angered a farmer

[bonj2]

On sunday I apparently angered a farmer, although i'm not really sure what i did wrong, other than 'happened to be riding my bike'.
Hooning it fairly fast down a hill towards machynlleth, when all of a sudden to the left i saw a massive herd of sheep in a field, they were stampeding towards the road. I soon realised they weren't going to stop at the edge of the field, and i braked just in time as they stampeded out into the road in front of me, completely filling the road from hedge to hedge.
I thought it was quite fortunate that i'd manage to stop in time. But then, behind me, ANOTHER massive herd of sheep come stampeding out of the field behind me! so I am stuck between two herds of sheep, completely filling the road and there is no possibility of getting past them.
There was nowhere i could go, other than forwards at the same speed the sheep were moving at - I had hedge to the left of me, hedge to the right, sheep in front of me, and sheep behind. Fortunately the rear herd of sheep didn't try to close the gap and run me over. The farmer was mildly ranting, and i had become aware that he was driving on a quad behind the rear flock of sheep, and was shouting obscenities "you silly c**t!" and "don't go so fast in future you w**ker!" I took the executive decision that he was talking to his wife/child/a sheep/(some entity that fits the definition of all 3).
Fortunately the front flock of sheep then saw a pickup truck parked ahead and turned off into a field through a gate, and i was able to continue.
However, will the scene next time i go to wales be akin to this:

 

[Crankarm]

Your prayers answered bonj all those sheep.......

 

[jeltz]

errr, perhaps said farmer should acquaint himself with the usage of gates and stock-proof fencing, and thus avoid the need for future rants?

 

[Keith Oates]

How many sheep were there in each flock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Randochap]

Here's where velcro mitts come in handy.

 

[PBancroft]

errr, perhaps said farmer should acquaint himself with the usage of gates and stock-proof fencing, and thus avoid the need for future rants?

He would have been driving them from one field to another on purpose...

 

[just jim]

No need for the nastiness though.

 

[mickle]

You should have just told him to flock off!

 

[661-Pete]

There are roads on which to 'hoon it' (quaintly put!) and there are roads upon which not to 'hoon it', when racing downhill. Any country lane in an area where there are sheep or other livestock likely to be on the road, is most definitely in the latter category I'm afraid. You refer to the road as hedged but then the sheep 'stampeded' onto the road it seems: unless the hedge was in appallingly poor condition they were presumably herded through a gate. Farmers do have a right to move their livestock around, you know! And Farmer Giles' rendering of the Queen's English may indeed differ from how the Queen would express herself...

Best let this little encounter go. At least no-one - and no sheep - seems to have been hurt.

 

[Archie_tect]

Bonj, do you recall passing another vehicle on the road before you got to the sheep?... perhaps with a man standing in the road who might have given you a warning about said sheep droving?.... No? Then the farmer was taking an unnecessary risk and it's his fault....

If, on the other hand, on reflection, you do- then...

 

[bonj2]

errr, perhaps said farmer should acquaint himself with the usage of gates and stock-proof fencing, and thus avoid the need for future rants?

no, surely not - that might cost him money, and he might have to cough up some of his subsidy. Can't have that!

 

[bonj2]

Bonj, do you recall passing another vehicle on the road before you got to the sheep?... perhaps with a man standing in the road who might have given you a warning about said sheep droving?.... No? Then the farmer was taking an unnecessary risk and it's his fault....

If, on the other hand, on reflection, you do- then...

No!

 

[4F]

Bloody townies !

 

[bonj2]

There are roads on which to 'hoon it' (quaintly put!) and there are roads upon which not to 'hoon it', when racing downhill. Any country lane in an area where there are sheep or other livestock likely to be on the road, is most definitely in the latter category I'm afraid. You refer to the road as hedged but then the sheep 'stampeded' onto the road it seems: unless the hedge was in appallingly poor condition they were presumably herded through a gate. Farmers do have a right to move their livestock around, you know! And Farmer Giles' rendering of the Queen's English may indeed differ from how the Queen would express herself...

They don't have a right to stampede out when it's dangerous to do so, e.g. when there's an oncoming vehicle.

Best let this little encounter go. At least no-one - and no sheep - seems to have been hurt.

I don't care about the sodding sheep, i just don't want my bike (or me) getting damaged.
In fact if any sheep are going to run out in front of me in future could they please save it till i'm on my mountain bike which has got chunky wheels and no carbon on it, and when I have padding, and will be on softer ground.

Another incident later on when there were two stray sheep, one on either side of the road, and there was a clear passage through the middle of them. I thought, i know, if I hoon it through the middle they'll probably each be scared into the respective verge. The one on the right side of the verge obliged, but the one on the left started running to the left verge, but then at the last minute decided he wanted to be with his mate and did an about turn to then run to the other side of the road, straight in front of me! Slammed the brake on, and missed him by about 6 inches.

 

[jeltz]

He would have been driving them from one field to another on purpose...

I live and work in a rural area so I'm used to stock being moved and granted that may have been the reason, but its usually done by a couple of people with a vehicle set back preventing other road users from ploughing into them, and to have sheep coming through 2 gates is strange too.