Finishing on a high.....and starting on a high...

Zev and Christine - Olympia Medium KC Stakes 2014

After our Autumn break in October, where we switched off from the agility and had some R&R, the plan was to ease back into training in November. However Zev, suffered his first ever attack of pancreatitis. The dramatic quickness of how fast his health deteriorated was scary. Thankfully swift veterinary intervention, modern medicine plus Zev's and mine determination he recovered, with just one small set back. In short, I have learnt caring skills I have never needed previously. It was a real shock to the system. In a year of having to say goodbye to our beloved Nuts it was a massive downer.
But as always we focus on looking forward.

Marc & the guys and gals - Christmas 2014

 In December I got a phone call, from the organizer of the KC Agility at Olympia - Medium Day,  Zev and I were one of the handlers being called up. I knew he was fit enough as I had worked to maintained that.  Our original qualifying run was paw-perfect, however as agility goes despite this, we were just outside the places, which is the way it can go. We were the only Sheltie in in the Olympia medium event. As always we just have to go out and run our best and as the sporting expression goes "It ain't over 'til it's over" by Yogi Berra. 
At Olympia on the Medium day we achieved a 5th in the jumping and a 4th in the agility. In many ways I felt like I had won, with Zev just being Zev, his recovery, the fact that he had only returned to agility just two weeks before, his enthusiasm, his and mine's performance, how we handled the whole event. 
I remained composed and calm even with running first in the evening final, I worked every obstacle and maintained handler focus. Sure there is one turn I felt that could have been improved but heck at the beginning of November I did not know what the future held for Zev far less to have the joy of running him again. To run him in front of such a great crowd  I was on a high and Zev had a brilliant time too. A friend said we will always be an excitable team the difference is I am learning to control it and channel it more consistently. A wise friend indeed and very true.

As always for Christmas and New Year we have lighted candles and remembered the loved ones no longer by our side to celebrate many good memories and the fact that we were fortunate enough to have had them with us for part of our journey, however briefly that has been.

That said we finished 2014 on a high.....so here's to looking forward to 2015 and making the plans, ambitions and dreams for that year and beyond a reality. 

Agility Dreams.....Agility Champion OBay Tiz Wild

Its peculiar you know, in my last post on the 4th August, I talked of agility dreams and goals, of making them real and pushing for more. At KCI, the premier show of the agility summer season, we had two off courses, a beautiful run in the Olympia semis, that unfortunately was not quick enough against other competitors and in the British Open, we again had a beautiful run but Zev, uncharacteristically had a pole down. In competition this is incredibly rare. 

I was wondering when all the improvements I had made to our fitness, technical skills and team work was gonna start to pay off. I focused on my processes despite the season being really in many respects our worse season ever on paper, In my heart and even my rational mind, I know we have improved and I needed to stick to the journey I had set us on. It would have been all to easy to quit and go back to tried and tested methods and not stick to the new processes I was working on.

I needed a boost very much. The process of working towards Zev's agility title had become harder than I though it would be. I was beginning to doubt myself, even with the prestige of being on Agility Team GB. Too many times there was 'if only' scenarios this year, the competition has gotten tougher and I wondered would all our improvements would ever be enough?

The day of the Welsh Kennel Club Championship Agility Test arrived. I focused on my mental game, kept reminding myself of my processes that I was working on and how to handle the courses for both me and Zev. We were clear in the agility and jumping qualifying rounds. Our placements meant that we would run the final run - last but one. I gave up running my dearest Bear to concentrate on Zev, as their runs were too close together. I need to be fully focused on Zev. On to the start line I knew I needed the run of our life and told myself to concentrate on the processes. Another clear it was an excellent run but would it be good enough???? There is so many factors to this and to my total jubilation we won. This  was this was our 3rd Ticket win aka Challenge Certificate, an agility dream come true. Zev would now have the title of Agility Champion.

Marc has put together the following 2 mini movies made with imovie. The first is a celebration trailer and the second movie shows our runs.

