that that they have a national champion bird dog.
I found Jim's truck and trailer and pulled in behind him, near a picnic table that was to make a great mounting block all day long. Two men were sitting at the table when I got out of the Tahoe and they watched me unload Asia, who was having a bit of a fit. A small fit, but a fit nonetheless. She did not know where we were, she didn't know any of these horses, and she'd been stuck in the trailer for far too long to suit her. I didn't see Jim as he was off getting signed in and what not.
Anyway, I took off her blanket and tacked up quickly and asked the gentlemen at the table if I would be in the way of the trial if I rode down the dirt road to the gate. They said I wouldn't be and promised to tell Jim that I'd be back. They were super nice, as was everyone I met today. You couldn't ask for a nicer group of people.
I had a nice trot down to the open gate, hopped off, untied the long lead rope wrapped around Asia's neck that's also attached to the rope halter I'd put on under the bridle and commenced to rewiring the gate shut while holding onto an antsy mare with the lead rope and reins. I didn't get all fifteen wires rebent, but enough to keep the gate from swinging open. Rode back to the trailer, with one good canter to shake out the kinks, and found Jim.
Jim's first dog was in the third brace to go out, so we rode along with the first brace to watch. About 8 others rode along, too, including the two judges.
The judge on the left is wearing shorts. Shorts! Certainly warm enough for them, but ouch! That's got to chafe, but he rode out five braces in shorts and I left around 2 pm and he was heading back out still in shorts.
Behind the mounted gallery was a tractor snorting as it pulled a wagon with seats full of people. Here it is empty during the lunch break.
Asia was not happy with that tractor so close behind and then the pace moves at a walk. You could see her thinking, "All fine and good, but when are these dogs going to get on scent and we get to gallop?" She spent the first brace jigging and I spent it asking her to walk and stand still. The competition works this way: two dogs judged at the same time, one judge to each dog. The handlers walk in front of the judges and the course is about a mile and a half long, all flat, amidst planted pines. I never figured out how the points are assigned and everything the judges are looking for, but there were doves planted by the organizers along the trail we followed and if the dogs pointed on them, that's good. Jim's dogs were in classes for young (under 2 years old) dogs and of the four braces I rode, only two dogs pointed. The handlers all carry cap pistols and once the dog points, the handler fires the cap pistol. Asia was fine with the cap pistol firing, but she didn't like that tractor. Too noisy, but with each brace she got calmer and calmer and I did the last brace at a walk on a loose rein. Being such a smart girl, she figured it out.
Here's Asia tied to my trailer at the lunch break.
After Jim's second dog was worked, I untacked Asia, loaded up and headed home.
Everyone I met invited me to come back anytime and ride along. It was great fun and training for Asia, but I doubt that I will because there's just not enough going fast. Still, a glorious day out in the woods with my lovely mare and disaster averted with an unpadlocked gate and no ditch. Yay! Can't ask for more.
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