A Fun USDAA Weekend

Spent the weekend at an USDAA trial up in Dixon, Ca. About a 2 hour drive. The trial ran smoothly and ended early. Although we had to get up early each morning, we decided to drive back and forth and sleep in our own beds. A very good decision.

Tazzie ran with his usual Tazzie speed, Sunday being the better of the two days. He really tried to be a good boy and I'm glad I took him.

Fin ran with super hot turbo speed and we did very well.

Saturday Fin got 2nd in Master Standard and a 2nd in pairs. No Q in Steeplechase (off course), Gamble (need LOTs of work here), nor Snooker (Love the tunnel! whistle).

Sunday Fin got 2nd in Grand Prix and sneaked out a Q in Snooker by getting the allotted points needed, but no more. Standard was a really nice run but a refusal at the weaves. Jumpers was a nice run but I sent her to an off course tunnel near the end of the run.

No gamble either day. I figure, they will come.

I had a great time seeing lots of familiar faces and missing a few that I usually see. I LOVED that both days ended at 3:30 for me and I was home by 6 eating dinner with my husband.

Ups and Downs

Last night, first night of USDAA regionals. Clean run. 2nd place. Pairs! Cool.

Home on a high note.

Get up 5:30am (supposed to get up at 5:15, actually get up closer to 5:36) leave house driving away at 6am. Not bad.

Get there. Do my vendor duties. 7:15am fun begins. Walk my course (only one today with both Tazz and Fin). Grand Prix.

A TOUGH! course. I don't run for a couple hours so I take both dogs for a walk. During my walk, I stop alot visuallizing how I will run the course with Fin. Come back and watch agility. LOTS of dogs going off course. Visualize some more.

Finally Tazz N I are at the start line. We are perfect through 2 obstacles and then Tazz hits the yellow of the dog walk and launches into the tunnel. I yell, "Tazzzzzzzzzzzzz!" and he smiles as he runs off course. Bummer. Rest of the run was fun and actually speedy (he did pop the poles at the end, but I was running as hard as I could to see whether he would pop...going to work on that).

Then it is Fins turn. I'm very nervous. We are clean (by a hair) through the teeter #9. Breath a second and go go go...we are clean through the A frame #14, breath and run to position. #15 clean, a really hard around the backside #16, clean...Four more to go, #17 clean...whoops, missed the entrance of the weaves #18 .... so sad. No Q. But really exciting!

Two more days. Three runs each day. Can't wait till tomorrow.

Fiction, Fantasy, or Reality

So my memories from this weekend are actually quite good. I was walking around thinking, "I'm almost there, Fin and I are doing really well." I remember doing AMAZING things with my dogs. Yes, the reality is that we didn't Q except for one course, but as I remember, it was only minor little things that prevented us from Q'ing. I love my memories. I smile when I think of the weekend. I tell my husband, "You should have been there! It was great!"

Reality Sucks.

The videos arrived today. My memory is not quite accurate. In many of Fins runs my handling is horrible. Tazzies runs are actually not bad. My handling has improved drastically for him. Fin, another story. I have to ask myself, "WHAT WAS I THINKING?"

Let's take the one class we Q'd in, Snooker. I remember that being fast and furious. Furious was right. I sent her often in the wrong direction. Sure I was able to bring her back and get the Q, but for goodness sake, my handling is NOT helping her.

Then there is her Masters Standard on Sunday, actually a nice run but..... It is my fault we didn't Q as I let her go early off the table. For goodness sake, I need my head examined. So not only did we not Q, but I let her break her start line stay... oh boy...

Although she placed 2nd in both her team standard and team gamble, when I watch the runs, I'm not real happy. I'm glad she and I have a light schedule coming into August. Lots of opportunities for practice.

Here is team standard. Ok, we didn't E and did get 2nd place, but geeze there are times I'm not sure where "I" was sending her due to late crosses, how is she supposed to know where to go.

Yes, yes, I know. She is speedy. Give myself a break.... well the hard truth is I have high goals and I will need to improve to get those. There are moments that I can see myself doing well, but I need to move and I'm standing still too much.

Am I totally depressed? No, not totally. I'll get there eventually. Sometimes being an optimist is good. Sometimes not video taping your runs and living in a fantasy is better.

On the Road Again

I am simply a roady to the rock band the Holy Mackerel!

This weekend we are booked in the hot spot that is Carson City. What happens in Carson City, well...nobody cares. I've never been, but many of my friends tell me the trial site is wonderful. I plan to leave early Friday to miss the traffic. On Sunday we'll head on home after grand prix.

A very small trial, we should have plenty of time to find some hiking spots and lots of photos.

It is only Wed, but I'm already packing in my mind.

In preparation, worked on rear crosses and distance weaves. I found out today that Fin has trouble completing the weaves if I'm laying on the lawn or kneeling down. She likes me standing for those :) I'll need to work on that. Never know when one might want to kneel for a prayer during a set of weaves... a short prayer...

How Do I Get Myself Into These Things?

I belong to my local agility club. Everyone should. Support these clubs. Without them, there would be no competitions. I also volunteer for my club. I try to help out at the trials and do my part.

A couple years ago I somehow got volunteered to be the trial secretary for our April trial. I found out that this is actually a paid position. Wow, I was going to do it for a free entry! Little did I know that I got enough $$ for many entries. I did it with my friend so I wasn't alone and we continue to share this task every April.

Here is the amount of time I think I spend:

• 40 hours of input,
• 10 hours the week before the trial,
• as needed at the trial, and
• 4 hours to wrap it all up.

I've also volunteered as the RV Czar, the Vendor Czar, and hospitality. For my club, all of these positions get free entries (a good way to save on dog showing expenses for sure). I enjoy doing these jobs as you meet new people and really get to know the people that work all the shows.

This year, in a moment of weakness, Laura said, "We should chair next Aug and give Rob/Derede a break." (We really wouldn't have a club if it weren't for Rob and Derede...they do EVERYTHING!). So I say to Rob a little while later, "Laura says we should chair next August." Rob jumps on this and before I am able to backpeddle, I'm a 1/2 trial chair. I sorta feel like I went out, got drunk, and woke up with an unpleasant surprise.

Laura blames me. She says she had the original idea, but I put the idea in motion. Ok. So, now we are trial chairs.

I am now in the process of putting the premium together for the April trial AND organizing the August trial (getting judges, filling out needed forms, etc.). Joy, joy, happiness. Thank goodness we have a great group of people that will all jump and and do their share. I sure hope everyone likes the judges. I hope I can find flights and nobody gets sick. I can't believe that in January I'm worried about sick Judges for August...but such is my life. (I think I'm delegating all sick judges to Laura).

I'm a busy bee. I actually like being busy. Can't wait till the trials. We are going to have a BLAST!

Agility Overload

Here are some runs from the weekend:

Snooker

Grand Prix