Monday 28 June 2010

Beware – Seconditis is contagious!

Sarah diagnosed herself with ‘seconditis’ after receiving her third 2nd in Agility early this month. This weekend I got two 2nds in agility taking my total to four, that’s four times I have almost been able to taste Grade 4 with Hex. The win has got to be near – surely? I have more than enough points to go up, but Hex deserves the win so I’m going to hold on.

All in all I enjoyed Lansdown, although I had to be talked into staying on Sunday because I was feeling so drained after Saturday. Saturday was just hard work and I felt so guilty I couldn’t do more to help on Ring 1, or more to assist fellow A-SITters but I was camped SO far away and there was just too much to do! The heat also got to me and to Kif and the ring party on the team ring were appalling (with the exception of Jayne, who was the only person who made sense!). You are told teams are priority and that you must run in order and yet we managed to have 3 teams infront of us for 50 minutes (no wonder Sarah and I couldn’t get back to Ring 1 to assist!)– someone explain how that works? We were advised to stand in the shade, which we did and the longer we did the more teams pushed infront, so when we went to claim our place in the queue, the caller lays into members off our team – if I had seen her do this she would of got a mouth full back from me – I was NOT in the mood! And I’m sorry that Kelly & Emily had to see one of the more ugly sides of agility. If the teams were run in order as they should have been in the first place none of this would have been a problem. The SWAT team I was in last week also had a run in with a useless ring party, I know these people are volunteers but they are volunteering to do a job – so do it right and refrain from being rude and abusive! Rant over.

So how did we get on?

Hex
2nd – G3 Agility
2nd – G3 Agility
Kif
10th G4 Jumping

Sarah & Jemma
8th – G1 Jumping

Jane & Boot
3rd - Crufts Team with Diamond Dogs
4th G2 Agility
And I’m sure she had something else too – will update when I know!

And club friends Mel & Lucas got 2 x 2nds! What a star!

Looking forward to starting groups today, lets hope there’s a bit of a breeze blowing!

Tuesday 22 June 2010

Busy busy busy

Sorry, this is going to be a short one, but I if I don’t write this in the short time I have now, then before I know it we’ll have more to report from Lansdown and I’ll get behind myself!

Golden Valley was a lovely show as usual, held at Top Barn, which is a lovely show ground but for some reason doesn’t seem all that lucky for me, Hex had another demolition week, I missed one of Kif’s runs and he hates the fact they keep half a rattley noisy lorry by 4 of the rings so runs down that end of the show ground I might as well miss anyway! And Sprite was a good boy, but unfortunately is being joined in the Veteran/Anysize classes by new younger veterans who are just that bit quicker and more mobile than he is.
I have some great videos but no time to edit them or convert them for sharing, so will add them eventually! I also have most of Sarah’s vids which I must convert for her! No rest for the wicked!

I got to try out my new caravan which was great- can’t wait to redecorate and make it my own.

Results:

@Golden Valley
Kif
2x Clear Rounds (too hot and noisy for speedy Kif to show his face)
Hex
6th C3-4 Jumping (My last run of the weekend and I played it safe to keep the poles up, which meant that in the end I was actually happier with some of the rounds where she clipped poles)
Sprite
7th Anysize Jumping

Sarah & Jemma
5th C1-2 Jumping

@ Barnstaple
Jo & Charlie
Their 1st Clear round in the C1-7 Steeplechase!!

Karen & Molly
5th C1-2 Jumping
Clear – C1-7 Steeplechase

@UKA Aldon
Jane & Boot
1st Gamblers
2nd Agility
7th Jumping

Elsewhere
Barbara & Dex
Best in Show!
You may think this isn’t agility related, but Pedigree Boxer Dex started agility this month to boost his confidence and trust in Barbara so that he would hold his head and tail high in the show ring (which he previously hadn’t been) – So this is still an A-SIT result – Well done handsome fella!

So that’s all to report that I’m aware of, let me know if you have any other news. This week we have a fun course set at the field, next week we have our first A-SIT group lessons and I’m also in the process of planning us another fun competition for September and our July Demo. Ooo and I have a newsy newsletter to produce. There just aren’t enough hours in the day!

Monday 14 June 2010

A-SIT do it AGAIN!

