September 17, 2000
KC Princeton KC
The Adventures of the Complete Team Bean
If I ever see another dog anytime soon, I would not be
upset. After four days of agility trials with one day of work thrown in
between, tomorrow being Monday is a godsend.
NO MORE DOGS. NO MORE JUMPS,
TUNNELS, OR ANYTHING THAT LOOKS remotely like something to do with a dog. Well,
that is until I look down and find my four-legged best friend under foot. Then
I am revved for next weekend.
I have a ton of emails to
answer so do not think you are being ignored. I just have not had the time
since Thursday to get back to anyone other then Club Info requests.
Diane, I will send you a copy
of that Crumpie pic via Email. The one up on the website is not good and has to
be fixed. Darned JPG conversion.
My mom suggested that I teach
Crumpie to type. He knows everything else, so why not? I started his training
on this and we will see what happens.
Susie, Elaine, and I took the
members of Team Bean (Crumpie, Harry, Fred, & Nan) to Princeton KC's agility
trial this weekend. To say I had an awesome weekend is an understatement. This
was the first weekend of all the "lately" trials that I actually enjoyed myself
and you guys are gonna' hear all about it.
AKC
Level order - Novice (A&B), Open, Excellent A, Excellent B
Classes- Standard (all of the equipment)
Jumpers with Weaves (jumps, tunnels, weave poles)
Only Qualifiers get ribbons�.and you all know what I think of AKC.
NQs (Non Qualifiers) Dropped bar on the jumps, jumped safety zone on that Contact equipment, exceeding
refusal limits)
Fred & Harry- Novice B Standard & JWW.
Excellent A, Standard & JWW
Crumpie
(Just to kill Diane who keeps the Newsletter,)
I have 2 Qs out of 10 runs, but I am not gonna' tell you where. Needless to say that these 2 Qs were hard
won. For all the runs, the boys really made me work and each run showed the effort I was willing to give.
This email is going to be long,
not like they normally aren't or anything, but I had some moments out on course
that were beyond awesome and while sitting here, my hair is still sizzling.
Just the way I like it.
Fear not, the next couple of
weekends are "home based" and that means 2 separate emails go out. Bare with me
until then.
Saturday
In the order that I ran everyone
Novice Contact Familiarization:
Did not have time to go with
Fred, but did with Harry. Why would I even write about this? Simply because
the jumped DogWalk AND Tip contact by Harry in this "on lead" part, set the
whole tone for the weekend.
I got mad. Not just mad, but Joyce mad.
We came out of the ring and I
ran to the field passing Susie who looked upset about Harry's performance. This
would NOT be a problem all weekend with Harry. If Harry wants to run, run it
shall be. So we ran. Straight, turns, whatever. We ran. And when Harry could
not run anymore, we ran more. Harry was going to drop and we ran again.
I gave him to Susie and ran off to the Excellent ring to run Crumpie.
Excellent A Standard
Crumpie
This would have been a really
fun course to work, but after handling a really difficult opening sequence,
Crumpie drops a bar. Ok, I know we NQed so the rest of the course is going to
be for total fun and practice.
Up comes the dog walk, our Nemesis.
"Easy, easy, easy, easy etc." comes out of my mouth. Crumpie responds.
Hooray. I slip slightly in the mud, miss repeating an "easy" and well, Crumpie is off and running.
Flying leap-ka-doggie right over the BRIGHT yellow contact area.
That is it.
I see Crumpie eye-spy the
Frame/tunnel combo with glee and then look back at me for direction. I am
standing still which is something Harry and Fred are learning really quickly.
"Ut oh" goes across Crumpie's
face.
Lay down."
NOOOOOOOOOOOO, but MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM".
One little doggie butt picked up and carried off course.
"Mom, I hate you."
This should have been done while we were still in Open, Crumpie."
NQ
Novice B Standard
Fred
Did I ever mention the fact that I love this dog? No? I love Fred.
I have no "stay" on the start
line with Fred, but at this point, I do not care. Were are off and running and
I am 3/4 through the course before I realize Freddie has not dropped a bar yet.
Holy Tomoly.
We get through the DW fine,
but there is a panel jump to conquer and Freddie is not willing to jump high
enough. Ironically, it is the last jump of the course. Tire, chute and we are
done.
Beautifully handled by Fred and it was as PERFECT as could be.
No title for Fred, but he did
get lots of treats and big applause from the crowd because everyone loves Fred.
Freeeeeed.
NQ
Novice B Standard
Harry
Thank god for ring conflicts. Harry ran at the end of the 24 inch class. While waiting, Harry got his
butt run off. Run, run, run�.pant, pant, pant.
Can we think about this, Joyce? Please?"
No, Harry, you want to run."
Run, run, run, run, run and ummmmmmmm run some more.
Now we are ready.
Hum.
For the first time EVER with Harry, I was actually in control.
Wow wee. Mind you, I was out of
breath, but I was in control. Harry keeps up all of the bars, we do have that
conversation at the Table with the down, but then he goes and jumps off the Tip.
Gosh darn it. If it is not one thing, it is another.
We finish the course and Hurray for Harry. He listened�.for once.
NQ
Ten minutes later:
Novice Jumpers with Weaves
Harry
He drops the second bar and we
have a conversation at the weave poles, but he ran with me, followed all of his
Directionals, and just performed like he always did it this way.
I could not have been happier.
