Bens 1st proper agility show
Went to the Glennifer agility show yesterday
Fotos and video to follow but I just want to post the roundup of the day while it is still fresh in my mind.
Lovely venue at the ingelston horse place, lots of friendly faces there, great to se Nicola, Roxy and Molly, mibby get to see Molly run next time
1st class was the combined jumping class, 1st run of the day in that ring (gulp) so after a visit to the ladies I walked the course a couple of times
THere was a slalom down one side - Ben has only done that once in class so I am a bit worried
Get my ticket and see thankfully that the scribe is someone from my training club
'start whenever you are ready'
OK, stop shaking now and Ben waits as calmly on the line just as if we are in a class with only 6 dogs, not hundreds milling about
were off
Nerves and some pretty bad handling play a part in this run, Ben not 100% clear on where I want him to go so keeps curving back to me for more instructions. But we both hold it together enough to get a clear round
2nd run, combined grade 1-4 meduim agility
a nice easy flowing course, Ben not 100% sure on seesaw but considering what a short time he has been doing it he did great. Unsure that the dogwalk wasnt another trick seesaw he was slow across that too
Better run, a bit slow but a big improvment on the 1st run
Another clear run
3rd run
Meduim agility graded 1-4
I ran 4th in this one, a couple of tricky turns when I walked the course and worryingly the small dogs who ran it just before us took a totaly different line to what I was planning to take to the seesaw, and to another jump. I decided to stick to my plan for the seesaw and changed what I was doing on the other jump
3 dogs ran, all faulted or E
my turn
he is running great, the turns go like a dream - were clear!!
then the results
IT WAS A 1st PLACE!!!
4th run - the last jumping class
Nerves totaly gone, really this one dosent matter
we are both tired too
tricky turn and another slalom
off we go and we are both on fire, faster than we have ever been
unfort on the tricky turn he makes it perfect then I hear the crash of a pole - who cares we are flying
turn into the slalom and its like he is reading my mind - just flys over it with no instruction from me (well none that I am aware of)
turns lovely and then races off for the tunnel
I am getting a bit cocky and see a shortcut to the next jump but as I turn to race off he sees me and bolts out of the enterance to the tunnel, I get him back in and we fly the last 2 jumps
2 faults (or 10 however you count it) but strangly enough that was my best run of the day
What a totaly amazing wee boy, 19 1/2 months old and that is us in grade 2 already
Now whay didnt I enter any more shows this year??