Agility Moments

There are a couple of them...
Athena's and my first weekend trialing. We finished our NA and NAJ that first weekend out, and won all 6 classes. This, after having our original trainer shut her down. I didn't think I would get her back.
An NQ run of ours is another... it was hers and my fastest run. It was beautiful. We just... slid off the table. It woudl've been a run where we won the class and beat Susan Crank's MACH8 dog, JoJo, and the mini schnauzers who win pretty much everything around here. I'm sure nobody else knew but me, but I was so proud of her.
The other was Kai's run at a recent trial where we did all sorts of distance work and layering. It just felt amazing. She ran it fast enough to be faster than every novice and open dog at the show.
 
For this year, that's easy - Actually getting to compete in a trial and see exactly what we are capable of doing as a team.

That first trial, a CPE trial, spoke volumes as we came away with 6 Qs, 5 1st place and 1 2nd place finish. It wasn't an official perfect weekend because we didn't register for 2 of the classes offered but for us it was a perfect weekend; it was like living in a dreamworld and I didn't want to wake up.

We followed this up with additional Qs and placements in our August CPE trial and again in November at our first TDAA trial. That showed the success at the initial trial wasn't just beginners luck; we really could do this and do it well.

We did have a few NQs at our 2nd CPE trial and TDAA trial but, oh well. We had FUN and worked well together. I couldn't ask for anything more from him during our first year trialing.

I wish I could have gone to more trials but, unfortunately, a number of them fell on weekends when I was already committed to something else.
 
Agility

For me it was Shadow's first time at the AKC Nationals and he was still very green going in and missed the finals because he went into the wrong end of the tunnel. He beat some of the best dogs in the country and when all was said and done he ended up in 8th place. Not bad for a young dog.:winkgrin:
 
My best was when I was 10 years old. Our class was doing all the olympic events as a way to 'track' the games and to make them mean more to us. I was the best high jumpe... you meant best with the puppies huh? nm..











(no, this was not an attempt to up my post count!)
 
We're just getting started with training, so no great trial moments for us, yet.

Our greatest training moment was this past Saturday, when we made a clean run through a sequence of 6 obstacles ...
1. Teeter
2. Tire
3. 180 to the Table (with a solid 5-count down!!)
4. Tunnel
5. Chute
6. Front cross to the Jump
 
When I was little, I had Duchess, my black Cocker Spaniel. I decided to teach her to jump. She jumped so high: ropes stretched between the fence and the clothespole, hedges, a stick, a low fence. And she do this "Grrrr-row!" sound like a karate cry that was so funny! :smile2:
 
When I was little, I had Duchess, my black Cocker Spaniel. I decided to teach her to jump. She jumped so high: ropes stretched between the fence and the clothespole, hedges, a stick, a low fence. And she do this "Grrrr-row!" sound like a karate cry that was so funny! :smile2:

I have the funniest picture in my head of a Cocker flying over a jump in a perfect ninja pose with her ears flying behind.
 
Mine was An UKC trial. I had never showed in anything but UKC at that and had only trained for a 1.5yr with Justice my first agility dog. I was running my friends Sheltie as she couldn't make it. Her dog was a speed burner compared to mine. I qualified with her and it felt like I was holding on for dear life. She ended up winning first and High in Trial(special club trophy).:smile2: The same weekend Justice went 8 for 8 in clean runs and finished his UKC agility championship.
 
Like Silaria, being able to go to trial's this year and actually compete. Not just watch. :) Granted, we didn't do as good as her, but my fav moment is during our second round of Jumpers.

The first three jumps were straight in a row, then the 4th was basically doing a 90 degree turn. 5th was another 90 degree turn (so now we're facing the way we came). 6th was smooth and a rear cross from me. Darn it. This is when Koji ran straight to the judges to say hello, probably introduce himself, and ask them if they thought he was as spectacular as he thinks he is. After lots of yelling and calling him back, we continued. I was so lost by that time, I missed all my front crosses, called him off a couple of obstacles because I was heading in the wrong direction. I am simply amazed at how moving 3 feet could throw me off so badly.

We ended the run with no off-courses, no refusals and no bars down. Our first Q ever and a 1st place ribbon to go with it. I absolutely will never forget that run. It reminds me how crazy my dog is, and how he can listen to me and connect with me enough that even though I was all confused, he did what I asked. It gave me hope and yes....the purdy blue and purple ribbons added to the addiction.
 
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