The first time I watched tears welled up and I thought of so many things such as that my beloved Nuts was not around to see this happen, that me and Zev had done it, how lucky was I that Bernadette and Dennis Bay had entrusted me with one of their precious sheltie puppies.  How lucky am I that my resilience 'kicked in' and I kept on going and working at the processes and Team GB pointed me in that direction...

Sometimes Agility Dreams Do Come True..........

European Open & FCI Worlds - Here we come :):):)

Doing the Double - Lansdown - Crufts Singles - 2013

Every so often in life that are just what you hoped and worked damm hard for. Almost two weeks ago we got the news that not only Marc and Mister Big had made the team for the EO - Hungary and the FCI World Championship but Me and Zev had too.

The excitement has been immense. With Marc and Big, they have been before to the Worlds both WAO and FCI events and achieved so much, but for me and Zev, it has been a while coming. The first year we tried out, we were no way ready, we had not even run a champ class I don't think it was the year of null points. The second year I had exams on tryout date, the third year we made reserve for the EO and no team was going to the Worlds as it was in too complicated and costly being in South Africa. I was so so frustrated. This year, Zev was 6 and I felt if we did not do it this year then it was unlikely we would. 

The KC press release explains all. It was an incredibly tough weekend with 7 runs in all including a team event. The courses by Italian judge, Paolo Meroni, reminded us of why we find agility so exhilarating - technically demanding and swift for speed, this was indeed agility courses at their best. The squad and team selection process is managed by Mark Laker and his thoughts on team selection can be found at his blog.

The challenge with agility now as the standard and demands of agility are growing all the time, it really means having to put in the grunt work to achieve it. Agility is becoming so much more like other sports, quite rightly with the physio and fitness for both handler and canine partner, the skill sets, the mental toughness or focus required. Some have the good fortune to be naturally talented, like Marc who can just run, he does not have to work at it, I have to do two sessions a week specifically focus on running and running dynamics to achieve what he can just do. That is not to say Marc does not look after his fitness, but it just comes more naturally and with far less effort.  But despite this additional pressure we think ultimately it will be good for agility as a sport and good for us.

It all feels very surreal and totally brilliant so say your representing your country in a sport that really consumes our life in so many positive ways is for me a dream come true. Marc would I dare say is pleased ;)

So here we come :):):) .....this should be one heck of a ride...........

KC International Festival - Aug 12

This was a great weekend, the new location of Rockingham Castle was fabulous, better camping, better views, better walking with the dogs, better surface in the competition rings and a far more relaxed atmosphere. The only downside was for some strange reason the KC did not use rubber contacts.

On the Friday, Zev and I won the Gr7 medium agility in the main ring and the judge explained that Zev and I posted the 3rd fastest time over all the heights. It was so nice that Bob Griffin the judge took the time to explain this and for Zev living on the edge with me..here is the run..

Marc and Mister Bigs had a weekend that went so very well. They qualified in pole position for the Small KC British Open Final due to coming first and second in the qualifying rounds. They then won the final..a great birthday present for Marc..from Biggles.

Plus, a birthday bonus as Marc and Bigs were also in the small England Team in the Nations Cup, running with Selena Bray and Daniel Croxford. Which the 3 and their dogs did England proud and won that also. How brilliant Mr Big was all day, taking it all in his stride and he so luvs the attention and hype around the events, and he was still posing for photos at 7pm in the evening.

Plus, plus I brought us a set of jumps, long jump and tyre from Doggyjumps as I was so frustrated with not having them at home. And there was some fabulous courses put up by Barrie James, Simon Chandler, Bob Griffin, Antonin Gryar and the British Open Finals Course (judges name was not listed on ring plan) which we want to try out at home, to work out best handling strategy for particular elements. It was just such a good event to have the opportunity to see some of the European handlers as some of their handling and also their dogs we greatly admire and want to learn more.

The Tryouts and null points...

