Agility ... Rugby

 

Weather forecast for last weekend was rain all weekend and for the first time, the weatherman is right. I was soaked to my skin before Saturday afternoon. I have changed my cloth twice and at the end I have to wear short as I have no more dry pair of trouser!!

After looking at the weather forecast, I had two minds whether to camp or travel on the day. Travel on the day looks like more stressful as it takes us at least 2 hr 15min to get there with good trafic. Camping turned out to be a better idea, at least we have the awning to shelter when it rain. Camping at Rugby is also stressful as the camping area is quite tight. After putting up the awning, it left us no space for the garden, poor puppies got no way to run around and Sonic kept hitting himself running into the caravan! I guess he is growing up fast now. All legs and no fur!

Agility wise, Sizzle had the Champ on Saturday and Team on Sunday. We had quite a big class of Small Champ dogs, probably the biggest so far. Sizzle was draw to run late and unfortunately when we got on the startline, the rain turned heavy. As this is a Champ class, you have to run according to your running order. Colin couldn't video the run as the rain is too heavy. There is a cloth tunnel where a lot of small dogs struggled to push, some got stuck there for a good few seconds as the cloth is too heavy (rain non-stop all morning) and some came out to have a good shake (Sizzle is one of them!). Despite the heavy rain, he ran well but slipped his footing at the 3rd weave pole, so we got 5 faults on that.

Then, later in the Champ Agility he got marked on the see-saw. It was a "naughty" see-saw. I think I need to train harder, maybe Sizzle and I need to go to "see-saw" Camp :D

here is the Champ Agility run:

 

With 5 faults each run, we didn't get a place in the Final. I don't know how the Finalists were drwan as I knew someone with 10 faults in one round got into the Final and one with 2 clear rounds didn't get a place in the Final. 

 

Apart from the Champ, I also ran Sizzle in the Crufts Singles first thing on Saturday morning. He ran well but we got a 5 faults, I guess that came from the Dog Walk contact. Hius time was very good in that run and I am pleased with that.

 

Sizzle's Crufts Singles:

 

 

On Sunday, we have three runs including the Team. First up for Sizzle was the G5-7 Jumping. My silly handling cost his the elimination. Poor boy deserves a better handler!

Sizzle's G5-7 Jumping:

 

 

Then, straight after that, we had C1-7 KC Olympia. Again, the pull through let us down big time! I think I need to go to "pull through"  Camp next!!!

Sizzle's KC Olympia run:

 

 

And, the Final run for Sizzle on Sunday was with the Sheltie Team. We had to call in a reserve Sophie to replace Louise who is unable to come due to work commitment and bad weather. This is the only clear round from Sizzle this weekend :)

ESSC Small Team:

 

 

As for Miss Sipzie, she was working so much better this weekend. She still cannot weave at competition, don't know why as she is brilliant at home and at training. I sometimes wonder if I put too much pressure when she pop out of the weave at competition? Should I continue running and ignore the weave problem or should I reinforce her to finish/complete her weave everytime she makes the mistake? At least, this weekend, she didn't bark when I tell her to weave, good sign, isn't it? Everything went really well ... we had three runs on Saturday and three runs on Sunday. She did very good unitl the last run on Sunday. It was the KC Olympia run, her only agility run on Sunday. For some strange reason, she looked pretty uncomfortable on the startline and after she took the first jump, she got spooke and ran off. Oh dear! I hope this is not a new problem!!! I am very upset as I do not know if I done something stupid to spooke her or she got spooke by something else. I cannot believe there is such a big change within 20 minutes. She ran well in the Jumping and I praised her like craazy and gave her a lot of treats while we were queing for this run and I just cannot figure out why she suddenly lost herself? Also, because I cannot put pressure on her, her startline wait is getting very bad. Ideally, I want her to go between my legs and sit & wait but she keeps breaking it. I tried to make her sit & wait and she looked worried and woudn't sit. I thought to get her going, I will not put pressure at competition but we will try to do more practise at home. Unfortunately this is not the case. I am getting very frustrated myself. I find it very difficult not to be able to achieve something simple like that at competition.

here are her runs on the weekend, Saturday, G1-4 Jumping, in this run, she nearly got all the weave but I was pulling away too early so she pop out at the last pole:

 

Saturday, C1-4 Agility:

 

Saturday, G1-4 Agility, in this run, stupid me blocking her way up to the Dog Walk, I can kick myself for that stupid handling!!!

 

Sunday, C1-4 Jumping:

 

Sunday, G1-4 Jumping: