Well the 2012 show season has begun!!
We entered UKA NADs months back, mainly for Phaze to have her first chance in a ring and do some training and for Magic to get some training runs for her running contact work she has been doing over the winter.
We have treated ourselves to a trailer tent for the show season as we could not face putting up a tent every weekend again this year! We nearly ended up not going as Dan is just too busy, we can’t use the trailer tent yet as Dan needs to book his towing test (stupid rule in my opinion!), it was really cold the weekend before so we decided we wouldn’t camp. So that was it we weren’t going. Several days later we were going again as we really did need to train some runs! Dan’s parents kindly agreed to let us impose ourselves on them for the weekend so we could travel daily…….. then I realised that Phaze was in season! So we weren’t going again! She is very secretive about her seasons! I think she is actually coming out of season rather that into season so hopefully we won’t miss too much of the beginning of the show season.
We were still umming and aaahing about whether to go or not on Thursday but decided we’d go see Dans parents (have a lovely Indian Takeaway!) and compete Saturday and decide from there.
Saturday we trained a few runs, they were all a bit sticky on the rubber contacts, but generally some good bits, I was really pleased all my hard work on cueing turns and teaching Cruze to put in a check stride before a turn seemed to be working. We had a lovely time and it was nice seeing everyone so we thought we’d go back on Sunday! We came away with a 2x 1st, 2nd, 3rd AND on the last run of the weekend; we qualified for our first Final of the year! Cruze and Magic qualified for the Split Pairs Final in December at The Hand Equestrian Centre. So very pleased with that result :o)
Dan and I have lots of plans and hopes for this year, the dogs are all working well and we hope to put everything we have learnt at SWAT over the winter into practice this year.
SWAG is going really well, so well that I have been lucky enough to be able to drop some hours at work to give me a day to work for Dan! We have a trade stand at K9 Kernow Easter show this year, well at the moment it will literally be the Marquee with us standing inside it! Hopefully we will have had some time to make a few products to put in it by next week! As well as a few exciting new products!
Blade had the chance to meet up with several of her brothers and sisters at Newbury at the weekend, they are all so similar! She is one of the friendliest pups we have ever had, no ‘Poodle Phobia’ or running away from German Shepherds either which is a nice bonus!
We plan on getting her DNA tested soon, several of her brothers and sisters have come back as no collie at all which would mean she could compete in ABC classes. Blade’s agility training has not yet started! She will be competing in 12 months time and is now 10 months old so she will begin to do some training soon.
Eco, Blade, Flicker, Vali
NAUGHTY BLADE!!!!!!
Blade and Vali comparing balls!
So it is Carn Brea on Sunday. Always a lovely show to start the year off, Dan is judging so I get Thai back for the day; cannot wait!
Then Kernow at Easter with a few more qualifiers, hopefully they go as well as the last one!
