It just occurred to me that has actually earned 6 QQs in a row, and is 12/12 her last two AKC trials. Her previous trial in Hutto, she went 4/4. By my calculations, she has also earned all her YPS requirements for World Team tryouts next year. Sigh, she would choose NOW to be perfect. 🙂
Well, all I can say for Reliant is, WOW, this had to be our best show ever. It was just unreal–I can’t believe it.
First of all, Mardi went 6/8, with several placements (including 2 1sts in JWW), and got the last two Double Qs she needed for her MACH2. She stayed EVERY run of the weekend, even when I was leading out 2 and 3 jumps. I’m so proud of her–she’s definitely getting better with age.
Lyly went an incredible 7/8. Yes Lyly, the little miss who only sees fit to QQ occasionally. She was just awesome–her only problem was pulling off a jump on her LAST run, when I was trying to go 8/8. I think we were both a little culpable there, but, who cares?! Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined Lyly would pull something like this off. Oh, she’s certainly capable, but SOMETHING always happens–a bar, a contact, etc… She was SO good, trying and listening so hard. She now only needs ONE Double Q to qualify for Nationals in Tulsa, and after this weekend, it seems like no problem. Knock on wood anyway, though. 🙂
And then there was Trip. How could Trip possibly live up to what those other Sheltie were doing? Only by going 8/8, with 4 QQs, all first and second place runs. Yes, that is not a typo. She had a perfect weekend. She was extremely competitive with a couple of world-team caliber dogs, and I’m just in shock of that little fluff ball. She’s not making it easier to take time off for pups, but if it’s not now then it’ll be never.
Anyway, I’m sore and exhausted. Working on videos–I’ll post them when they’re up. Definitely time for a break. 🙂
Well, since I’m sitting on my computer while hubby plays on the XBox, think I’ll post an update from the first day of Reliant. We had some nice courses, and any problem spots were essentially caused by the surface (carpet over concrete). I’ve always told people that the biggest problem with the carpet is that it exposes bad/late handling. Your dog is not able to correct when he finds out too late that really, you’re going THAT way–the result is slipping, sliding, face planting, etc. Now certainly, some dogs will struggle no matter what–large, driven dogs especially. But one of the keys to running at Reliant, is early, and TIMELY cues. I don’t go out there to have the fastest run, I go out there to have the smoothest run where I’m hopefully able to show my dog BEFORE he takes off for a jump, where we’re going next.
That said, Mardi and Trip both handle the carpet very well considering they’re not “slow” dogs. The first run of the weekend is always trickier, but the girls ran great today. Mardi cut behind me and ran through the weave poles in standard, but did great contacts, and an excellent pinwheel that was causing a LOT of face/shoulder planting with the larger dogs. She then let me lead out past 3 JUMPS in JWW (she must have known I was thinking about pulling her if she broke), and had a nice, smooth course, with a 1st place! Trip had JWW first, and did very well, though slid a bit, and got a 1st place also. She then managed a first in Standard as well, for a Double Q. It’s killing me to take her out of competition right now to breed her, but if I don’t do it now, I know I never will–it’s not going to get any easier. But MAN, we are CLICKING! We also ran ISC Standard today, and she did well. She got called for her dogwalk contact (I want to see the replay), but she ran a tricky course VERY well. She ended up 6th overall (the fastest dog with 5 faults)–I think her time would have made her 1st or 2nd, without the fault. Hopefully she’ll do better Sat/Sun, when ISC counts.
I also ran Lyly, and her mother, Wikked today. Believe it or not, Lyly Double Qd!!! We were a little pokey in standard, with me working her contacts, and her making some wide turns, but she got them all AND kept her bars up. In JWW, she ran well (a little wide in places), but got a 2nd place (to Mardi), and that oh so important QQ. That’s 3 for Nationals for her! Wikked also qualified in JWW, though she was very wide in places. She would lock on to an obstacle and try to accelerate towards it–unfortunately, the first obstacle she saw was rarely the correct one. But we got through it. In standard, she got through all the contacts and weaves, the tunnel discrimations, and then, I took the chute for granted, and she ran around it. Broke my heart–I really thought I had the QQ on her too. I honestly never thought about running around that chute, and I didn’t give it a second thought with my dogs, but Wikked needs a little more support then that. It was definitely a handling error–she ran great today.
Videos will follow at the end of the weekend. So proud of all the girls, but man, my knees and legs are hurting!
