Profound Thinking from The Road
3 days ago
November 15, 2009
One more down, one last one to go!
Tink and I went to Kingston to the Morning Star trial. It was my first time ever going here, it is held in a soccer dome, two rings, with tons of space left over! I only entered the last 4 runs of the day, 2 snooker, and 2 jumpers. The first snooker was tough... lots of call offs, and Tink finally went off course after #2 in the closing. The second snooker started off real bad... after the first jump, Tink went off and did her own thing... my whole run was flying by the seat of my pants, but we did great and made it all the way through, eaning our MSDC. One more leg to get for our ATCh, and two tries to get it! Our first jumper run went quite well, but I took for granted the fact that Tink would pick a tunnel over a jump, and as I sent her to the tunnel, she sailed over a jump. The rest of the run was great! The next run looked trickier in the walk-through... and boy was it ever! It was quite a disaster! Oh well! There's always next time!
November 09, 2009
Kessie's time to shine
Tink Kessie and I go to K9 Klubhouse's second trial at WindReach Farm on the weekend. Tink had some brillent moments, and a snooker Jr Q with Natasha, but only got one steeplechase Q (with a bar down) out of 8 runs all weekend.
But Kessie had a great weekend! She was herding me FAR less the usual! She made it all the way around our planned snooker course, only herding me once, or twice, and got her very first Q. The next day we did Gamble, she probably turned into me the most in that run, but we would have twisted and turned the most in that run. She did a great leadout through a tire even! The closing was 3 jumps, after the first she turned into me, but I was able to send her out over the second one, and she soared forward to the last jump! She held all her contacts in both runs. I didn't take her through the weaves, but when her weaves are better in training, I'll consider entering her in Standard runs. Jumpers went so good for Kessie! There were a lot of jumps in a row (when she tends to herd me the most). Out of 15 obstacles, she made it through the first 9 beautifully!
But Kessie had a great weekend! She was herding me FAR less the usual! She made it all the way around our planned snooker course, only herding me once, or twice, and got her very first Q. The next day we did Gamble, she probably turned into me the most in that run, but we would have twisted and turned the most in that run. She did a great leadout through a tire even! The closing was 3 jumps, after the first she turned into me, but I was able to send her out over the second one, and she soared forward to the last jump! She held all her contacts in both runs. I didn't take her through the weaves, but when her weaves are better in training, I'll consider entering her in Standard runs. Jumpers went so good for Kessie! There were a lot of jumps in a row (when she tends to herd me the most). Out of 15 obstacles, she made it through the first 9 beautifully!
November 01, 2009
Acton Nov 1
The indoor season officially started for Tink and I. I didn't enter Kessie, so I left her at home. The day started off with a bang! Steeplechase went great, one down bar, but we had the fastest time of over 35 dogs! Master Snooker also want great! Got our 3rd Q finally! Getting closer to that elusive ATCh. Master Gamble, Master Team, and 2 Master Standard classes later didn't go so well, but it was a great day, anyways!
October 12, 2009
Steeplechase Expert
Tink, Natasha, Kessie and I went to the last outdoor trial of the year. It was a very cold, windy day, but it was still fun! This is how the day went:
Advanced Jumpers: Natasha ran Tink for the first time in Advanced Jumpers. The first 3 quarters of the run was very open and fast, and I was happy that she kept up all the bars. Natasha got lost at a 270 at the end, and sent Tink off course, but it was a good run.
Challange: Next Tink and I ran Challange... this one was far more forgiving then the first one we did. Tink kept on course the whole time, but we had a couple refusals and knocked bars
Starter Jumper: Kessie and I ran another Starter Jumpers... she went back to herding me a lot...
Master Standard: This course I found harder then the challange course... we bombed it, so did some training in the ring
Steeplechase: Tink had a great Steeplechase round, even pulling off a tricky sequence. She got her Expert Steeplechase Bronze title.
Master Jumper: It was a decent run, but Tink took and off course jump, then knocked a bar when I pushed for speed.
Advanced Jumpers: Natasha ran Tink for the first time in Advanced Jumpers. The first 3 quarters of the run was very open and fast, and I was happy that she kept up all the bars. Natasha got lost at a 270 at the end, and sent Tink off course, but it was a good run.
Challange: Next Tink and I ran Challange... this one was far more forgiving then the first one we did. Tink kept on course the whole time, but we had a couple refusals and knocked bars
Starter Jumper: Kessie and I ran another Starter Jumpers... she went back to herding me a lot...
Master Standard: This course I found harder then the challange course... we bombed it, so did some training in the ring
Steeplechase: Tink had a great Steeplechase round, even pulling off a tricky sequence. She got her Expert Steeplechase Bronze title.
