I love Newborough Beach on Anglesey!! Miles and miles of soft sand, all available to dog walkers, as well as thousands of acres of woodland. So, the perfect start for my trip to Ireland was to spend a few hours there, then overnight at Peter Robert's place, doing a bit of agility measuring with him, before catching the ferry the next day. The camper was a bit reluctant to start, like it was cold, although actually the weather was very warm. No worries, sort that out later if need be.
The camper started second time in the morning - in fact, that seemed to be the pattern for starting it. It is 9 years old, so a few idiosyncrasies are to be expected. The ferry trip over was smooth, and the journey from Dun Laoghaire to Portmarnock took scarcely half an hour when in the past it has taken ages to get round the M50. I arrived at the IASDA Show Venue to find Liam, and Frank already there and just about to set up. A lovely venue - a huge rugby club set in a community park that stretches for miles. It overlooks the sea so has wonderful views too. We basked in sunshine as we built the rings and my course for the next day, Saturday. Sarah arrived with her caravan and dogs, and the evening ended with chips from the local chippy, and a good natter about everything that has been happening in Irish agility.
Saturday dawned bright and fair, and I really enjoyed the judging as ever. I did something I don't usually do - I ran Bryn over the 1 to 3 Agility course after the class ended as a lot of people had problems I wasn't expecting. Now Bryn is still only a baby, and he had been left at the camper all day while I judged, so not the best preparation, but he didn't have the problems that I had seen, so I had to decide that it was not the course giving the problems, but perhaps some of the dogs?? The Champ class was fun to judge, but pitched too hard for many of those eligible, especially in the Medium dogs. I had agonised over to set a 'proper' Champ course (UK7) or make it easier, and opted for the former, but now think that was a mistake. Anyway, the Champ Final was more UK6, but still caused some problems for those who got through the qualifying rounds. A bit disappointing for us all - I blame myself for not providing a more exciting end to the show.
We stopped over on Saturday night - barbecuing away -and then Frank allowed Bryn and me to join his training class on Sunday, which was great. It is so nice to have someone else to watch and offer advice - and Frank's advice is always sound. He set quite a demanding course for us to run, with a wicked ending, and I loved working it out as many ways as possible! Great fun!!
Then off to Forest Farm Caravan Site at Athy for the next few days. I've been here a couple of times before, but have to say that it is starting to look its age now - some of the electric hookups don't work, and the showers trickle rather than shower - but it is still a pleasant, tree lined site to stay on. And so to bed......
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Ireland - Part 2
Monday - my day of rest! One of the nicest things about Forest Farm Caravan Site at Athy is that it has a huge field to walk the dogs in. Okay, so Corker and Bryn had to stay on the lead to stop them chasing rabbits and cars (the main road is alongside the field) but it is still a nice walk. Just before lunchtime I set off for the Irish National Stud at Kildare - the camper was a bit reluctant to start, but second go it was fine. The National Stud not only houses some fabulous horses, but also some lovely gardens to walk in on a hot day, and a great cafe with home-made food. Lunch was lasagne and salad - probably the best lasagne I have eaten anywhere. Then Corker and I went for a walk round the gardens and stables, finishing with a coffee outside the cafe in the garden. It was good to get some alone-time with my boy!!
Tuesday - after lunch Liam arrived to lead me to his training venue for the afternoon/evening training session. I've been before but can never remember how to get there! There were just 7 of us, so I set some exercises based on what I had seen as problems at the IASDA show, and we worked on handling skills for those. I also worked Bryn, and just about everyone had a go at working Corker - bless him, he hasn't forgotten anything even after nearly 4 years!!
Wednesday - the close, hot weather broke during the night with a tremendous downpour all night, so little sleep for any of us. The morning was still the same, so after a short walk, we retired to the camper where I read books all day, and slept. The was no prospect of doing any outside work in that weather. After lunch I went to the local garage (the camper still reluctant to start) for some fuel and some bits and pieces from the shop, but that was all for the whole day. It felt a bit wasted.
I woke up on Thursday to find I had been invaded! Three tents had pitched on what I assumed was my pitch! One car was so close to the back door that I had to ask for it to be moved. I had considered staying at Athy until Friday, but this invasion decided me and I set off for Rush, North Dublin, just after lunch.
