Suddenly realised that it's over three weeks since I made a post and if anyone is actually reading my blog the probably think I've given up or something.
I've not updated as basically it's the same old stuff happening which must get really boring to read as it normally goes......Tom's sniffing, Suzi's fast but naughty and Dudley has been biting my ankles and to be honest it's still the same and I don't want to lose anyone that still visits.
Tom is still sniffing but I've had some rounds from him where he hasn't and he has got a couple of places, a 3rd in steeplechase at UKA and a 5th this weekend in agility at Lewes show but he doesn't seem that fast and I'm getting paranoid that something isn't quite right BUT on Sunday he got his weaves in both classes which I think is because they were not completely straight entries.
Suzi has been really up for competing but unfortunatly this makes us, as a team, a but erratic as she seems to think that she knows best and that I'm just along for the ride. I've been winding her up at the start a bit by playing and as she wont play with a toy at agility I've been gently pushing her about and trying to get her to 'grrr' at me like she does at home but rough and tumble with a 7 pound dog is not easy especially when she looks round at everyone as if to say 'look how mean she is to me' :)
Sevenoaks ring partyed at Lewes on Sunday and as usual we all worked well as a team it was just a shame that the judge didn't seem as dedicated to getting the classes finished and hadn't actually read the schedule with regard to the anysize jumping class or the letter sent to them by the Secretary after they'd submitted their course plan. It did make a frustrating day for us as they kept disappearing to talk to people which is OK but not when someone is on the line and has been told to go when ready by the scrimer, who'd been given the nod by the judge, who then looked back to find the judge had gone. Oh well, we've chalked it up to experience and we did get a tin of chocolates to keep up going.
I don't mind working on the rings but, like Nancy, I find it hard to concentrate on running my dogs when I've just grabbed them out of the car and put them straight back because I feel I have to get back to the ring, even if they don't expect you to, and all three dogs have perfected the 'Oh you're leaving us again' look.
Next weekend I've got an unaffilited show on Sunday so two days to relax and the following weekend I'm at Godmanchester for my first outing in the camper this year. I've bought a new awning and the fridge has been fixed so no more warm wine.
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Spring at Shuttleworth
After struggling to find the venue as the post code got my sat nav to try and take me down a bridleway and there were no instructions on the schedule and the sign put out was so small I couldn't actually see it when I'd stopped right next to it I got out to find the whole showground covered in sheep poo, my first thought was 'God this is going to be worse than I thought' BUT after I'd had a cup of coffee, found my friends, moved my car next to their caravan and let the dogs out into their garden I chilled out a bit and waited to walk my first course.
It happened to be Tom's jumping and once I'd walked it I thought it was really nice, the start had a lot of people wondering how to do it, I worked the first two as a snake and then did a push through to three which worked really well and meant that I wasn't racing ahead of him and once I'd made sure he was committed to the tunnel as quite a few dogs were going in and turning round there was a straight line down once side of the ring which he flew down, at the end of the straight I said 'Tom, right, Tom weave' and he went in and did all 6. I was slightly gobsmacked and Tania said the look on my face was classic but I pulled myself together and managed to get as far as 15 before he went past the jump, I think I may have said tunnel too early but I got him back with no sniffing and he came back and we had another go, unfortunately, he then went and did the wrong end of the tunnel before completing the course. Looking back I think he did this because he was looking at the wrong end when I told him 'tunnel' again. I was so pleased with him as even with all the sheep poo in the ring he didn't even attempt to sniff. The plan of the course is below.
His agility was Graded 1-3 with a finish that I thought was a bit unfair on some of the grade 1's, I've put the plan below. I wasn't the most interesting course I've ever run having a star in 3 corners but it meant I could practise my bum ins which Wendy would have been proud of :) We got eliminated at 12 as he went all the way round and I just kept going which I think was the best thing to do as he did the last part of the course so well and shot into the weaves, whizzed through and sailed over the last two jumps while I was still at the end of the weaves. Once again not a sign of a sniff and great contacts. He's still a bit slow coming down the dog walk so as he started down I shouted 'ready, ready GO' which seemed to help but probably not something to encourage.
The plan below is Dudley's agility which I really enjoyed running and only got bitten at the bottom of the dog walk, I have to admit to calling him a bastard and was fully expecting the judge to say something but perhaps I said it in a sign of affection voice as he didn't.
Dudley got clear rounds in both agility and jumping and within the course time and was really up for it,so much so that in his jumping he left me standing at the start and I had a bot of a 'Benny Hill moment' having to catch up.
Suzi, well the less said about her the better, she was just not listening to me in the jumping and went really slowly in her agility and ran past the A frame and weaves. Hopefully next weekend we'll get it together.
It happened to be Tom's jumping and once I'd walked it I thought it was really nice, the start had a lot of people wondering how to do it, I worked the first two as a snake and then did a push through to three which worked really well and meant that I wasn't racing ahead of him and once I'd made sure he was committed to the tunnel as quite a few dogs were going in and turning round there was a straight line down once side of the ring which he flew down, at the end of the straight I said 'Tom, right, Tom weave' and he went in and did all 6. I was slightly gobsmacked and Tania said the look on my face was classic but I pulled myself together and managed to get as far as 15 before he went past the jump, I think I may have said tunnel too early but I got him back with no sniffing and he came back and we had another go, unfortunately, he then went and did the wrong end of the tunnel before completing the course. Looking back I think he did this because he was looking at the wrong end when I told him 'tunnel' again. I was so pleased with him as even with all the sheep poo in the ring he didn't even attempt to sniff. The plan of the course is below.
His agility was Graded 1-3 with a finish that I thought was a bit unfair on some of the grade 1's, I've put the plan below. I wasn't the most interesting course I've ever run having a star in 3 corners but it meant I could practise my bum ins which Wendy would have been proud of :) We got eliminated at 12 as he went all the way round and I just kept going which I think was the best thing to do as he did the last part of the course so well and shot into the weaves, whizzed through and sailed over the last two jumps while I was still at the end of the weaves. Once again not a sign of a sniff and great contacts. He's still a bit slow coming down the dog walk so as he started down I shouted 'ready, ready GO' which seemed to help but probably not something to encourage.
The plan below is Dudley's agility which I really enjoyed running and only got bitten at the bottom of the dog walk, I have to admit to calling him a bastard and was fully expecting the judge to say something but perhaps I said it in a sign of affection voice as he didn't.
Dudley got clear rounds in both agility and jumping and within the course time and was really up for it,so much so that in his jumping he left me standing at the start and I had a bot of a 'Benny Hill moment' having to catch up.
Suzi, well the less said about her the better, she was just not listening to me in the jumping and went really slowly in her agility and ran past the A frame and weaves. Hopefully next weekend we'll get it together.
Friday, 3 April 2009
Argh....
Off to my first outdoor show of the season tomorrow and Tom is in major sniffing mode at the moment, he sniffs indoors, he sniffs at Dad's, he sniffs walking to the car, he sniffs in the wood and sniffed and sniffed at training so as you can imagine I'm getting myself worked up about tomorrow. I've got to relax and not worry but I am and I don't think I can change which I know is going to make things worse.
Suzi, on the other hand, has been working really well at training and has been getting her contacts every time and I'm hoping that being outside wont go to her head.
Dudley will be Dudley and I'm actually looking forward to running him even if he bites my ankles as he gives the judge a laugh at least :)
Suzi, on the other hand, has been working really well at training and has been getting her contacts every time and I'm hoping that being outside wont go to her head.
Dudley will be Dudley and I'm actually looking forward to running him even if he bites my ankles as he gives the judge a laugh at least :)
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