Totally shattered(long)

I'm sitting here with my feet aching, my legs hurting & my brain still asleep. Why you may ask ?

Well I was originally going to be judging just the YKC obedience classes at Wakefield DTC yesterday, but one of the judges for the Championship Show on Sunday was taken into hospital & left the Show Secretary needing a judge at very short notice. As I owe Chris, the secretary, a few favours for doing the same for me I volunteered to do judge the class. The only other person to offer was a lady who lives in the very south of England. It's hard to get judges well before the show & to get them at short notice is even harder(as a Show Sec myself I had to do this in the past)

So 7 am on Sunday I was off to Wakefield a 180 mile round trip to judge the A part 1 class, fortunately the club had a ring steward & scoreboard steward already organised, instead of planning my tests for Monday & working them with my young dog.

Had a lovely day eventually(at one stage we were waiting ages for handlers), quite hot, but not too hot for the dogs fortunately. Had some lovely competitors & of course the dogs were lovely too. Didn't have an all collie line up as most people think happens in obedience, but I had a mix of Australian Shepherd(a rescue), BC/WSD, Keeshond, Beardie & a cross breed. I had a lady do a lovely training round with her young dog who had just started in A & who was really a sensitive young boy. I had two dogs a Poodle & a BSD(Terv)that did the most uncharacteristic things-the terv refused to do the heelwork twice & the poodle decided his mum had never ever taught him recall, but as both the handlers said that's dogs for you. A lovely lady & her rescue WSD/BC started off working & then he switched off, so she did some training & then went into her Novice class & he worked beautifully & won(was 4th the next day too)he has been a very difficult dog to train due to his very chequered first 12 months(had 5 homes in that time)& the lady has a very disabled hubby, so dogs shows are her chill out times(she's even changing her holiday dates to come to our show . Another dog did a brilliant round but was very naughty in scent, his handler just smiled & said that is Frankie for you, at least he did his stays & the next day did the same did a lovely scent & was lying in a place until he broke his stays Again the handler didn't blame the dog as he is really lovely & I'd have him any day.

So I left for home at 4 pm & wrote up my report put it on the Obedience UK website & did the rounds for the YKC classes the next day. Got that all finished at 11.30 pm(had worked the rounds with my BC(aided by two flying cats LOLOLOL)& laminated the tests for my ring steward. Grabbed a few hours of sleep & at 7.am the next day set off again on the round trip picking my lovely steward up on the way.

YKC judging started at 10 & we finished just after 4, having done all the 5 YKC classes, the YKC handlers are brilliant & can show some of the adult handlers the correct attitude to their dogs. One little girl stood out, she didn't win, but can't have been more than 7(if that)what a lovely handler she is & her handling was brilliant, I was pleased to give her a Crufts qualifying certificate(they need 5 to go to crufts if they don't win a class)

My ring steward was absolutely brilliant putting all the handlers at ease & explaining the exercises etc. She does work at a school & has grandchildren so knows how to work with children.

Lots of judges consider YKC as"novelty"classes, they aren't they are the start for youngsters coming into obedience & some where they don't have to compete against adults.

I'll be watching the Crufts results with interest next year(might even go to watch them)as I consider it a privilege to be asked to judge the youngsters.

So we finished just after 4 30 pm & left for home after a drink, a cake & finishing off the paperwork(of which there is loads for YKC)

Got home after dropping off Carol my steward, fed the dogs & cuddled the kittens, did the report for the obedience UK site had my supper & fell asleep on the settee covered in dogs & kittens-totally exhausted, but happy.

This morning I ache in every joint, I am still tired so I will be having a lazy day leaving the hoovering etc for another day

At the show a friend won her C class, another A & B with her young bitch(she only 2 !!!)making her C only. She won my B class at Middlesborough, which took her out of A(she had already won two A's), then on the Saturday she won another B & then the two classes yesterday. Her handler is lovely she has two Obedience Champions(mum & daughter)& bred another & is so very nice to her dogs whether they win or not & it shows in the way they work.

My "pupil"got placed in both his Pre Beginners, which means apart from one show they have been placed at every show they have been to since starting in Obedience this year & they have been placed at every show since I started helping them-Fred taking on board my advice, works hard on it & is rewarded by Glen's performance in the ring, which is lovely as Fred is a lovely chap & his dog is a sweetie.

That was a good read even though you nearly run yourself into the ground!!

Im not surprised your pooped.

Wow, what a busy few days!

It really makes you appreciate how much work goes into these shows and that without people like you, they wouldn't be possible.

Wow, sounds very tiring! But sounds like you had a really lovely time, I'm really pleased for you! I'd love to do obedience!