Saturday only running Zev was odd, and we only had one clear. The other run he was going clear but  the release on the dog walk was not optimum so I asked the judge if we could do it again. And the judge kindly agreed. What a nice understanding judge :-) I keep throwing runs when I should be collecting points!

Then the tryouts loomed, what can I say, me and Zev had some uncharacteristic blips, which no matter as I was only taking him for the experience of trying out. Zev was so good with all the hanging around and me having butterflies of excitement. I was so proud of him. He is just such a nice dog to have at your side.

For the first time ever, I have gone to the tryouts and achieved no points. Blinking heck...but hey the next time we go the only way is up as you cannot achieve minus points!!!! It was like being in the Eurovision song contest.  I think this was disappointing in terms of that but in terms of running Zev I had a lovely time and he is such a babe, and his stamina was awesome. Whilst I was very careful due to the heat and other factors when we returned to our camp, he was like "yeah, time to have a riot" and I had to say "hey Zev your human is wilting",

The bonus was watching some great teams, including Zev's momma Zen and Bernadette qualifying again. Way cool :-) and congratulations to all that qualified.

P.s Mr Big had some great runs at the show and next week has his first grade 6 show and Zev has his first champ class. And hopefully, Rivi will only be out of action for another two weeks as she is BORED...but being a real darling and has not even taken the bandage off, which considering her one of her nicknames is 'princess pea' this is a relief.

Easter ....wooohoooooooo..........

Well, smack and bam did our guys exceed all our aspirations and hopes for the Easter Weekend. Bigs is now grade 4, Zev is now grade 6  and Rivi had 2 wins towards grade 7.  It was just surreal....I am still in a dreamy daze and I was actually very emotional as I am now getting so near to one of my goals which is being in Champ classes with my guys. I used to luv stepping on that start line with Nuts and thinking 'yeah, game on', learning that nerves are adrenalin and priming me for action - what a thrill.


One of the courses Rivi won was a real Grade 7 level as the 6 and 7s were running over the same course, and I was so chuffed as at one point I felt myself going to fall over and I mentally told myself 'you are not falling over, it is going too well' and blimey I did not and we won. Watch the video and you see the recovery.

Agility it is just so amazing how the guys continue to improve, get faster and even little Bigs on his first run his contacts were considerably slower than at training. But with each day the performance of obstacles improved. And that is gratifying knowing that so much more fun is still to come. And all I remember are the ones that went right, as so much went right and the 'if onlys' binned and forgotten. I am so glad I retrained my brain to think and focus on the positive. Those pesky 'doubting thomas's' are now very few and far between and have become more of an analytical tool. 

This weekend at home - in a day dream and much achieved and Marc cooked for friends - he has got the hang of the electric cooker, more so than me ;-) However, I am excellent at pouring the wine.

Blogging with a smile :-)

We went to the Border Collie Club show today, I guess it may become the midland equivalent of mid-downs in the south to kick off the season, and we got through the day pretty damm good, Raz was happy to be with us for walks and checking ring duty. This is a very important duty and keeps ours guys that don't compete actively involved in our day, the other is collecting rosettes duties. So it is a busy day for all the guys.

Well me and the Rivioli, what can I say, she is going up a gear and showing more keeness and determination, I wanna run her again and again. So looking forward to Easter and having several days of competition and getting back into the groove. The Zev makes me feel the same, managing to gain a 2nd and a 3rd in combined classes. I was so chuffed at the improvement and know that there is more to come. I did get told that Shelties just run the speed they do at agility and you can't change it, well Zev is a sheltie and his speed is increasing. I just thanked the person for the info and smiled :-) perhaps me and Zev are unique. I do not know? But I would have thought with the right training and appropriate value reward, improvement in performance would be possible, sport is about improving and enhancing unless there was a physical, emotional or psychological reason why that would not have an impact...sure is food for thought.

