So I need to tell you my latest news ....
... that says it all really!! We has a really really really good weekend! 6 wins over 3 days - the best average for us. Our first Grade 5 show by Dog Vegas (they run quite a number of KC shows throughout the year) and well it just all came together. 5 jumping wins for which we were given lovely blue glasses as trophies (I have 9 of these altogether now from the other DV shows I have done) and the lovely glass one shown for the agility!
What can I say ....
We did the Letchworth Show at Shuttleworth a month ago and really didn't get it together at all, with only 1 clear round which resulted in 13th place as it was an ABC (anything but collie) agility qualifier for Crufts - I was indeed very pleased with that round, but for Dylan it was slow because he was trying but not always getting what I wanted! The rest of that show, we made mistakes in every run, but it is all learning.
With a month's break we trained hard (well normal really but working on the turns and consolidating the dog walk contact) and then off to Dog Vegas which had been moved from Bakewell to Southwell. We camped - it was cold but the weather actually stayed surprisingly fine. Our first run was a jumping and we nailed it ... every twist and turn! The second run was a jumping and again we nailed it - wow! Dylan is so quick that if I don't get myself in the right place and time my moves to perfection he can go a different way.
With confidence building I had 2 agility runs that day, but both were an utter disaster!
Day 2: Started again with a jumping win and again we nailed it .... that's it 3 jumping wins qualifies you to win out of grade 5 to 6! Done! BUT no I wanted the agility win too. The agility that day was a money winner called Dog Vegas Money, not a bad run, but not clear - 10 faults I think (didn't look). Next we had another jumping and again we nailed it .... I was beginning to realise that I wasn't having to think too hard either and was trusting Dylan and just responding to him .... being a coach (that's me for canoeing that is) I know that when you stop thinking so hard it means you do actually understand & the fact that I had replicated success over 4 courses was excellent!
Day 3: Jumping again and again we nailed it! Unstoppable! Next agility ... a nice course with some twists and turns ... 2 lots of 6 weaves and the dog walk in the middle but after a sharp turn ... so hopefully Dylan wouldn't be going too fast over the dog walk! Well I beasted him down the dog walk and it worked ... he got his contact beautifully but then went right after the next jump instead of left! Never mind, called him back and off we went trying hard to focus! Seesaw, jump, right back onto the A frame, right off there, jump, jump, past the first tunnel entrance and back into the second, then the stretch home ... Clear! It was a combined grade 3-5 agility so lots of dogs all completing against each other. But yes ours was the fastest time ... we won our agility!
We had 2 more runs that day ... the other agility was awful, not a particularly safe course as we had to send the dog through a tunnel under the dog walk (in itself ok) but then you wanted to run where the dog walk was, so had to go round ... anyway we were in fact okay with that part and made a pull in mistake. The last jumping was funny. We were both tired, me particularly and I put a foot wrong and pulled Dylan off a jump which he than back jumped so being eliminated ... I just laughed as it was such a silly mistake! The rest of the round was perfect!
So what a year we have had! We won out of Grade 1 on 17th March 2012 at the Easter Dog Vegas having started agility competitions in June 2011. Won out of Grade 2 on 12th May 2012 at Godmanchester Spring Show, won out of Grade 3 at the start of summer (July 23rd) at Adams Agility Show and out of Grade 4 on 26th August at the Summer Show at Littleport with this final win out of Grade 5 to Grade 6 on 29th Sept 2012.
Dylan is amazing ... but these poos are!
What can I say ....
We did the Letchworth Show at Shuttleworth a month ago and really didn't get it together at all, with only 1 clear round which resulted in 13th place as it was an ABC (anything but collie) agility qualifier for Crufts - I was indeed very pleased with that round, but for Dylan it was slow because he was trying but not always getting what I wanted! The rest of that show, we made mistakes in every run, but it is all learning.
With a month's break we trained hard (well normal really but working on the turns and consolidating the dog walk contact) and then off to Dog Vegas which had been moved from Bakewell to Southwell. We camped - it was cold but the weather actually stayed surprisingly fine. Our first run was a jumping and we nailed it ... every twist and turn! The second run was a jumping and again we nailed it - wow! Dylan is so quick that if I don't get myself in the right place and time my moves to perfection he can go a different way.
With confidence building I had 2 agility runs that day, but both were an utter disaster!
Day 2: Started again with a jumping win and again we nailed it .... that's it 3 jumping wins qualifies you to win out of grade 5 to 6! Done! BUT no I wanted the agility win too. The agility that day was a money winner called Dog Vegas Money, not a bad run, but not clear - 10 faults I think (didn't look). Next we had another jumping and again we nailed it .... I was beginning to realise that I wasn't having to think too hard either and was trusting Dylan and just responding to him .... being a coach (that's me for canoeing that is) I know that when you stop thinking so hard it means you do actually understand & the fact that I had replicated success over 4 courses was excellent!
Day 3: Jumping again and again we nailed it! Unstoppable! Next agility ... a nice course with some twists and turns ... 2 lots of 6 weaves and the dog walk in the middle but after a sharp turn ... so hopefully Dylan wouldn't be going too fast over the dog walk! Well I beasted him down the dog walk and it worked ... he got his contact beautifully but then went right after the next jump instead of left! Never mind, called him back and off we went trying hard to focus! Seesaw, jump, right back onto the A frame, right off there, jump, jump, past the first tunnel entrance and back into the second, then the stretch home ... Clear! It was a combined grade 3-5 agility so lots of dogs all completing against each other. But yes ours was the fastest time ... we won our agility!
We had 2 more runs that day ... the other agility was awful, not a particularly safe course as we had to send the dog through a tunnel under the dog walk (in itself ok) but then you wanted to run where the dog walk was, so had to go round ... anyway we were in fact okay with that part and made a pull in mistake. The last jumping was funny. We were both tired, me particularly and I put a foot wrong and pulled Dylan off a jump which he than back jumped so being eliminated ... I just laughed as it was such a silly mistake! The rest of the round was perfect!
So what a year we have had! We won out of Grade 1 on 17th March 2012 at the Easter Dog Vegas having started agility competitions in June 2011. Won out of Grade 2 on 12th May 2012 at Godmanchester Spring Show, won out of Grade 3 at the start of summer (July 23rd) at Adams Agility Show and out of Grade 4 on 26th August at the Summer Show at Littleport with this final win out of Grade 5 to Grade 6 on 29th Sept 2012.
Dylan is amazing ... but these poos are!
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