NQ
Fourteen million and one half hour later:
Excellent A Jumper w/ Weaves
Crumpie
Want heartbreak? He dropped the first bar.
AAAAAARRRRRRRUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The entire run was GORGEOUS, fast, in control, and well Joyce & Crumpie like.
NQ
The sun sets, Susie & I head
to dinner, doggies all get walked, and we head to bed early, like at 10pm.
Me.
10PM�..
In bed. Ha ha ha ha.
Should not run the death out of both Harry and
Crumpie. (Crumpie got Frisbee and ball time out in the field as well.)
I have not slept this well in
years, but was only plagued by a reoccurring dream that Harry had Qed on that
Jumpers run.
Sunday
In the order that I ran them.
Novice Standard
Fred
Hee hee hee.
I love Fred.
Have I ever said that before? No? I love Fred.
No stay on the start line and
we are off. Fred had been talking with Harry again and he was FLYING. He was 3
obstacles ahead of me and yes, I can haul.
We get to the table and Fred
has to bunny hop on and off 3 times. Ok. Finally we get the sit and we are off
once again.
Closing sequence is a tunnel
and four jumps. Fred has yet to drop a bar. Deep breath for me and Fred comes
out of the tunnel and goes over the first of 4. Done. "Right,
ovvvvvvvvvverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"
I go down in the mud while Fred takes the
second jump. I guess he saw me go down and in my fall he barrels to me and
cannot stop. Slam right into my face and I swear my nose is broken,
but����..the clock is still running and I can still salvage this.
Lying on the ground, my right
hand comes up and I call a "get out". Gosh darn it, if Fred doesn't do it,
except he pulled a hard right turn to come back to me, (I am halfway to my feet)
and knocks the bar (I do not see this), I call the last jump and Freddie hauls
right over.
I thought we Qed and finished
his title, but after everyone was cheering and clapping�.because everyone loves
Fred, I find out he had dropped that bar. Damn. He still got a huge
celebration because he is Fred and everyone loves him.
I love Fred.
Fred.
And no, my nose is not broken. Heck, I am lucky he did not blacken my eyes.
NQ
This slide in the mud is not
contusive to a knee that is already problematic. If I ever typed about not
being able to keep up with the boys because I am in pain, I am seriously at a
disadvantage now�..and I still have four more runs.
Excellent A Standard
Crumpie
Tunnels everywhere, including
under the DW. Oh god. I have to put Crumpie through the Tire three times with
three separate obstacles following. Now this is rocket science and that is my
older sister's department. It is 8:30 am and Harry had knocked over my second
cup of coffee. Not good.
Crumpie and I are off and
running (well Crumpie is running, I am limping along. : ) ; )
He avoids the tunnel trap to
the DW and now the moment of truth��..he gets the DW contact. Crumpie looks
back and is beyond delighted to hear a "right, frame". WAAAAHHHOOOOO!. He is
barking and flying. He is excited and in control.; And he is keeping up the
bars and paying attention. For that, he gets to have the last obstacle as a
Chute.
Thanks mom, you're the best.
Q and a 1st place for our second Standard leg.
Run, run, run, run the Harry dog. Why not? It worked on Saturday.
Novice Standard B
Harry
Ring conflict again, but this time we run at the end of the 16 inchers.
We are hauling around. He stays on the Tip, hooray, does the table, hooray, and then jumps off the DW.
AAAAAARRRRRRRUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The last part with the tunnel
and four jumps, I handled from one place and directed Harry around. I was NOT
going to go sliding again.
NQ
Ten minutes later
Novice JWW
Harry
Wow wee, this is a run that I
LOVE to have. Fast, in control, dog checking in & listening. YEEEEEEES. We do
have a bit of a conversation at the weaves. Not really, it was a huge
conversation, but Harry keeps the bars up and��..
Qs for his first leg in Jumpers and takes a 3rd place.
Hooray for Harry. Isn't that a book title or something?
Hee hee hee hee.
Four million hours later.
Excellent A JWW
Crumpie
Ok. Lesson learned for this weekend. Crumpie does not get run like Harry. Ball & Frisbee are fun, but not
like that for Crumpie. From now on, it stays as part of the morning activity.
I have NEVER IN MY AGILITY
CAREER WITH CRUMPET, had a slower run then I did with this one. I am
cheerleading Crumpie through the WHOLE course. His butt is dragging and the
only reason he is out on that course despite the fact that he wants to be at
home, is because I am there asking him to do this.
We get through the 19
obstacles and number 20 is a tunnel. Ok Crump, this is it��.not. Crumpie sees
the gate and breaks the "refusal" plane to the tunnel. There are no refusals in
Excellent.
I am not upset as I asked him
to do this. He is tired. I am tired. The crowd shares in the heartbreak, but
I cannot at this point. This is my agility buddy and he is getting treated like
he just got his MACH. (Master Agility Championship) because in my heart, what I
just put this dog through is MY fault.
We were still 6 seconds under
course time. It would have been a Q.
Damn, but bad me, go lay down.
NQ
For those who know and care:
Elaine and Nan, the fourth
doggie to Team Bean, double Qed with first places on Saturday for their first
legs in Open Standard and Open Jumpers.
Nan then had to NOT repeat her
performance of the day before and NQed in both runs on Sunday.
So that was my weekend. Hope you guys had as good of one as I did.
Joyce, The Captain of Team Bean
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Last Updated on April 21, 2007
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