Good weather, good company and great dogs. Met a young dog that was beautiful and so like Nuts, I was wow, wow and wow. Enough to put a smile on anyone's face, Summerwick is right 'Happy Days'... the gloom is lifted :-)

p.s Zev is now two, and it fab that Bernadette photos them so young, you can see Zev has gone from cutest puppy to most handsome sheltie :-) how lucky am I - loads...how bias am I...totally....

Dixie's spring afternoon

Its weird, how life goes  on...Loobie being gone is just so so odd. I did not know her as a youngter...I was just getting to know Lesley towards the end of Loobie' agility career, and I wondered is it to soon to post but Marc took these photo's this week and for our guys's life simply goes on. They might know I am sad, but their simple appreciation of the small pleasure's in the garden on a sunny spring afternoon was so good for the spirit. I had missed the entire thing (working!) so Marc captured on photo a brief insight to one afternoon in Dixie's puppyhood. Seeing the photo's and their captured moments of play and bonding, did make me smile briefly once more.

Dixie Licks .....paws under the table

Well, the Dixie has settled in fabulously well. She has now had her injections, so feel that we can breathe a bit easier. She has already been to a party with her mate JD and had a great time, she really enjoyed the fuss and playing with JD and then settled into a nice sleep in Marc's arm. We have friends for the weekend and again she took it in her stride and wags her tail in a well cute way when saying hello, just like in a cartoon. There should have been a pretty slide show to review the 4 weeks she has been with us. But for a very pretty border collie we have not got many at all that are any good!

I think it is fair to say, she has her 'paws well and truly under the table' so to speak. She seems to understand that Raz might not always see her, Zev is being a fabulous role model with playing nice and having good manners. I am blessed with Zev that he has taken on that role in the pack, as that previously was Storm's role and it is a really important role when living with multiple dogs. I digress; Dixie can work things out real damm quick, and can shot through doors quick too. She has learnt sit for her dinner and that being called in from the garden is treat time. She is playing puppy tug games with Marc whilst the others run around, which is great as like with all our puppies we don't believe in shutting them away from the others. We are lucky that we are able to do this and it is what suits us. I was advised to keep Storm separate and it was the worst advice I got. I found it stressful and unnatural and I am sure Storm did too. We have evolved a way of just having our puppies with the adults and they learnt we are the key. I just wish I would apologise to Storm for all the times that I took the advice that I now realized was so wrong for us. Hindsight great for learning; but has a toxic side effect of guilt tripping. Dixie is only in her den when we are out and they are not supervised, that way focusing on us is normal and distractions are normal too.  Hopefully not famous last words, but heck it has worked with all our others ;-)

Dixie...Welcome little girl to the Wynne's Household and our thanks to Lesley Olden, breeder of the Nedlos for entrusting us with another :-)

Shelties in the Limelight at Newton Heath

What a day, Friday the snow was so thick in the morning, we thought ‘oh no show’. Friday Night it cleared so on to Newton Heath we go. As you see from the photo no snow. It was a lovely sunny crisp day. And there was some great results Zev won his Medium Grade 4 Agility to go grade 5 and then we did a lovely jumpers round and won that too. What was extra special was Sizzle who is Zev’s buddy did exactly the same in Small Grade 4. These shelties were rocking, with two excited and extremely chuffed handlers. As you can see from the photos they are two stunning tri shelties and Zev’s birthday is the 8th March and Sizzles is the 27th March, so it will be great to watch their progression over the coming years.

My Babyoli was super, unfortunately her pilot had a tiny blip and at that speed it had an impact;  but what the heck the great stuff was she was a happy doggy, and was motoring and did some fab stuff with me and it was just joyful to be running with her. Which is really exciting for the coming season and I think she is ready to start learning more technical stuff for grade 6. The courses set by the judges were excellent. And it would have been great to do them again. No vids as the camera/video thing was playing up! How disappointing is that!

