So following my last post you might be surprised to read that I was at another UKA Show!
Matt (my OH) has watched agility from the side lines for 9 years now, I have tried to get him involved with offers of training and the odd pay on the day run, but until recently he has shyed away (not like him at all!), he would rather just make up his own course and help himself to equipment with whatever dog is out when I am trying to set up for next weeks lessons. I think a combination of needing me to tell him what to do, not wanting to 'break' my dogs and not wanting to look like a wally have put him off. But this all changed last year when I asked him to run Hex in one of my groups; we were down on numbers, she needed exercise - it just made sense. Both Hex and Matt had a blast, my tuition didn't turn out to be as scary has Matt may have feared and everybody in the group cheered him on, he asked questions, he worked hard and finally I think for the first time felt what it was like to feel a working partnership the a dog and not just any dog; his 'Princess'.
So Matt was all sorted, he can run Novice at UKA (not an overwheming 6-7 course) which having watched me for years he is capable of walking himself and of course running, but on New Year's Day Hex destroyed her feet on a long walk and was unable to train until the day before the show and even then we only did 20 minutes to cover the basics - 'finding lines', 'rear crosses' 'reverse turns/front crosses' 'weaves' 'de-cel' and timing.
Matt's first run, Hex was excited to be at a show and took her own line halfway around the course, which is a shame as she did a wing-wrap tighter than I have ever seen her do and I wanted to credit them both with that. Their second run was a steeplechase with multiple tunnels - Matt lost his route, easy mistake on that course. Third and Final run of the day and they pulled it together (nearly) - I hadn't shown Matt how to do pull throughs, or pull offs, I didn't think he'd need them in Novice, but he did! And it was executed with perfect timing, her response out of a tunnel was tight and fast, his reverse turn, whilst a little late, was tidy.... he just pulled her off jump 16 a FRACTION too soon, such a shame as I'm sure it would have been a winning run, but I am so proud of them both. Here's his last run:
Results:
Well done to
Jennine & Ruby - 3rd, Beginner's Steeplechase