Tuesday - after lunch Liam arrived to lead me to his training venue for the afternoon/evening training session. I've been before but can never remember how to get there! There were just 7 of us, so I set some exercises based on what I had seen as problems at the IASDA show, and we worked on handling skills for those. I also worked Bryn, and just about everyone had a go at working Corker - bless him, he hasn't forgotten anything even after nearly 4 years!!
Wednesday - the close, hot weather broke during the night with a tremendous downpour all night, so little sleep for any of us. The morning was still the same, so after a short walk, we retired to the camper where I read books all day, and slept. The was no prospect of doing any outside work in that weather. After lunch I went to the local garage (the camper still reluctant to start) for some fuel and some bits and pieces from the shop, but that was all for the whole day. It felt a bit wasted.
I woke up on Thursday to find I had been invaded! Three tents had pitched on what I assumed was my pitch! One car was so close to the back door that I had to ask for it to be moved. I had considered staying at Athy until Friday, but this invasion decided me and I set off for Rush, North Dublin, just after lunch.
Ireland - Part 3
Thursday afternoon and evening, and Friday, at North Beach, Rush was wonderful for me and the dogs. The tide was out when we arrived, and the camp site fairly empty, so we walked the beach from end to end, playing in the rock pools and chasing the waves. The camper ended up with most of the beach sand inside! A lovely relaxing couple of days. The new IKC Working Party monthly meeting was held Thursday evening - it's going to be interesting watching how things progress on the agility front at the IKC now that there is a formal channel for communication with the ever increasing number of competitors.....
Friday lunchtime I moved to the National Show Centre at Cloghran, ready for Swords Championship show the next day. I really don't think that breed shows can continue to host agility as the sport has outgrown them, and they really have no idea/understanding of agility's needs. A big arena was marked out - right in front of the main steps into the building, in the middle of what would become the carpark, and with a ditch running diagonally through the middle of it! The equipment - still dirty from its last use - was dumped in the ring and that was it. When the judge arrived to set her course for the next day there was absolutely no-one to help her - but dozens of people to set up and ornament the Best in Show ring 50 yards away! It's just not the way to treat judges.
The next day - still no-one to help. It was left to agility people to set up and run the ring. There was no-one to direct carparking either, and this became a health and safety problem for the ring later, with cars parked no more than 6 feet from the ring entrance and exit, and an ad hoc roadway so close to one side of the ring that one car actually touched the ring rope going past. I complained officially to the Show Manager/Club Chairman, who was dismissive and rude in his attitude, and to the Club President, who was far more concerned and authorized us to block off the roadway before anyone or any dog got injured or killed. A letter will be going this week to back my verbal complaint. One handler also fell in the ditch and sprained his wrist, so another letter might be going their way as well.
Thanks to Jessica and Judith, both my dogs were measured before they were needed for their runs!
The courses were very flowing (steeplechase was the word used by most competitors to describe them). Amber ran all her classes just as a test of her fitness, and was okay - all right, she was Crazy Frog in top flight!! Bryn really started to power, which was lovely! No clear rounds, but not his fault - I tripped in the ditch in one run; pulled him out of the weaves in his best run; turned him too tight on his third run so pulled off a pole. The weather was hot and sunny - a lovely day among good friends!
Working Trials Club of Ireland Agility Show the next day at Tymon Park. I stopped overnight at Camac Valley Caravan Park just off the N7, nearer to the show for the next day. (Lovely, lovely shower after a hot day of agility!) Now this club know how to run a show. The nature of the showground, their training ground, is such that it can't be set up the night before but everything has to be done in the morning. Club members were there in force to rally round - build a ring and the first course, put up a marquee, get all the tickets and catalogues issued, get the show on the road. Again, very flowing courses, but with the addition of quite a few pullthroughs. I really must teach Bryn to do pullthroughs some time...... Amber was a little stiff after Saturday, so I decided not to run her in the morning agility classes, and see how she was for the jumping class in the afternoon. Well, she managed all the sendaway parts surprisingly, but argued furiously about the rest. She ended up with a very slow clear round, and her first point in her new Record Book!!