A special mention must go to our Raz, who with Marc came third in the Gr7 agility, not bad for our one eyed boy. He continues to amaze us with how he gets round. But Marc is getting used to analysing it from Raz’s vision perspective and as long as Raz is safe and happy we will let him do it. The sight issue has affected him far more in daily life, and we are so glad we have moved before he loses his remaining vision.

Then the weather today is back to, well the photo says it all. Surreal that it cleared for one day for us to go to the show.

A Whirl of a Weekend - doing agility!

Well it was a whirl of a weekend. We had just moved and really could have done with being at home. But no we could not, Zev had a OBay training session with Lesley Olden, and I just could not miss it. It is is lovely to train with the other OBays as on one hand its nice, relaxed and supportive; and on the other everyone determined to train well, work hard in a really positive way. Mass tugging, happy shelties, happy owners :-) Great and to be honest I worked so hard I was in a total dizzy whirl in my head, good thing the session was finished off with a human reward of a pub lunch....

Lesley set some great segments for us to analysis and work out different ways of handling for maximum speed. Some of it was a little advanced for Zev and Me. As I said I need to work out some stuff to train my handling and Zev's responses let alone think of handling it competitively. But I was thrilled with my little big man. Interestingly with Zev our times on segments for different ways of handling and routes for Zev did not alter the times that much and more often not at all. No video as Marc was busy bonding with Dixie and looking after the other puppies and our guys, so that Lesley could deliver the training session.


The videos are from the next day which was a TinR event also at Lesley's in her lovely 'shed'. With TinR I try to tackle it as if competing and then suddenly launch the reward. However for blog purposes I have just showed the runs where we did the entire course. Chuffed with it all but hi-lights are Big taking his first TinR event all in his stride, Rivi for the commitment she is starting to demonstrate and Zev for starting to swiftly stride out and work on ahead. Bring the agility season on :-)

And the final whirl of the weekend, little Dixie joined us in our journey :-)

Going stir crazy...

The blinking weather is now seriously curtailing our fun. The ice forming under the bed of snow makes activities with the guys a real hazard. I really quite envy their grace and agile movement in the snow. There is me plodding along in clompy boots and ski suit, muttering…”fricking ice, fricking ruts in the ground hidden by the snow”. Sliding all over the place as the snow was so soft, leaving my clompy boots to find the ice. Hmmm my good humour deserted me, I apologised to the guys but they were so busy having a whale of a time, they had not noticed my mutterings. Good thing no one else was about, I would have been ‘carted’ off or getting seriously weird looks. It was with this rant going on in my head; I thought I should be so excited but instead...

I’m so frustrated

Going stir crazy

Ice hazards worthy of ‘Mario’ world

Causing havoc on our world

We wanna play

We wanna train

But it’s a no go zone

We do the mini indoor stuff

And goof around

But tis no substitute for letting loose and ripping around outside….

Then Zev, looking so frigging handsome in this shot and its a partial frame!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zev – Jumping at Rugby Christmas 09

The video is of Zev at Rugby, I realised after the show he had kept company with grade 7 dogs, as the class was combined. Even with Zev’s “whoa, we actually doing agility at a show, I’m gonna do the bestest wait in the whole world!”. It was like starting all over again and we even pulled off a ‘back flick away’ coming out of the tunnel :-) It was certainly a flick-flacks and tunnels ‘r’ us type of course, with inexperience on our side - well Zev's side - I was so proud of him.
So bring on the 2010 agility season I am so looking forward to running Rivi and Zev. And from April I will have the fun of watching Marc run Mister Big débuting on the agility scene. Oh yeah...bring it on....

 
Loving the Christmas holidays, such a shame it only happens once a year.

Weeheee - fun in the snow

Why the snow sends the guys into orbits of sheer joy, I don't know. But they certainly made me smile with their antics, running around with a bit of conifer trimming. It was hard to keep them in view!

Oh no…rusty-i-tis creeps in.....

