more agility ... Agility Club

We were at Agility Club this weekend. I am fed-up with towing so decided to travel on each day. It wasn't a bad journey for us, probably the closet venue, just under an hour.

Saturday was a very busy and stressful day. I have Champ class with Sizzle and at the same time, the Crufts Team qualifier was on! The weather didn't help either! It was very foggy and drizzling all morning. The rain was so persistent, when the Champ class started at 9am, the ground was wet and muddy. They started the Small Champ Jumping first, I was more prepare this time, just in case the caller shouted my name, I knew there is nothing serious happen. Luckily the caller Liz is my friend and we knew each other. She didn't call my name but came to tell me she will tick me off the list, how nice!

Sizzle misjudge his pacing (or was it too slippery?), he hit the first bar. Luckily he is so lightweight and the bar didn't drop but then he has to adjust himself in the wet condition. We managed the tricky bits and poor Sizzle fell over after jump #13 eventhough I tried not to turn him tight around the wing at this condition. We went clear in this qualifier round. WooHoo! 

Then, we got eliminated in the Champ Agility qualifier round, the tunnel in front of the DW was too inviting for him. I looked back the video and knew that I didn't call him early enough to turn him. I leave it too late. I am still working on our timing! Otherwise, he ran lovely in this round. I think I am getting better with Champ? Our first Champ, we got two eliminations; this is our second Champ, only one elimination; maybe I will have two clear rounds in my third Champ? Hahaha ... am I too optimistic? I am very happy the way we both run the Champ though, he was a real good boy. I thought he would be a wimp after fell over at jump #13 but he was so good to continue running :)

our Champ run:

After the Champ, I have to concentrate on our Team run, this is the last qualifier for us, neither of our Small nor Medium Team has qualified, so there is some pressure somewhere ... The Medium Team was on before the Small. Sing got to run for the Medium at this qualifier. Normally I would run him 2nd or 3rd but don't know why I decided I want to run last, maybe I do like pressure? Or maybe I was too tired rushing around the Champ class? Anyway, when I got Sing, our Team was ready to run and I haven't even compose myself to run in the Team mode yet! Luckily we go last but I can tell you that I was nervous when I see the three dogs in front of us went fast and clear! Zen started off the Team well, super fast clear round; followed by Smo & Tyler, these two has superb running contacts, when Lisa grab hold of my baton, Sing and I went. He was such a good boy, he knew his job too well, I don't have to worry at all. I told myself, CLEAR, CLEAR, CLEAR. I knew my only worried is his running DW, we haven't been practicing that at all, so finger crossed he HIT the area and he did that beautifully, 4 paws in the contact area, you cannot fault him for that!

Colin managed to captured Sing's run only; when the Team ran, he went away to fix the car alarm. He thought someone has tried to break in to get to the dogs when the alarm went off, by the time he got to the ring, he saw me and Sing on the line, so sorry we didn't have the whole Team run:

 

 

 Unfortunately our Small Team picked up 15 faults and didn't get to qualify:

 

 

Saturn didn't do well in his Agility and Jumping in the morning, he has a lovely A Frame but decided he can fly and took a big leap over the DW! Bad sheltie! I didn't get to walk the Jumping, so we went unsteady clear in that round. Later, he made up for it in the Jumping Pairs with Smo, we came 2nd!

Smo & Saturn pairs:

 

That sum up our Saturday. I think we finished around 3pm but we stayed to cheer for Brodie in the Medium Starters Final. You can read all about him on his blog.

We were back again on Sunday, this was a mad day. I had Agility with the medium boys, Saturn again wasn't up for it, Sing ran nicely but went into the wrong end of the tunnel :( Then I went to help at the ring for a bit, then went to run Sizzle in the KC Olympia. It was a nice flowy course, Sizzle ran clear but had so many wide turns:

 

After the KC Olympia, we went to run the G6-7 Agility. It was a tricky course that Sing ran at the Medium height. I never thought Sizzle would get around it as I saw so many fast dogs made mistake. Unfortunately, he was flat and didn't go his usual speed and we managed to clear it! He got a 3rd place!

 

 

After that, we have nothing for ages ... I went back to help at the ring a bit then wander off a bit, taking Sipzie around the rings and play with her ... it felt like ages when we got to run again. Saturn got his massage from Sara, hope that at least loosen his muscles a bit, he was stiff, sore and tight.