Myerscough is generally a noisy, busy venue - but Wilmslow DTS always manage to make it seem relaxed and happy, so it is enjoyable going to their shows there. Like yesterday.
Classes only for Large and Small dogs, so neither Amber nor Corker got to play, so it was odd to be hanging around waiting for Bryn's 3 classes. We didn't get going until 10.45am, having walked Sue Morley's Large Combined 3 to 5 Agility course at 8.00am, so not surprisingly I ended up on the wrong side of the dog walk and wasted valuable time trying to get back on track! Bless him, Bryn took it all in his stride - clear round and 17th place! Would have been about 7th if he'd had a better handler!!
Nothing after that until lunchtime when both Large Graded 4/5 Agility and Large Combined 4/5 Jumping went up for walking at the same time. Bryn and I ran first in the Agility - some great technical sections (thanks Nic Jones!) - and did a clear in a fast enough time to finish up as 8th! I was still on a high as I went straight across to the Jumping, and miscued Bryn for the 3rd jump (Said 'Back' instead of the 'Back in' needed) and he did exactly what I told him to do, picking up a jump some way off, as per the training we have been doing about spotting the fence ahead and ignoring the side obstacles. Good boy!! Don't think the judge, Alan Sherwin, could quite understand why I was so pleased to get eliminated - especially as Bryn then returned to the original, highly technical, course, and did a perfectly executed round after that.
So, two rosettes with numbers on them (!) in our first real Grade 4 competition - I drove home through the dark and rain and greasy road spray smiling all the way!!
Classes only for Large and Small dogs, so neither Amber nor Corker got to play, so it was odd to be hanging around waiting for Bryn's 3 classes. We didn't get going until 10.45am, having walked Sue Morley's Large Combined 3 to 5 Agility course at 8.00am, so not surprisingly I ended up on the wrong side of the dog walk and wasted valuable time trying to get back on track! Bless him, Bryn took it all in his stride - clear round and 17th place! Would have been about 7th if he'd had a better handler!!
Nothing after that until lunchtime when both Large Graded 4/5 Agility and Large Combined 4/5 Jumping went up for walking at the same time. Bryn and I ran first in the Agility - some great technical sections (thanks Nic Jones!) - and did a clear in a fast enough time to finish up as 8th! I was still on a high as I went straight across to the Jumping, and miscued Bryn for the 3rd jump (Said 'Back' instead of the 'Back in' needed) and he did exactly what I told him to do, picking up a jump some way off, as per the training we have been doing about spotting the fence ahead and ignoring the side obstacles. Good boy!! Don't think the judge, Alan Sherwin, could quite understand why I was so pleased to get eliminated - especially as Bryn then returned to the original, highly technical, course, and did a perfectly executed round after that.
So, two rosettes with numbers on them (!) in our first real Grade 4 competition - I drove home through the dark and rain and greasy road spray smiling all the way!!
and I was lucky enough to see both his clear rounds too...excellent! :)
ReplyDeleteI think his sister more than made up for his good behaviour with her 'I'm going to make up my own course that doesn't involve any jumps!' attitude...little witch! lol
He he!! She can be a little madam - but she is very pretty! And she's really a flyball dog rather than agility - doesn't get quite as much training as Nat would like, especially as Nat is busy rearing beautiful blue puppies at the moment!
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