Dammit, went to Rugby Christmas show and having not done a show for 2½ months meant rusty-i-tis was surely showing with me. As my focus on jobs and house stuff, meant I felt like the tin man from the Wizard of Oz, where is the oil when you need it? Just the split second timing of ‘outs’ and ‘change of direction’ signals… hmmm I did train the guys to be responsive. Which is of course the upside to all this :-) Rivi does stuff that just sends me into ‘floating on a cloud’ land even on a course that I ‘glitched’, and I’m really excited about competing with them both next year.

I vowed to Marc, we are not having such a break in future. Which was a bit dramatic, as we have always had time off and pretty much have most of the winter off; I liked the balance. However, the way I was I don’t think that I am going to be able to if I want to raise my game. Zev, bless him it was like doing his first show all over again, he came 7th in a combined class of 81 dogs which was not bad at all. I confess in this posting I am being picky, and don’t get me wrong Zev and Rivi had a fabulous time, and were none the wiser about their handler’s glitches. Interestingly even with just two runs each they found it mentally a very tiring day out. Which is another element of the dreaded rusty-i-tis affliction – out of practice with the hanging around and mega loads of stimuli going on.

So I am now on a mission to banish the rusty-i-tis, it will be erased until a memory no more; my movements will be perfected, my signals clear and timely, shows have been entered – well one a month. Just to keep me and my guys ticking over and ensure the banishment works ;-)

Hmmm, but Christmas is a coming, might still have the time off, after all…..

Zev caught on video by OBay Shelties :-)

Well, I just had to link to this video that OBay Shelties had done of Zev at training whilst on the birthday celebration. He is so full on and passionate, and luvs his cool kong and doing his agility.  I could wax lyrical all night about my perfect wild man....and I could dance all night.....see the OBay Blog for videos of his great litter mates.

An OBay Weekend :-)

What a special treat for Zev and I really enjoyed it too. Due to the some of the OBay girls celebrating 1st birthdays, we got to go down for the weekend. See the OBay blog for pictures and notes. I was so pleased with Zev it is the first time we have stayed away without the others with him. He was the perfect gentleman apart from getting me up at 2am in the morning, just to check that he was not missing any action!!!!!!!!!!! Ohhhhh me and 2am in the morning are not a well made match at all. He let his hair fly with the customary “wall of death” around the lounge as he got very excited playing with Itz and Zaz. The training session was good for us,  I really liked the way Johanna set the session and gave explanations about the reasons for tackling a sequence of obstacles. That meant I could relax, enjoy and think ‘game on’ to trying a different way to handle a sequence. As someone who loves the speed and freer style of some handling combinations external to the UK, it was an opportunity to be seized. It would have been great to have done it all again with Rivi, Johanna I need a large dog training session – pretty please. There was that many dogs in the house that afternoon, and it fantastic how much laughter and fun was generated just by watching all the shelties having a great time.


To the OBay Gang, thank you for a fabulous time. Needless to say Zev was also very excited to be back home with the others. The photo shows him luring Big into a chase game, before rain stopped play…..

Stage 2 continued and Mr Big's Rite of Passage

The Hunt is on….This is hard going and entirely self inflicted, I know. I am now in the world of chases and searches, and then that darn elusive prey – ideal house and job. Have some tantalisingly close. Ultimately they will be caught. But with something as fundamental as house and job close does not cut it, it needs to be pretty much perfect. And really, where do we want to live. The harder we think and research the more confusing it becomes. On the bright side, it is entertaining talking to the new people I meet estate agents, recruiters and home sellers.

Then I have looked at large gardens and thought b-gg-r these would be to hard to maintain, during the summer, but I don’t want a small garden. What I want is a 'tardis' garden. All petite and then when you need it – you open a door and magic a big garden appears. Hmmm……may need more astro turf. Maybe will just go for a garden of around 100ft. More practical, methinks. Buying your house with your dogs in mind too, makes house hunting a whole different ball game. Perhaps what I think I want and actually want are two different things?