Master Jumper: It was a decent run, but Tink took and off course jump, then knocked a bar when I pushed for speed.
October 10, 2009
Starter Games both way!
Natasha, Tink, Kessie and I went to the last outdoor K9 Klubhouse trial of the year. This is how it all went down...
Saturday
Master Standard: The run went very smoothly! She seemed to know where she was supposed to go, even without me! We ran it great and got a Q!
Master Gamble: It was a tricky main gamble with a teeter and a set of weaves, but Tink was one of 3 dogs out of 25 or so to get it!
Junior Advanced Gamble: Natasha moved up to Advanced last trial, so this was her first time. For Tink, it was a much more difficult main gamble, she had to come out of a tunnel and run between the other end of the tunnel and a jump to a tire with Natasha on the other side, of the jump. Though she never made it to the tunnel... Natasha said 'Get out!' and she went past the tunnel to the dog walk! Shocking!
Steeplechase: Tink had a great run and walked away with another Q. Running 3 for 3 that day, I knew that the odds were stacked against us for the Jumpers run, that I actually really needed!
Master Jumpers: I set Tink up on the line and started my lead out, I looked over my opposite shoulder to make sure the other dog was on leash, and turned back to Tink and she was standing beside me! Crud!! Starts off with a refusal! But wait it gets so far worse... she actually runs the rest of the course CLEAN!!! Rotten devil finally gives me a clean jumpers... after she creeps up on me in her start line, which she doesn't normally do!
Starter Jumpers: Kessie has a usual 'Kessie' run... Jump, jump, tunnel, jump, herd, jump, tunnel, jump, tunnel, jump, herd, jump, herd, herd, jump.... something along those lines!
Sunday
Starter Jumpers: Natasha and Tink finally keep up all the bars and get Natasha's Junior Starter Games Award of Merit... or whatever they are calling it... Kessie has an amazing run for her, and makes it about three quarters of the way through the course before herding me, what a girlie!!
Master Jumpers: Not so good... already gone from my memory, but we had a couple wrong tunnel entries, I think...
Steeplechase: Took down a bar, but had tons of time left over, so got another Steeplechase Q for the weekend.
Master Standard: Was a great run, but I got too far behind her at the end, and she took down the last bar!
Master Standard: I was so busy building all day, that I didn't get to see the courses until I was building them, so imagine my horror when my nightmares came back to haunt me! It was a replay of the opening from Standard round 1 and the Nationals this year. Here is the Nats course. We occurred 60 faults at Nats, and if you didn't automatically get an E in Masters, we wouldn't have been much better off!!
Over all it was a great weekend, with threats of rain, we didn't get very much and the cool autumn air was bearable. Off to the last outdoor trial of the year tomorrow!
Saturday
Master Standard: The run went very smoothly! She seemed to know where she was supposed to go, even without me! We ran it great and got a Q!
Master Gamble: It was a tricky main gamble with a teeter and a set of weaves, but Tink was one of 3 dogs out of 25 or so to get it!
Junior Advanced Gamble: Natasha moved up to Advanced last trial, so this was her first time. For Tink, it was a much more difficult main gamble, she had to come out of a tunnel and run between the other end of the tunnel and a jump to a tire with Natasha on the other side, of the jump. Though she never made it to the tunnel... Natasha said 'Get out!' and she went past the tunnel to the dog walk! Shocking!
Steeplechase: Tink had a great run and walked away with another Q. Running 3 for 3 that day, I knew that the odds were stacked against us for the Jumpers run, that I actually really needed!
Master Jumpers: I set Tink up on the line and started my lead out, I looked over my opposite shoulder to make sure the other dog was on leash, and turned back to Tink and she was standing beside me! Crud!! Starts off with a refusal! But wait it gets so far worse... she actually runs the rest of the course CLEAN!!! Rotten devil finally gives me a clean jumpers... after she creeps up on me in her start line, which she doesn't normally do!
Starter Jumpers: Kessie has a usual 'Kessie' run... Jump, jump, tunnel, jump, herd, jump, tunnel, jump, tunnel, jump, herd, jump, herd, herd, jump.... something along those lines!
Sunday
Starter Jumpers: Natasha and Tink finally keep up all the bars and get Natasha's Junior Starter Games Award of Merit... or whatever they are calling it... Kessie has an amazing run for her, and makes it about three quarters of the way through the course before herding me, what a girlie!!
Master Jumpers: Not so good... already gone from my memory, but we had a couple wrong tunnel entries, I think...
Steeplechase: Took down a bar, but had tons of time left over, so got another Steeplechase Q for the weekend.
Master Standard: Was a great run, but I got too far behind her at the end, and she took down the last bar!
