Packington Agility

Rum started off with Graded 3-5 Jumping which was quite a naggy course but really huge course. He ran really nicely and just had a pole down when I hesitated as to which way we had to go next!! Then Novice Olympia and we were clear, I quick released his contacts though his dogwalk was a bit creepy and he had a wide turn before the dogwalk but I was really pleased and we ended up 10th.

Cas only had one run which was helter skelter and she was clear though had a twizzle out of the tunnel so I don't know where she was placed.

Ember ran past the tunnel in Graded 4-7 Jumping, shame as she was running nicely but it was my fault by moving on too soon. Then Combined 4-7 Agility and I did a very daring recall and it paid off really well, she missed her weave entry as I didn't shape her into her turn enough, then she backjumped as I should have left her carrying on the way she was going but I didn't!!
Journey home was a nightmare, several roads closed due to fallen trees, a few near misses!! Video footage of all runs and also a couple from Waldridge:

Waldridge Fell Agility

SATURDAY- Rum ran Novice Olympia first, had a lovely run but judge marked his up contact, boo hoo(see vid) - I hate up contacts lol!! Then his graded agility he picked up 5F again and am not sure why, shame he would have won the class by 2 seconds, but then saying that I don't want him in Grade 5 yet. In his first jumping run he must have had about 5 jumps down, only thing I can thing is the ring was quite slippy.
SUNDAY - First run was combined 3-5 Agility and he was naughty and flew his see-saw so I put him back over it and left the ring. Then Combined 3-5 Jumping which he ran lovely but for some reason came out of the 4th weave?!? Graded Jumping and he had a pole down - otherwise again lovely and a nice wait too. Finally Graded Agility and he blatantly jumped his A-Frame contact so I put him back over and left the ring.

SATURDAY - Cas had a lovely clear in Combined 6-7 Jumping but was unplaced, unfortunately had a pole down in the Graded 6-7 Jumping. She had nice runs in both agility classes just missing her A-Frame contact in both.
SUNDAY - Again a nice clear in Combined 6-7 Jumping and a pole down in the Graded Jumping grrr. In Graded Agility I needed a wait so really reinforced it and got one but she knocked the first pole, typical! She then went on to run by tyre as I didn't tell her enough but otherwise got round a REALLY tough course and got all her contacts. Final agility and I got a 4 jump recall out of her which is generally unheard of, but again missed her A-Frame contact.

SATURDAY - Oh my god this little sheltie is on form!! She knocked the first pole in Graded Jumping but otherwise had a nice if a little messy round. Then we ran Combined 1-7 Jumping and she felt lovely, fab clear and we ended up 1st! Finally Graded Agility and she ran by the A-Frame but otherwise a lovely round and stunning contacts, 5 jump recall and again came 1st! 2 wins in a day, I have never had 2 wins in a year with her!
SUNDAY - I think I may have dreamt this weekend! Started with Graded Agility and she ran by the see-saw and self released her A-frame, so I put her back on her contact (don't want to lose them!). Then a stunning clear in Graded Jumping, another 1st. Finally a tough (for Ember) Combined 1-7 Jumping, really straight, fast weave entry - well amazingly we had a stonking clear and another 1st! 4 wins at one show, 6 wins in 2 months, not bad going :-)))

Click here to watch 'Rum-Olympia-Q-Waldridge'

Tunbridge Wells Agility

Rum was totally loopy. On Saturday I put him back on his a-frame as he early released after having made a right hash of the start of the Novice Olympia. His other agility run was really nice but I didn't send him out enough and he ran in past a jump. On Sunday, his grade 4 jumping he was naughty and missed his weave entry despite it being jump, weaves!!! Then combined 3-5 jumping run he had a nice clear with one messy bit and came 20th. Finally Grade 4 Agility and he decided to ignore me and fly up the A-frame, contacts were nice but weave entry none existent again!!

Cas decided to miss her A-frame contacts in her two agility classes on Saturday and to miss her dogwalk contacts in her two agility classes on Sunday. She pulled in on Saturday's Grade 6 Jumping instead of going out, then on Sunday just had the first pole - a real shame as was a lovely round.

First time back running Ember and she felt lovely, we only had two classes on Sunday. Lovely long wait and contacts in the agility but I pulled her off the tunnel entry, another lovely long wait in jumping and I moved too soon pulling her off a jump, then didn't go far enough on weaves, see vid vv:

Vyne Agility

Rum started off with Grade 4 Jumping and he went clear, yay finally! I made sure I hung back for his weaves and he had a lovely round, almost refused the tyre as was turning back to see where I was after the flat tunnel (need to make sure I am encouraging him through it) and also had a wide turn before the tunnel as I didn't call him early enough, anyway he ended up 5th out of about 120 dogs so was pleased with that. Then Combined 3-5 Jumping and another clear (see video) was so pleased, was a bit messy after jump two, had a twizzle out of the tunnel (I took a risk staying behind it) and almost ran by the long jump as he landed so long but he was so good and quickly took it as I shouted right lol! then Grade 4 Agility which was a horrendous course and we got Eliminated before obstacle 3, I carried on for a bit to do the A-frame and Dogwalk but I really didn't want to put both of us through the rest of the course as it was far too difficult for a young dog.

Cas started with Grade 6 Agility and missed her A-frame, again she wouldn't send to the tunnel. Combined 6-7 Agility she missed the A-frame again and did the rest nice but at two points just would not send on again. Finally Grade 6 Jumping and I fell over!

And the excellent news is Char had a fantastic round with Ember in the Combined 4-5 Jumping and won it by 2 seconds so that now makes her Grade 6 - well done!!