Big has now progressed to ‘adult weaves’ and he it looking good, he is trying to go so fast he practically skids!!!!!!!!!! The 2x2 have been packed away. He has now hit teenage hood well and truly. It was real funny yesterday, after a particularly good riot with Zev and Rivi round the house and garden, he charged into the lounge, leapt on to the footstool and started to pee, I was shocked in a bemused way. I said ‘Mr Bigs, excuse me” and he promptly jumped off and cocked his leg against it. Ha ha, the rite of passage, he has cocked his leg for the first time and Marc missed it. I have nicknamed the youngsters the Gusto Kids – because everything they do is with such gusto - like this photo of Zev, about to destroy one of his tuggy toys.

Aren’t they funny and fun, at the same time?

Really, really the end of the Season or Start of the New?

Crazy really, we agreed to do this weekend of shows, as Beacon had not qualified a team for Crufts which is really unusual. So off we headed up to the north, and which I really enjoy. Due to Zev’s and Rivi’s wins last week these shows would be “freebies”. And they did some great stuff and I tried to ‘push’ my handling and so a mixture of rosettes and trophies and off courses. But I nearly lost Zev in the soft tunnel in one run, rather than driving through the middle, he took to the edge nearest to the side he would be turning and as a result, he was struggling to move in the rather narrow funnel he created – a bit of a sideways scrabble! Phew a few seconds later he came out ok, bit of a worry at the time.

All season I have not done teams apart a team run at Burridge – zero expectation of Rivi and a great outcome an awesome run. Two reasons really I was not ready to put our partnership under the agility spotlight in that sense and because my main focus with Rivi this year was been to build the game of agility and create the hype and confidence that no matter what else is happening her focus is on the agility and me. This has progressed well enough to make me think, yeah we are ok to step up now. Its taken from last November 08 to September 09 to get to this stage. At Bromsgrove she qualified for the Adams Derby, so thought “ok, game on”. Nuts was a great team dog, and I use to luv running forth, the need to get it right especially if the other 3 had gone clear. However, now days it’s a relay rather than four individual runs, I have become rather ambivalent about it, as it is just not the same, don’t know why. I digress, after all the travel, Rivi’s team was 'scratched' so we did not end up running, so me and Rivi are now on the transfer listing and looking for a team to join ;-) ha ha……or not as the case may be. Can’t quite make up my mind about it all!

Season draws to an end - Part 2

Then the Zevman, what can I say, we had some real if onlys. You see on this jumping vid. He turned so tight on a pivot he came through the tiny gap between the jump wing and me. What a good boy to be so tight and that just shows inexperience in us as a team. But low and behold lets boogie as we won the grade 3 agility, he was such an angel, doing a tunnel dog walk discrimination. He was so funny. As I decided on the strategy of start handling as you mean to go on. So I did not block the tunnel as it was on the left side of the d-w and I needed to be on the right. I did a mini pull in cue and Zev, got on the dog walk and in a flash looked at me and said “why you waiting there, we need to get a move on”, oh it did make me smile, then there was a flat left hand pole entry, did that, did the wonky line of jumps, tunnel under the d-w. Crikey, was I squeaking with excitement after that round. And further development was he is getting the play after, like I do with Rivi, I think the celebration at the end is really important and gives me a chance to say thanks to them both.

My stomach hurt, and it has not hurt with excitement since the worlds 2006. So thank you to Zev and Rivi, for giving me the perfect finish to the 2009 Agility Season. Prior to Rivi, I did not have a dog to run in agility for around 18 months so what can I say, except "its good to be back :-)"
My thanks for the season are:
-Marc, who is always by my side supporting me no matter what s..t he has going on.
-Nuts, who is also always by my side and indulges the youngest of the pack as only a grand dog can do.
-Big for being the bestest/cutest toy poodle puppy we could dream to have
-To friends for support, guidance and laughter
-To new friendships made
-Rivi and Zev – enough said
-Raz and Wings for being with us and enjoying agility
-Tri, for being a big part of our lives for longer than we could have hoped
-Beacon for being a great agility club