Lansdown

Lansdown used to be a show I really enjoyed; although usually there were only 2 runs per dog, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and a good boogie at the evening Disco.
Last year I came to realise that actually, I only properly enjoyed the show as part of the Club running it. Once I left Clifton I no longer could camp in the inside enclosure and Ring 1 seemed that much further from the camping and Ring 7 seemed that much further from the day parking.
2 Runs per dog hardly seemed worth the effort, so instead of going to the hassle and expense of getting my camping stuff together I would day-run the show, therefore missing out on any evening entertainment...which for all I know, no longer goes on?
But it is relatively local which means I can go and support lots of A-SIT members and this year there were 3 runs available for each of my dogs!
Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like the show, it's just that it's no longer one of the shows I look forward to each year and when something has lost it's special appeal, it seems almost more disappointing than if it had never been special in the first place.

Anyways this year A-SIT were asked to run a ring party on the Sunday which with our growing club numbers I estimated to be no problem at all. I took a show of hands and we agreed to it, thinking it would be a good way to make the show special again and raise some funds for the club's gazebo.
Running a ring as a club can be good fun and a nice social team building exercise, the only problem is that most of our members are new to agility and are therefore all in the same classes disappearing to walk courses at the same time and also have not done any ring partying before! So every time I got excited about it, I then got equally nervous. On Saturday I was then given more of a reason to panic when I had another attack of what I have now had diagnosed as Pancreatitis. I have been told that when I have these attacks I should go straight to A&E to be admitted to Ward 2 and monitored until they pass, but I figured I could monitor myself and that providing I stayed seated I would be no better off in hospital than I would in a score tent (less the drip) so Mum reluctantly drove me back to the show Sunday to manage my Ring from a chair. Was it stupid? Yes, apparently extremely stupid, but it was worth it? - Our Ring ran like a dream.

We were never short of staff or smiles, we received compliments on our cheery nature from the competitors and from the judge on our efficiency in running the classses and changing the courses. Our judge, Paul, was coincidentally also a happy chappy when you consider the weather conditions and that he had to keep tweaking his courses.

A special thanks must go out to Claire, Rosie and Jennine (along with her daughter Emily) who came out to help in the rain even though they didn't have any dogs entered at the show and to Mike & Anne who have only just joined us, added their names to our helpers list just the week before and offered our Judge a great amount of help first thing Sunday morning when Mum and I were running late because of my struggle just getting to the show as well as helping throughout the day. O and Sarah C who helped Paul set up Saturday evening.

Thank you Ring Party! I know I could only bark orders from a chair but I really, really appreciate every single persons contributions and the understanding and concern everyone showed for my lack of mobility, we could not have done it without each and every one of you and we have been invited back to run a ring next year, which I have accepted knowing that if we did that good of a job this year with THAT weather, depleting numbers and an incapacitated Ring Manager - well, we can handle anything!

RESULTS (taken from Agility Club website so sorry if I've missed anyone, let me know and I'll add you on!):

Anne & Chas - 2nd, 1-3 Jumping
Anne & Chas - Clear
Anne & Zara - Clear, G3 (Their 1st Clear round at their 2nd Show)
Gill & Mollyanna - 3rd, 1-3 Jumping
Gill & Mollyanna - 4th, 1-3
Gill & Mollyanna - Clear, 1-3
Anthony & Amy - Clear, G1 Agility
Gail & Stitch - 2nd, 6-7 Jumping
Myself & Stitch - Clear, 4-7 Jumping
Gail & Hex - 14th, 6-7 Jumping