Bryn was lovely. First class, he wasn't powering at all, and seemed a bit diffident, not understanding the pullthrough at all, so I nursed him round with a couple of poles down. Then he went up a couple of gears and went clear in his next agility and jumping rounds - 2nd in the agility!! So more points for his new Record Book too!!
The camper was still being a bit reluctant to start, but we got back to the Caravan Site safely, and settled down for our last night in Ireland. Very sad.
So, the final day. A long walk in the park next door for the dogs, then breakfast for us all and a shower for me, before packing up to leave for the 1.30pm ferry at 11.00am. Except that the camper wouldn't start at all.....PANIC!!!!....ring the recovery people....they can't get anyone to me before 12 which would mean missing the ferry....and they were only prepared to take the camper to the nearest garage and me (with 3 dogs??!!) to a hotel if necessary. I went into the site office to find the number for the ferry port so as to change my booking. Which is when my knight in shining armour - the Manager - came to the rescue. He got the camper started, and with strict instructions not to switch off the engine until we were on the ferry, he sent me on my way. It was an extremely hot day and the engine nearly overheated waiting to board the ferry because I couldn't switch it off - nor could I take the dogs far for a walk as I need to keep an eye on the camper with the engine still running and the keys inside.....
The time came to disembark.....would the camper start?? Reluctantly, but it did! Poor dogs - instead of stopping to give them a run at a country park as usual, I kept my foot down and drove directly home, arriving at 7.30pm. Stress levels were so high!
My wonderful local garage came up trumps and fitted me in the next morning - by the afternoon the camper had a new starter motor and was ready for its travels again. What an end to a lovely week away!!
Friday lunchtime I moved to the National Show Centre at Cloghran, ready for Swords Championship show the next day. I really don't think that breed shows can continue to host agility as the sport has outgrown them, and they really have no idea/understanding of agility's needs. A big arena was marked out - right in front of the main steps into the building, in the middle of what would become the carpark, and with a ditch running diagonally through the middle of it! The equipment - still dirty from its last use - was dumped in the ring and that was it. When the judge arrived to set her course for the next day there was absolutely no-one to help her - but dozens of people to set up and ornament the Best in Show ring 50 yards away! It's just not the way to treat judges.
The next day - still no-one to help. It was left to agility people to set up and run the ring. There was no-one to direct carparking either, and this became a health and safety problem for the ring later, with cars parked no more than 6 feet from the ring entrance and exit, and an ad hoc roadway so close to one side of the ring that one car actually touched the ring rope going past. I complained officially to the Show Manager/Club Chairman, who was dismissive and rude in his attitude, and to the Club President, who was far more concerned and authorized us to block off the roadway before anyone or any dog got injured or killed. A letter will be going this week to back my verbal complaint. One handler also fell in the ditch and sprained his wrist, so another letter might be going their way as well.
Thanks to Jessica and Judith, both my dogs were measured before they were needed for their runs!
The courses were very flowing (steeplechase was the word used by most competitors to describe them). Amber ran all her classes just as a test of her fitness, and was okay - all right, she was Crazy Frog in top flight!! Bryn really started to power, which was lovely! No clear rounds, but not his fault - I tripped in the ditch in one run; pulled him out of the weaves in his best run; turned him too tight on his third run so pulled off a pole. The weather was hot and sunny - a lovely day among good friends!
Working Trials Club of Ireland Agility Show the next day at Tymon Park. I stopped overnight at Camac Valley Caravan Park just off the N7, nearer to the show for the next day. (Lovely, lovely shower after a hot day of agility!) Now this club know how to run a show. The nature of the showground, their training ground, is such that it can't be set up the night before but everything has to be done in the morning. Club members were there in force to rally round - build a ring and the first course, put up a marquee, get all the tickets and catalogues issued, get the show on the road. Again, very flowing courses, but with the addition of quite a few pullthroughs. I really must teach Bryn to do pullthroughs some time...... Amber was a little stiff after Saturday, so I decided not to run her in the morning agility classes, and see how she was for the jumping class in the afternoon. Well, she managed all the sendaway parts surprisingly, but argued furiously about the rest. She ended up with a very slow clear round, and her first point in her new Record Book!!