Master Standard: I was so busy building all day, that I didn't get to see the courses until I was building them, so imagine my horror when my nightmares came back to haunt me! It was a replay of the opening from Standard round 1 and the Nationals this year. Here is the Nats course. We occurred 60 faults at Nats, and if you didn't automatically get an E in Masters, we wouldn't have been much better off!!
Over all it was a great weekend, with threats of rain, we didn't get very much and the cool autumn air was bearable. Off to the last outdoor trial of the year tomorrow!
September 28, 2009
The one bar wonder
Natasha picked up Tink on Saturday to bring her to SuperDog Central's agility trial. She signed up for all three starter games over the whole weekend (jumper, snooker and gamble). I had to work, but Tink helped Natasha get her second gamble Q. I was able to get there when they were setting up for the jumpers, and got to throw in Kessie. She was her usual self... prefering to herd me mostly. Natasha and Tink had a great run, but took down one bar along the way.
We both returned on Sunday. I was running Kes in Snooker and Jumpers, and Natasha added Tink into the Jumpers for that day too. We both ran the snooker, Kes made it through 1-7-1-7-1-7 and ran out of time. Natasha and Tink did 1-4-1-5-1 then knocked the bar in 7, she then got a bit frazzled, and Tink jumped another 1, but it wasn't one she had taken before, and the whistle didn't go, so Natasha went straight into the closing not knowing what to do... WHISTLE! Off I went to finish scoring in the trailer like I had been doing all day, and Natasha came running in saying we all get a re-run... the timer had been buzzing at 50 seconds instead of 60. So off we went again. I had decided to back to my original plan with Kessie (same thing Natasha had done with Tink). This time we did 1-4-1-5-1-7-2-3-4-5 then ran out of time. 6 was the weaves anyways, and she was just starting to get 12 weaves, so it would have taken a lot of time anyways. The 5 was the teeter, I didn't really want to do contacts with her yet, but I decided to try it... and she did it great the first time! The second time, I didn't say 'Bang it' so I think she didn't know it was going to move, and bailed when it did, but did it well when we tried again. Natasha and Tink's rerun went as planned and she got her second snooker Q!
All Natasha needs for her Junior Starter Games title is one jumper Q, jumpers has been the hardest for her, Tink knocks a bar in almost every jumper run. Kessie was first... started off a bit silly, but did well when there were sequences where I can send her into a tunnel! She did the tire all weekend! Starting to get over that issue! The last jump was really hard to get her over... Natasha and Tink had a really nice jumpers run... but dropped a bar... sigh...
We both returned on Sunday. I was running Kes in Snooker and Jumpers, and Natasha added Tink into the Jumpers for that day too. We both ran the snooker, Kes made it through 1-7-1-7-1-7 and ran out of time. Natasha and Tink did 1-4-1-5-1 then knocked the bar in 7, she then got a bit frazzled, and Tink jumped another 1, but it wasn't one she had taken before, and the whistle didn't go, so Natasha went straight into the closing not knowing what to do... WHISTLE! Off I went to finish scoring in the trailer like I had been doing all day, and Natasha came running in saying we all get a re-run... the timer had been buzzing at 50 seconds instead of 60. So off we went again. I had decided to back to my original plan with Kessie (same thing Natasha had done with Tink). This time we did 1-4-1-5-1-7-2-3-4-5 then ran out of time. 6 was the weaves anyways, and she was just starting to get 12 weaves, so it would have taken a lot of time anyways. The 5 was the teeter, I didn't really want to do contacts with her yet, but I decided to try it... and she did it great the first time! The second time, I didn't say 'Bang it' so I think she didn't know it was going to move, and bailed when it did, but did it well when we tried again. Natasha and Tink's rerun went as planned and she got her second snooker Q!
All Natasha needs for her Junior Starter Games title is one jumper Q, jumpers has been the hardest for her, Tink knocks a bar in almost every jumper run. Kessie was first... started off a bit silly, but did well when there were sequences where I can send her into a tunnel! She did the tire all weekend! Starting to get over that issue! The last jump was really hard to get her over... Natasha and Tink had a really nice jumpers run... but dropped a bar... sigh...
September 20, 2009
The Dock Part 2!
Today was back to SuperDogs for our second day of dock diving. Tink started the day by topping her personal best from a couple days before by a foot and jumping a 17' 1" putting her in contention for the Amature finals. I was hoping for a teeny bit better to solidify another jump from our second wave, and Tink pulled out a 17' 4". We went into the Amature finals in 5th, Tink jumped her best yet with a 17' 8" and come out 4th overall in Amature. She exceeded my expectations for the weekend, she did great!
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