Chris
Premium Member
...makes me amazed at all of you who have embraced this sport! Our club, Central Virginia Shetland Sheepdog Club, hosted our first agility trial at Fly High Agility in Toano, VA. Although we are a very small club, our agility members are passionate about their sport, so all the conformation and obedience folks were behind them 100% as we took a deep breath and committed.
I was fortunate to be invited to stay at my fellow club members' river house an hour away from the facility. Just me, Layla, the guys, and 10, count 'em, 10 conformation Shelties. I won't say who, but think Westminster win 2015.
Trial Day Minus One (Thursday): Built Standard and Jumpers courses -- including fencing, etc. -- in the pouring rain. The field is laser leveled with golf green grass (mowed three times a week). It drains well, but every step was a squelch. If you have never built an agility course, you can't imagine the precise measurement, bending, lifting, stake pounding, fetching, carrying and aligning involved. The parking fiend was so sodden that three vans had to be winched out, and an RV went in to its axles. Got finished late. Soaked, despite rain slickers and wellies. It rained all night.
Trial Day 1 (Friday): Arrived at 0640. Still pouring. Facility owner made the call that to preserve the field for the rest of the weekend (not to mention about the next three months!), the first day was cancelled. Disappointing, but we had noticed that the Border Collies had started building an ark. You wouldn't believe how much work cancellation involved, nor how much it costs the host club.
Trial Day 2 (Saturday): Arrived at 0640. Sweet Lord, thank you, there is SUN!!! The owner had learned the day before that I used to be a military logistician and asked me to handle the parking. Loads of fun for three straight hours making sure 70+ cars, most with multiple overexcited barking dogs and stressed handlers, went where they were directed without sinking like the Titanic. Everyone wanted to park close. Yeah. Not happening. I quickly became known as "The Parking Nazi." Layla, who had accompanied me, lay by the gate imitating a lawn ornament.
320 runs. Most worker bees were non-agility folks. But we managed like a well-oiled machine. Change of jump height, course reset -- no problem! CVSSC folks swarmed the course like ants on a sugar cube. The kitchen served up sandwiches, salads, desserts, veggies, fruit, and snacks. Loads of cold drinks available.
Parking Nazi directed departures. The trial secretary said we finished the trial 1.5 hours earlier than she had anticipated, all because the crew had no delays turning around the courses. We struck the courses, policed the area (My sainted aunt, what a lot of dog poop in the poop cans!), and headed home.
Trail Day 3 (Sunday): Happy Mother's Day. Back at 0630. Parking Nazi walked the lot. Although much had dried out, there was still a lot of Okeefenokee Swamp left. I made the decision to put multiple dogs, same jump height and handicapped in the one close area. Everyone else, back in the lower 40. Amazingly, only one person was ticked off with me, claiming I had allowed "two of your club members to park close." Umm, yeah, that would be our Trial Chair, who was simultaneously running her six dogs while managing the trial, plus her co-chairs, doing pretty much the same thing. Oh, and was one of two on-site vets. Sheesh!! (By the way, on top of all this, she won High in Trial!!)
260 runs. 77 degrees. The well-oiled machine worked its magic. I was sad to have to leave at 2:30, but I had a four-plus hour drive home. The facility owner was so happy with us -- said we were the best club she'd worked with in the six years she'd had the place, and we were welcome back any time! Whew!!
I was so impressed with the camaraderie of the agility folks. They cheered one another, were kind to each other, and had such fun! They were nice to us "hired help" from the club and so appreciative. So many new friends now!! I learned that while I sure saw that agility would NOT be my thing, I can't wait to work next year's trial.
I was fortunate to be invited to stay at my fellow club members' river house an hour away from the facility. Just me, Layla, the guys, and 10, count 'em, 10 conformation Shelties. I won't say who, but think Westminster win 2015.
Trial Day Minus One (Thursday): Built Standard and Jumpers courses -- including fencing, etc. -- in the pouring rain. The field is laser leveled with golf green grass (mowed three times a week). It drains well, but every step was a squelch. If you have never built an agility course, you can't imagine the precise measurement, bending, lifting, stake pounding, fetching, carrying and aligning involved. The parking fiend was so sodden that three vans had to be winched out, and an RV went in to its axles. Got finished late. Soaked, despite rain slickers and wellies. It rained all night.
Trial Day 1 (Friday): Arrived at 0640. Still pouring. Facility owner made the call that to preserve the field for the rest of the weekend (not to mention about the next three months!), the first day was cancelled. Disappointing, but we had noticed that the Border Collies had started building an ark. You wouldn't believe how much work cancellation involved, nor how much it costs the host club.
Trial Day 2 (Saturday): Arrived at 0640. Sweet Lord, thank you, there is SUN!!! The owner had learned the day before that I used to be a military logistician and asked me to handle the parking. Loads of fun for three straight hours making sure 70+ cars, most with multiple overexcited barking dogs and stressed handlers, went where they were directed without sinking like the Titanic. Everyone wanted to park close. Yeah. Not happening. I quickly became known as "The Parking Nazi." Layla, who had accompanied me, lay by the gate imitating a lawn ornament.
320 runs. Most worker bees were non-agility folks. But we managed like a well-oiled machine. Change of jump height, course reset -- no problem! CVSSC folks swarmed the course like ants on a sugar cube. The kitchen served up sandwiches, salads, desserts, veggies, fruit, and snacks. Loads of cold drinks available.
Parking Nazi directed departures. The trial secretary said we finished the trial 1.5 hours earlier than she had anticipated, all because the crew had no delays turning around the courses. We struck the courses, policed the area (My sainted aunt, what a lot of dog poop in the poop cans!), and headed home.
Trail Day 3 (Sunday): Happy Mother's Day. Back at 0630. Parking Nazi walked the lot. Although much had dried out, there was still a lot of Okeefenokee Swamp left. I made the decision to put multiple dogs, same jump height and handicapped in the one close area. Everyone else, back in the lower 40. Amazingly, only one person was ticked off with me, claiming I had allowed "two of your club members to park close." Umm, yeah, that would be our Trial Chair, who was simultaneously running her six dogs while managing the trial, plus her co-chairs, doing pretty much the same thing. Oh, and was one of two on-site vets. Sheesh!! (By the way, on top of all this, she won High in Trial!!)
260 runs. 77 degrees. The well-oiled machine worked its magic. I was sad to have to leave at 2:30, but I had a four-plus hour drive home. The facility owner was so happy with us -- said we were the best club she'd worked with in the six years she'd had the place, and we were welcome back any time! Whew!!
I was so impressed with the camaraderie of the agility folks. They cheered one another, were kind to each other, and had such fun! They were nice to us "hired help" from the club and so appreciative. So many new friends now!! I learned that while I sure saw that agility would NOT be my thing, I can't wait to work next year's trial.