Rum - Vyne 2008

Shrewsbury Agility

Rum and I didn't do very well this weekend, his contacts were stunning and his turns were lovely but his weaves were awful!! He missed the entry twice, skipped the second pole and came out the last but one. He was really rocketing round this weekend and I think he just could not stop himself to steady before the weaves - aaarrrgh! We've not had this problem before he has always been perfect and trouble is with training indoors he isn't getting the same speed up that he does when he is outdoors.

Cas I am a little worried about, I think she may be starting to go deaf as the last couple of weeks I have lost her on a walk and she hasn't come back - have had to jump around like a loony to get her back! Then at home she keeps missing the last weave when I am away from her which she has never done. Her contacts weren't too bad if I was up there with her. She had a clear and 10th in Grade 6 Jumping with a couple of wide turns. Then on Sunday she would not send on in her jumping classes which is VERY unlike her which makes me think there is something going on. A 4 jump blast to the end and she pulled off the last to look at me as if to say what next despite me going GO GO GO, so I need to book her in for a hearing test.

Some of our runs from the weekend, lets hope we get it together next show!

Shrewsbury Show

Agility Addicts Unaf

I had my first judging appointment today (well I did a couple a few years ago but both were fun classes), so today I judged elementary and starters agility – I set a couple of flowing courses which didn’t have much of a course change between so was quite pleased with the way it went. Therefore I missed both Cas and Rum’s jumping classes.

Open Connector was first and Rum was flying (he has been having a lot more exercise lately and he is really on fire!) and it was quite a messy round with just a pole down. Novice Agility was next and it was quite a tough course for a big dog, we got round it really nicely until we came to a tight pull through – I thought I had got him but didn’t bring him through quick enough and he back jumped. In his second run he ran superbly I was so pleased with him but his A-frame was marked, shame as he would have won it.

Cas ran Senior Agility first which was another tough course, I managed to get her round the difficult bits but pulled her off the weaves too much and she went round a jump – then she missed her A-frame so I put her back over. In the second run she carried on after the tunnel and I can’t figure out why as I did exactly the same as I did in the first run, anyway she went and missed her A-frame again so I put her back on. I don’t know what to do as I even tested her on my courses and reinforced the contacts and she still went in the (same!) ring and missed them – she is so naughty!!! Open Connector we went clear but didn’t go the way we intended to and made it very difficult for ourselves and lost a lot of time! Tee hee.

Oh well one of these days we might go clear again!

Baughton Unaf

Rum's first run was agility (all classes combined 4-7) and I went in hoping his contacts would be nice and fast and not make an issue of them. Well his dogwalk was lovely so I told him to stop and he went straight to the bottom and off (I use a wait command after the stop when I hold them), had a very wide turn and almost into the weaves but I managed to get him back, lovely see-saw, lovely tight turn before the tunnel and a lovely A-frame (again just with stop). I was so pleased he was soooo confident on his contacts and he ended up 1st! He had a lovely clear in jumping but stupid me went the wrong way and got us eliminated, it was clear for him though as that's how I had run it lol! Then Helter Skelter and he was going lovely but pulled off a jump I think because I turned too early perhaps.

Cassie's agility run was rubbish as per usual, we got eliminated before even starting as she took a signal from my other arm which was flapping!! Anyway she missed her dogwalk and A-frame and I realise having watched the video back that she is actually hoping off every time just before the contact and I think she associates that area with me faffing with her (ie putting her back on) and is avoiding it so I don't know what to do about that! She ran it nicely though. Then the jumping and she did the same as she did at the start of the agility and jumped behind me getting eliminated. Finally Helter Skelter and we went clear, ended up 1st! I cannot believe the difference in her jumping since she has seen the chiropractor this last week, she was measuring standard height so badly last weekend and having found her front leg, shoulder and neck were twisted and being put right she was back on form today!

Wye Valley Agility

I wasn't at the show but Charlotte (see Summerick Blog) has been training Ember for a couple of weeks and took her to Wye. They were clear in agility with held contacts, just had a pole in Helter Skelter and won Grade 5 Jumping!! Ember just needs one more win to go up to Grade 6 as she already has a Combined 1-7 Jumping win. Well done Char and Emz!!

Agility Addicts

Rum's first run was Novice Jumping, we went clear but it was sooooo messy, he was very wide and I found it really difficult to turn him, in his second round he had his Welsh head on so I took him out, we came 4th. He was unsure why I wasn't running with him in the Easter Egg Race and pulled off a jump, shame as the rest was nice. In his Novice Agility he had a nice clear but his contacts were very slow (been having trouble with them lately speed wise), his second round he knocked 2 seconds off his time but had a pole down, he came 4th in the end.

Cassie's first run was Senior Agility, both rounds she missed her contacts despite me putting her back on, I give up with agility. In Senior Jumping we had a pole down in the first run but had a nice clear second time round (see video) and came 2nd. Then we had an easy blast round the Easter Egg Race and came 3rd.

Crufts - Jumping

I left Cas in the van for the morning as Crufts gets so busy at the weekend, she was happier in the van. Got her in for the Senior Jumping in the YKC ring which was a trial in itself as it was sooooo busy!! Walked the course and I thought how nice it was, however I would have to be careful not to call her too early on a couple of turns as I would risk the pole down. Paws were covered in paw spray and we were running 8th. First hurdle was not knocking the first jump down, took a bit of a risk by sending her into the flat tunnel while cutting the corner but I made sure I told her tunnel. Managed to get a front cross in for the first turn and Cas almost picked up the weaves which I did not see her doing, just called her off in time though! Phew! Then I made sure I didn't rush her and went every step of the way as when they run on carpet they don't seem to commit as early as they do normally. Anyway we finished 3rd!!