As predicted I ended up leaving a rather long gap between entries as the year went on!
So do I not bother anymore and close the Blog, do I try and be better next year or do I try to remember why I started this Blog and write about things that interest me, mean a lot to me, happen to me?
I have lots planned for the winter and even more planned for next year so it would be nice to keep a record of what I have been doing, but then I could just as easily write that in a word document.
So maybe I should try and write something that incites a reaction from people and get feedback?
Or maybe I should just carry on mumbling away and wonder whether people actually do read it or not!
So my last entry was the beginning of July – oh dear!!!
A quick over-view of the dogs for the rest of the season then………
Major struggles with swapping from ‘old’ spaced weaves to new spaced weaves week in week out – for such a big dog like Cruze it is a big ask to hit some of the weave entries they are expected to get in Grade 6/7 when they don’t where the 2nd pole is going to be.
The new spacing weaves have helped the boys get much faster, and is obviously more comfortable for them, but switching between the two has caused obvious confusion as to how to stride through them.
Both the boys end on 1 win in Grade 6 each this season and Thai is now Champ Performance and SC at UKA so he can do some Masters next year which I am really looking forward to…………….. oh no wait a minute Thai isn’t my dog next year!
It is fair to say I have struggled in Grade 6 this year, so I did as I told myself I would stay in 6 and struggle and if I was at a small show and going clear then hold my contacts (I was often not clear so not such a problem!). I do not see the point in getting all your grade 6 wins really quickly at small shows – as what do you achieve – a realisation that you aren’t quick enough or prepared enough for Grade 7! I think I’d rather learn that lesson in Grade 6 and know that my dogs are good enough against the better dogs across the country if we reach Grade 7. However Grade 6 wins are hard to come by and I think once you have proved yourself quick enough at a bigger show then why not get a slightly easier win in a small show – mind you have you seen some of the Grade 6 dogs we have in little ol’ South West at the moment?? WOW J
I don’t know that I am disciplined enough for Champ Classes and nowhere near good enough for Crufts/EO qualifiers so what would I gain by rushing to Grade 7? Where as I can gain a lot of experience, confidence and understanding in Grade 6 to hopefully make me as a handler better and in turn help the dogs be better at their job.
I know a lot of people say it’s not about the winning, it’s the taking part and for others it is very much the winning that matters. For me, I’m a little in between I’m not necessarily in it to WIN it but I am in it to do WELL in it – I am not happy if I can’t get round courses time after time, if we keep making the same mistakes over and over again, if I don’t see improvement in myself or my dogs. Agility is fun but it can easily become not so much fun when you are as emotionally involved in it as I am, and you don’t see the results you hoped for.
So Winter training is PACKED full of needs and wants from me! As Toni is well aware of!!!
Dan will be running Thai next year so that we have 2 dogs each to compete, I LOVE my Cruzer and Miss Phaze more than possible – but competition-wise I’m not sure I got the best deal!! Dan will have Magic and Thai who are amazing dogs and really very well suited to Dan so I think an exciting season ahead of them.
The amazing Magical dog has gone from Grade 3 to Grade 6 this season and up to Champ SC
Dan has plenty of Winter planning trained for his 2 dogs as well; Magic’s is based around turning and contact criteria, whilst Thai will mainly be working on weaves. His turns are something to watch and with Dan’s confidence and speed I think he will turn Thai into the dog he should have been 3 years ago.
If I’m lucky Dan will sort out all Thai’s little kinks and then I can have him back for 2013 ;p Otherwise Dan will have 3 dogs to compete in the 2013 season and I’m sure that’s not fair!
For those of you that aren’t my personal friends reading this – we got another puppy.
Completely unplanned, thought fate had prevented us from needing to make a decision but fate (otherwise known as Virginia Harry!) had other ideas and we have another Kelpie x Collie rescue added to the madhouse
BLADE
Dan enquired about the rescued litter as he had always said if another kelpie x collie became available it would be silly not to at least look, he was told the red merle girl had gone and so that was that……………….. until we get to UKA Week and hear a voice say ‘Oh Dan….. come see what I’ve got in the caravan…..’
So first morning at UKA and we now needed to get a cage and some puppy food as Virginia had brought 6 of the rescue pups with her – and low and behold there were 2 red merle girls :-o The rest is history, we have her, she is an absolute nightmare 80% of the time, and the other 20% of the time we remember why we thought it was a good idea to get another kelpie. She is smart, funny, quick, high drive and LOUD!!!! OMG Kelpies are loud!!
It will be an exciting (and loud) 2013 season when 9 of these bad boys and girls hit the Agility Circuit.
So November and the first half of December is full of training days, workshops and private lessons with all the dogs. We are going to Dartmoor Show as well next month, we weren’t going to as it’s always bad weather and orange mud gets everywhere, but Dan would like to see what Magic is like over a Grade 6 course (I personally would liked to have used it as my last opportunity to run a Grade 6 class without Magic being in it! But never mind!! LOL). I was also very excited to pre-order my iSS diary the other day so I need to go out and buy my new highlighters and start planning next season soon.