@Thames
Hex
4th G3 Agility
6th C1-4 Jumping
11th C3-5 Agility (Olympia Qualifier)

Sprite
14th Veteran Jumping

Sarah & Jemma
2nd C1-2 Agility
4th G1-2 Agility
11th C1-2 Jumping
Sarah & Elliot
17th G1-2 Agility

Jo & her SWAT dog, Fluke
A 2nd, 3rd, 7th & 14th

@Wyre Lancs Agility Club Show
Jane & Boot
1st Jumping
3rd Agility
4th Agility
1st Agility!!! Boot has won in to Grade 3 – Woohoo!!!

@Carn Brea
Karen & Molly
2nd C1-2 Jumping
6th Gr1 Agility
Karen’s next show will be at Grade 2 following progression by points – well done!

Once again I am a very VERY proud trainer : )
On a separate note; judges that set courses where they cannot see when a dog puts 4 feet on a contact should not be judging a CSJ qualifier! And certainly should not fault what they cannot see! That is all I will say on the matter – Sarah, Mum, Nat, Matt and most people at Thames have heard MORE than enough.

Thursday 10 June 2010

Go Team!

Yesterday’s demonstration was a success, the audience enjoyed themselves, the dogs enjoyed themselves and I hope you all did too.

Chas won the overall competition and Tess, Alfie, Kif & Sprite won the races at the end.

Thank you to everybody that helped set up, especially Jeannette, Sarah, Tasha, Mum & Matt who did all the loading and unloading with me at the field.

Here's the Vid:

Sunday 6 June 2010

Wye Valley-Why me?!

Despite the heat Hex still kept up the speed she’s gained along with the clumsy. She has become a 5 fault wonder and when she managed to keep poles up she fluffed things she knows perfectly well how to do; weaves and the seesaw would you believe?! She is MENTAL atm which is fine, I’m loving the speed, but we are going to have to do grid work at the new speed and I’ll be cracking out the wooden poles in training. The most disappointing run for me was the team – Raq, Boo & Kif all did amazing clears and Hex, our last dog took out 3 jumps – it’s one thing fluffing our runs but when she mucks up a team and there was nothing I could do about it, it leaves a bitter feeling no matter how much you love the dog.
Next week at least I won’t have Mum going into the tent and looking at times and letting me know ‘you would of won that’ or ‘wow, that was an expensive mistake’. As exciting and encouraging as it is to know where you would have been, it’s also sickening and sometimes not worth dwelling on.

There were no runs for Sprite this weekend, but Kif had some goodun’s I could kick myself over some stupid handling errors though, forgetting to throw an arm out, not working a weave entry, sending him wide – he’s a different dog at the mo and I’m still adjusting, but that’s no excuse – I’m just not focused and I’m letting mistakes happen and letting him down when he’s giving me his all. Kif did manage to get a 3rd in Grade 4 Jumping though and with a wide turn in the wrong direction (I will add the vid soon), without the wrong turn we would of had 2nd, but we couldn’t of touched 1st. I’d love to get a 1st with Kif by the end of the year, he’s getting a fair amount of 3rds now and he did once have a 2nd so it’s there.

Outside of the competing we had a really nice show. We went swimming in the river... well kind of, all the dogs did except Hex who can’t really swim, she can sink, bounce and float but just doesn’t seem to understand swimming. We had a good laugh with the SWAT lot in the evening and a wicked takeaway, which went late into the night and was only cut short when some locals set off fireworks right next to the showground!!! Madness then ensued and everyone checked their dogs were where they should be and the whole campsite echoed with howling, crying, barking dogs. If I’d been in the excercise area with mine I know I would of lost both Sprite and Kif, lucky for me my 4 were tucked up in bed, but others weren’t so lucky; 4 dogs went missing and a search party of around 80 people scoured the showground for them, thankfully they were all found, but it could of been much MUCH worse, we were next to a river and not far from a main road.

Elsewhere at Carn Brea Karen and Molly had:
3rd in Comb Agility
6th in Comb Jumping

Well done guys, really pleased Molly’s contacts are sticking

And A-SIT member Sarah and her team won their flyball division today – multi talented dogs she has!

We have the demo on Wednesday and I’m excited and nervous... but more excited ; )