Bryn was lovely. First class, he wasn't powering at all, and seemed a bit diffident, not understanding the pullthrough at all, so I nursed him round with a couple of poles down. Then he went up a couple of gears and went clear in his next agility and jumping rounds - 2nd in the agility!! So more points for his new Record Book too!!
The camper was still being a bit reluctant to start, but we got back to the Caravan Site safely, and settled down for our last night in Ireland. Very sad.
So, the final day. A long walk in the park next door for the dogs, then breakfast for us all and a shower for me, before packing up to leave for the 1.30pm ferry at 11.00am. Except that the camper wouldn't start at all.....PANIC!!!!....ring the recovery people....they can't get anyone to me before 12 which would mean missing the ferry....and they were only prepared to take the camper to the nearest garage and me (with 3 dogs??!!) to a hotel if necessary. I went into the site office to find the number for the ferry port so as to change my booking. Which is when my knight in shining armour - the Manager - came to the rescue. He got the camper started, and with strict instructions not to switch off the engine until we were on the ferry, he sent me on my way. It was an extremely hot day and the engine nearly overheated waiting to board the ferry because I couldn't switch it off - nor could I take the dogs far for a walk as I need to keep an eye on the camper with the engine still running and the keys inside.....
The time came to disembark.....would the camper start?? Reluctantly, but it did! Poor dogs - instead of stopping to give them a run at a country park as usual, I kept my foot down and drove directly home, arriving at 7.30pm. Stress levels were so high!
My wonderful local garage came up trumps and fitted me in the next morning - by the afternoon the camper had a new starter motor and was ready for its travels again. What an end to a lovely week away!!
Monday, June 08, 2009
What a contrast!!
Last weekend when I judged at Wigton it was so hot it was cracking the flags and I got a touch of heatstroke. Yesterday I judged at the new ABC show at Winterton and, well, the venue name says it all! There was a fierce icy wind, all the way from the arctic. Thank goodness I hadn't emptied out the thermals and fleeces from earlier in the year or I wouldn't have survived.
It was another great show - all about ABCs (Anything But Collies) though there were some runs for the collies as well. Lovely to see so many 'other breeds' especially Weimaraners, as it was run in the name of the Weimaraner Association of Great Britain. Six runs each day for each ABC dog, and one for the BC/WSDs. Amber was exhausted!
About 8 of us went from White Rose, so had a very sociable time camping and eating together. I really hope they run the show again next year, and expand a bit on what they have managed this year. A KC/Pedigree Foods ABC Qualifier would be nice.........
It was another great show - all about ABCs (Anything But Collies) though there were some runs for the collies as well. Lovely to see so many 'other breeds' especially Weimaraners, as it was run in the name of the Weimaraner Association of Great Britain. Six runs each day for each ABC dog, and one for the BC/WSDs. Amber was exhausted!
About 8 of us went from White Rose, so had a very sociable time camping and eating together. I really hope they run the show again next year, and expand a bit on what they have managed this year. A KC/Pedigree Foods ABC Qualifier would be nice.........
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Why does it happen?
So, by Monday I was feeling so much better - still hadn't eaten, but certainly more with it than the day before!
I was booked in for a 121 session of training with Di Talbot in the afternoon. Off I went, feeling supremely confident that Bryn and I were invincible. Well Bryn was - but I was rubbish!! I couldn't manage the simplest runs or turns! Eventually, time was up - and on the last attempt I got it right, but as Di said 'Well, that was the best of a bad job really, wasn't it?'
Why does it happen? It's always when someone is watching me critically (and I mean that in the best sense of the word - and having been invited to do so) Well, I'll just have to book another session with her and show her what Bryn and I can do when we are not both hot, tired and hungry....
I was booked in for a 121 session of training with Di Talbot in the afternoon. Off I went, feeling supremely confident that Bryn and I were invincible. Well Bryn was - but I was rubbish!! I couldn't manage the simplest runs or turns! Eventually, time was up - and on the last attempt I got it right, but as Di said 'Well, that was the best of a bad job really, wasn't it?'
