The KNIGHTs Shelties: FAB, Sheltie Camp & Bitz N Chipz

I just couldn't keep up with my blog fast enough, Oops! Life in this beautiful countryside, such a waste to spend time on the boring computer with a slow Internet connection :( I'll try to my best to keep up :)

Apart from farming, I got to spent the weekends with my boys Sonic and Sizzle competing; I've also done a little bit with Sipzie as well. She's a bit stroppy since after her season, so we only compete in Jumping and leave out the Agility until we have our contacts sorted.

3 weekends ago, me and my two boys drove to Gloucestershire to compete at Dawn's FAB show. I've only entered the boys in the IFCS, so they have 4 runs each, that would be plenty for them. It's good to give Sonic the experienced to run some challenging courses.

Unfortunately, I had a terribly day competing. I woke up too early (4am!) to travel down to Gloucestershire and I was too tired to concentrate. My first run with Sizzle was a disaster. I wasn't sure if his back twitch again or motivation problem but he wasn't running at all. After the 5th obstacle in IFCS Agility run, I have to carry him out :( I felt demotivated myself and nearly sank into depression :(

I know I have to be strong for Sonic but he was a gobby monster. He was too busy barking his head off and I was trying to be clever to take him to jump tighter that I have learned from Dawn's camp. As you can see that surely lack of practice and trying to put it into a competition that didn't work :( My shoulder must have been shown him something else! Oops! The more I watched this video, the more I feel like a terrible handler :(

Please excuse Bracken whinning in the background. This little ginger hamster loves my Sonic :)

Thank God, after the IFCS Agility round, we have a couple of hours break, so I can clear my mind off a bad start. I helped in the ring when they ran other classes, I think I finally awake after walking up and down helping :) My next few runs were much better :)

IFCS Gamblers was next, Sizzle ran before Sonic. Sizzle is a real gambler dog and I always feel good running him in the Gamblers. Although after our Spain trip, I still haven't work it out what exactly is wrong with him, so we still have an issue of whether he is "running" or not. Pretty much of pot luck with him :( Also, he wasn't running in the IFCS Agility made me feel uneasy, I do not want to run him if he is not well ... After asking the judge if I can take him out if he is not running, I decided to give him another go. Well, Mr Gambler did well to Q :) I have to plan a different route for him to gain more opening points. If he is normal, I will run the course differently but I am very happy we Q.

Sonic wasn't so lucky in his Gamblers run. He was doing what I asked for in the opening but in the Gambler part, the pole of the last jump drop (due to high wind) just before he coming up to it and he decided he is not taking the jump :( Later, judge Daneen Fox came to me and offered us a second chance to do the Gambler part again. I was rather nervous as I don't know what Sonic will do? Will he still miss the jump out? No, he was a very good boy and we Q!

Next up IFCS Snooker. I have been unlucky in the past, I have no Snooker Q with either of the boys. I don't seems to be able to change my luck, Sonic didn't Q this time either! He missed the #7, otherwise, he did lovely! Poor Sizzle, see-saw has been a BIG problem in our IFCS qualifier! Hmm ...

The last IFCS of the day is the Jumping round. Sadly, both boys got eliminated to the tunnel. Oops!

Special Thanks to Matthew and Rhoda for filming the boys' runs @ IFCS Glos.

2 weekends ago, we went to our annual Sheltie Camp. The venue was closed to our previous home but a fair distance to travel now since we moved. I travel down on Friday afternoon. It should be a 2.5 hours journey but it took us 5 hours! We got stuck on M25 solid for 2.5 hours! It was a hot day, me and the dogs were exhausted in the hot car although we have the air conditioning full blast! After we left M25, we still got stuck in Guildford for 30 minutes! By the time I got to the Camp, I was very grumpy! Then, I went to fetch Colin from the station and I was stuck in the traffic once again. To top the worst day, I parked the car on the roadside (parking bay) to get a take away and came out with a hit and run case. Some IDIOT smashed my side mirror! Grrr ...

Apart from that, Sheltie Camp was an enjoyable one. I always love Sheltie Camp, lovely sunny weather surrounding by shelties. Sonic's puppies Tula was camp next to us, so we have fun catching up and played. Then, on Sunday, Rae came and we have more fun!

Rae, Sonic, Sing and Tula

3 generations

father and son

Tula

Rae

sisters playing

Of course, we didn't miss Brooke bean out. Her daddy and mummy were teaching at the Camp and this is her watching. She is such a clever bean!

Also, we have Silky and her big sister Coco joining the Camp too :)

Silky practice Agility

Auntie Roz has an important role at the Camp, entertaining the puppies!

Sheltie Camp 2013

WooHoo! Camp over!!

If you are on my Facebook page, there are more photos there ...

Almost there ... Last weekend, we have two local shows, Bitz N Bobz and Chipping Norton, only 6 miles from home! I have entered both shows but only made it to Saturday's Bitz N Bobz. Such a shamed that I can't do Chipping Norton but family does come first. My brother in law Russell and sister in law Kyung came to celebrate my birthday.

We were so casual and lazy, woke up at 6:30am, fed the dogs, fed the animals around the farm and left home at 7:40am. We got there plenty of time for me to walk my first class! It's a Graded 4-5 Jumping. I have entered Sipzie and Sonic in this class. Sipzie has to run first according to running order. Sadly, Colin wasn't quite awake and miss video her run. Sipzie did well but she was too busy barking at me and didn't look ahead and went under jump and knocked some poles! Because I handled Sipzie so badly, I nearly messed up my run with Sonic as they were two pull through (my favourite, NOT!), I wasn't plan to do the 1st pull through like what I did in the video but good Sonic save me by winning the class over 7 seconds!

Next up was Sizzle in the Graded 6-7 Jumping. He started it off a bit slow but he speed up, as you can hear my audience said "oh ... bad luck!" but he was a very good boy and ran well.

Next, Sonic in Graded 4-5 Agility. This show is all about pull through. I don't remembered there is NO pull through in the classes I ran on Saturday. Almost every single class has at least one pull through! Well, it looks like pull through is still my weakest link!

Next, Sizzle in the Graded 6-7 Agility. This is not an easy course. There is only one clear round in the Medium height. The judge set a very tight course time! I am so glad Sizzle ran clear and in the course time! Phew! We came 2nd in this class, just behind Sizzle's mate Keanne the pocket rocket :)

Next, was Sonic's Combined 4-5 Agility. This was a very challenging course. The beginning was a challenge already. I was planning a ketschker turn but I failed. Sonic was very gobby, he would not listen but just barked! At the end, I have to carry him out as he was too busy barking and not looking ahead :( I felt terrible after I carried him out as I have never done that to him. I was worried that he is going to associate this with agility but after that in the Combined 1-7 Jumping, he wasn't worried, he was still eager to go. Phew! He got a 5th place in this class :)

Please excuse Sipzie barking in the background, that made Sonic looked back to check on her!