Champ

Having worked so hard last year to get Stitch to Grade 7, I couldn't wait to get stuck in to my first Champ with him at Wye Valley.

I wasn't nervous (to start with), I just wanted to not make an idiot of myself and try and enjoy the experience. I walked his jumping and liked the course, I decided to play it safe after the weaves and changed sides, just wanting to go Clear, which I did. This meant I just needed to go clear in the Agility (or at the very least not get eliminated), it was when I was lining him up for the Agility that the nerves started to kick in and I handled him as if he were a completely new dog to me, I WALKED down the side of the seesaw! But we pulled off another clear (all be it slow and weird). One of my goals for this year was to get to a Champ Final and I had managed it, qualifying 8th overall, running order 10th.

Overall I was pretty happy with the course, although I umm'd and ahh'd for some time how best to exit the weaves. But I had totally underestimated the angle of the tunnel to the dogwalk and didn't line Stitch up for it and possibly blocked his view, I lost out on something I had been practicing all week - bloomin' obstacle discrimination! argh! How can Stitch take an obstacle when I don't even show him where it is?! Muppet.

Anyways - here are my Champ runs.

Results:

@ Wye Valley:
Julie & George - 2nd, 1-2 Proplan Agility, qualifying them for the Final later in the year
Stitch - 4th, 6-7 Jumping

Stitch - 7th, Champ Jumping

Stitch - Clear, Champ Agility

@ Devon Dogs:
Mike & Bonnie - 1st, G4 Agility (taking them to Grade 5!)
Jennine & Ruby - 3rd, 1-3 Agility (at their first KC Show!)