Why does it happen? It's always when someone is watching me critically (and I mean that in the best sense of the word - and having been invited to do so) Well, I'll just have to book another session with her and show her what Bryn and I can do when we are not both hot, tired and hungry....
Wigton
It's quite a while since I entered Wigton Show (near Carlisle in the lovely Lake District) and I was invited to judge, so off we went. A lovely drive up despite the heatwave, and a beautiful, huge, ringside camping space reserved for me - in the best part of the field where there was a cooling breeze. Bliss!
Chris Drinkhall and I measured a dozen dogs on Friday evening, after I had set up my courses for the next day. Setting the courses was hard work - not only because of the heat but because my back went into spasm. Luckily I had lots of help from the show organisers - they even arranged for Steven Richardson to fetch my aquaroll of water! Wasn't that kind?
Saturday was a long, hot, hot day - but great fun because my courses seemed to be running exactly as planned and were extremely well received by competitors. In fact, I don't think I have ever had so many complimentary comments about courses before (despite these being recycled from 1999 lol!) I had an excellent ring party, made up of such experienced handlers that any one of us could have taken over the judging - my thanks to them all, especially Jackie Richardson who scribed all day for me.
Had a real headache from the sun so went to bed early on Saturday - then spent a lot of the night in the bathroom......urgh! By the morning I felt completely washed out and totally unable to walk, let alone run a dog. Kirsty kindly took my dogs for a walk - not only did they not even look back for me, but they behaved impeccably on slack leads the whole way - traitors!! Mike tried to run Amber, and seemed to be bonding well until the lead came off - 1 jump and home!! Now that's more like loyalty!
By the afternoon I managed to run Bryn and got a clear in 1-3 jumping, but an even better run in the 3-7 jumping.......except that I accidentally hit him on the head as he was taking off for a jump so he knocked the pole down. What a numpty I can be sometimes. Tried to run Amber on a 'made-to-measure' agility course, but she was in Crazy-Frog mode after doing nothing all weekend, so I gave up and went back to the camper and some shade.
I was so grateful to Mike, Alex and Paula for helping me pack up the camper at the end of the day. I can honestly say that I don't know how I would have managed without them.
The journey home was made all the better by a message when I got home to say that the hospital are starting to organise my dad's discharge, ie getting occupational therapy and social services involved, as he is making good progress. Let's hope it continues!
Chris Drinkhall and I measured a dozen dogs on Friday evening, after I had set up my courses for the next day. Setting the courses was hard work - not only because of the heat but because my back went into spasm. Luckily I had lots of help from the show organisers - they even arranged for Steven Richardson to fetch my aquaroll of water! Wasn't that kind?
Saturday was a long, hot, hot day - but great fun because my courses seemed to be running exactly as planned and were extremely well received by competitors. In fact, I don't think I have ever had so many complimentary comments about courses before (despite these being recycled from 1999 lol!) I had an excellent ring party, made up of such experienced handlers that any one of us could have taken over the judging - my thanks to them all, especially Jackie Richardson who scribed all day for me.
Had a real headache from the sun so went to bed early on Saturday - then spent a lot of the night in the bathroom......urgh! By the morning I felt completely washed out and totally unable to walk, let alone run a dog. Kirsty kindly took my dogs for a walk - not only did they not even look back for me, but they behaved impeccably on slack leads the whole way - traitors!! Mike tried to run Amber, and seemed to be bonding well until the lead came off - 1 jump and home!! Now that's more like loyalty!
By the afternoon I managed to run Bryn and got a clear in 1-3 jumping, but an even better run in the 3-7 jumping.......except that I accidentally hit him on the head as he was taking off for a jump so he knocked the pole down. What a numpty I can be sometimes. Tried to run Amber on a 'made-to-measure' agility course, but she was in Crazy-Frog mode after doing nothing all weekend, so I gave up and went back to the camper and some shade.
I was so grateful to Mike, Alex and Paula for helping me pack up the camper at the end of the day. I can honestly say that I don't know how I would have managed without them.
The journey home was made all the better by a message when I got home to say that the hospital are starting to organise my dad's discharge, ie getting occupational therapy and social services involved, as he is making good progress. Let's hope it continues!
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