June 8, 2000
AKC Williamsport
The Adventures of Beanhead, Barman, and Un-named Harry
Oh no!
Ha ha, yes!
But NO!
Yup....you are all doomed to
another doggie email from me.
Ha haa haa haa haaaaaaaaaa.
Susie and I headed up to
Williamsport, Pa. for the agility trial this weekend. Had Crumpie in Excellent
A & Open Jumpers, and Fred & Harry in Novice B all around.
Saturday:
Excellent A Standard
Crumpet
This had the potential for a Q
but for the opening sequence of Ring/jump, sloping turn to the left....with a
tunnel trap, I miscalculated Crumpie's speed and flow of movement from the jump
and started to move as he came off the jump. He tried to turn, I was moving,
and well we met in the wrongest of places. From the judge's standpoint.....it
was a "bump" from the tunnel. NQ right there.
Little guy nearly took me off
my feet as he was moving so fast and whammed right into the calf of my left leg
at terminal velocity......25 pounds of Corgi muscle. That's it. NO more "BALL"
when I get home from work. Can't be having a solid dog.
But to add insult to
injury....he dropped a bar halfway through the course.
NQ
Novice Jumpers with Weaves
Harry
Now this was fun and Harry's debut in Jumpers. Considering the fact that we have weave pole entry problems,
he did really well.
He started out by going around
the Ring, and then back jumped it. Ok, we got back on course and came to the
poles. Missed entry......but he then goes and cuts through the pole set to come
back to me, barking as he does so. NQ. I get him into the poles and he does all 6 flawlessly and at mach 5.
The awesome thing about this
run was that it was flawless in the control issue. He was watching me the whole
time, listening to everything (with the exception of the Ring), and performing
nothing like he does in class. I actually felt like we were starting to have an
understanding in teammate ship. (Is that a word?????? No? It is now.)
NQ
8 million hour wait and a
nappiepoo on the RV couch............
Open Jumpers
Crumpie
Going for the third piece of
the pie with the win of Trivial Agility. Crumpie hauls his butt over the first
two jumps. I call right, turn right......and find myself lonely on the course.
For a few seconds, I felt like I was back in the Obedience ring with Mandy
during the "off lead heel".
Crumpie had something in his mind, but did return to
the proper course with no refusals. Ok, we haul and haul and haul only to have
him miss the weave entry. Pull him back, he takes the wrong one, then back
weaves.
ARUGH.....BEANHEAD.
NQ.
No pie for Crumpie.
Fred, Novice Standard.
Freddy is also playing the
same Trivial Agility Game that Crumpie is. One more Q and he has his NA.
This is not the same dog that
was out last year. It was unusual to get him to focus on me and the correct
obstacle. This run? It had a STAY on the line, was gorgeous, was fast, in
control....and every bit Barman-like.
He dropped 2.
NQ.
No pie for Freddy either.
Novice Standard
Harry
We got the anticipation of a Q
over with really quick. He dropped the first bar. This was my fault as Harry
DID a STAY on the line and I walked out too far. This is something new for him
and well, he felt rushed. (I did not repeat this on Sunday with a better
result.)
Ok, the course had muddy parts
and the table was quite covered. What happens when we get to it????
He DOES
the down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!
NQ
So Saturday was a bust for
Qs...but there is always tomorrow...right?
Nighttime.
Morning.
Driving to the trial, we are
going over a quarter mile long highway bridge. What is perched on the railing?
A wild Turkey. Just sitting there all happy like. Wonder how long it took it
to get there?
That is something you do not see everyday.
Excellent A Standard
Crumpie
This course had some things
that I have seen, but never really practiced. WE haul around the course and as
we are in the closing obstacles I realize all the bars are still up. Now what
is left of the course is ALL jumps six to be exact....and I have just doomed
myself. 2 seconds later we are over the finish line and............
WE HAVE Q,
HOUSTON, WE HAVE Q.
First place, fastest time for
mini dogs in A and B, and we are the only qualifiers for the height (A). So we
now have our first leg with a clean run (100).
Same 8 million hour wait.
Open Jumpers
Crumpie
This course was one of the
most difficult ones I have EVER been through. The course itself was not
difficult, but the bizarre angles of the jumps were what made it horrendous.
The "first" knocked bar was my
fault. There was nowhere for me to go and well, it showed. The next
jump....was totally on him. The rest of the run was perfectly done, especially
since I was playing "Gamblers" and working at a serious distance. Why not?
NQ
So much for that "New Title" ribbon.
Novice Standard
Fred
Freddy repeats yesterday's
controlled run, but does knock a bar.
NQ
No "New Title" ribbon for him
either.
I swear he has been possessed
by an agility demon, but I won't complain. Especially since so am I?
What does she mean?
Jump, U shaped tunnel, Teeter,
Etc.
Put Freddy into the tunnel and start my cross in front. But then
something happen, something so unusual, so scary, so......so.......so........so
NOT ME.
Are you smiling Agility 4 class?
Joyce did a BLIND cross.
Worst yet....with a dog I have NEVER practiced this with.
Stop laughing. It
just happened. Did not have enough time to gracefully flip my butt around.
What happened next???? Freddy came out of the tunnel and followed my left hand
right to the teeter.
I had not planned to do this
at all. You guys know I do not like taking my eyes from my dog and this has
been something that has been hard to break me of.
(Blind cross-You turn your
back on the dog and leave the fact that he will read your mind and be in the
correct position after everything is said and done, to God.
I HATE BLIND
CROSSES!)
Freddy and Joyce get a
click.....and Treat for Fred, Sticky Star for Joyce.
NQ
Novice Standard
Harry
Four dogs later, last 12",
last dog of the day, last dog of the trial, Harry and I are on the line. He
stays, : ) and is off. We haul around and get to the table.
NEVER, EVER OVER TRAIN a down
on the table. Poor Harry stood on the table and looked at me like I had 4
heads. He finally sat and we were off.
I swore I was not going to do
another blind cross, (it scared the living daylights out of me), but Harry is
faster then Fred and what do I do?
STOP LAUGHING JULIE.
It just happened
Q, First place, and the
fastest time for more then half of the Novice class.
Susie wanted me to get the
ribbons, as I like to have her get them. As Greg Beck (the judge) announced the
time of 47 seconds and PWC in the same sentence (he was surprised), he looked up
and saw me heading toward him. The smile that went across his face was the best
encouragement anyone could ever receive....and it was directed at me.
He
congratulated me on all three of my runs under him that day. I whispered back a
thanks and that Harry and Fred were not "my" dogs. His jaw hit the ground. He
then asks in a really loud voice when is my next seminar and when is the book
due out. In front of 50 people, I could have melted into the ground. I was
mortified, embarrassed, excited, and delighted all at once.
That was one of the greatest
honors I could have received. I thanked him again and responded with something
stupid "like in five years after I learn more."
So that was our weekend. Ok,
no titles, but a first leg for Crumpie, a second leg for Harry, and 9 runs that
represented all of that training time is pretty darn good.
Hope everyone stayed dry
because I know at least three dogs and two humans that are water logged.
Have fun everyone!
Joyce, Beanhead's Mom.
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Last Updated on April 21, 2007
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