Lovely hot summers day today, almost too hot really although I've escaped my customary sunburn with judicious application of factor 30 suntan lotion throughout the day. I was scrime for Wendy Page who had her first judging appointment today, who set some great steeplechase courses. The beginner one at the end of the day was admittedly quite tricky, but what I found quite frustrating was how handlers kept making the same mistakes, instead of learning from the people that went before them. I guess it's particularly hard if you're fairly new to the sport, to change how you're going to run a course after you've walked it a certain way. However I would urge people to be brave and try different things out if you can see a something hasn't been working - you may be very pleased you did!
Our ring party was great fun, and comprised several of us Severnside members - Brendan Sweeney, Betty & Allen Symonds, Sarah Norman, Caz Hore-Ruthven and Helen Sharp (and partner Phil and sister Rachel). The only downside of today was the heat of the afternoon, and some people's disregard for the fact that we were sweating out in the heat in order that they could run their dogs! It's very rude not to be ready to run when you've been stood around watching the class in progress, if it makes people who have given up their time to run a ring, wait around for you. We all have dogs in our cars that need attending to and homes we'd like to get home to at the end of the day - it would be nice if delays could be avoided by people being a bit more thoughtful! Anyway, rant over, for the most part we had fun and that's what I shall remember from the day.
I saw several handlers who I've trained around the rings competing today, and was pleased by their progress reports. Best of all, Helen Sharp and Hattie won all 3 classes they were entered into - Toy Senior Jumping & Agility, and Toy Novice Steeplechase. Particularly amusing was Helen's comment at the start of the day, that the hot weather wouldn't suit Hattie. I had just 3 words for her - 'Self fulfilling prophesy'. She obviously took it on board :-)
Unfortunately it wasn't a particularly successful day in terms of trophies for Ella and I. Our first run in the Agility was going very nicely - until I pulled her off a jump, durrh! Still, I take a some great positives - she made her weaves and I was able to cross behind them, and her contacts looked pretty speedy too. Then the jumping, going beautifully until the end of a set of 12 weaves, which Ella decided the last two didn't require completion :-) Lastly the Steeplechase, where we had a bit of a misunderstanding about what our 'Out' cue is supposed to mean :-)My aims before our next show, which is SWAT next weekend, are the following:
1. Get to bed before 12am the night before - put a curfew on the husband!
2. Eat breakfast - who knows what great handling decisions I might make with food inside me :-)
3. Be focused on the show and not the other things that are going on in my life at the moment - they can rest on the back burner whilst Ella and I play 'gility (as my Aussie friends call it!)
Today I am grateful for the blessing of such a good dog, who makes it fun even when it's not all going quite to plan :-)
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