UKA - Rivi's flying high and Zev's first agility adventure

I debated with myself whether to do this UKA show, it would be weird going without Marc, can you believe in all the years I have done agility, I think I probably have only done around 4 shows without him. But I thought it would be nice and low key, the venue is lovely and the weather forecast was dry.

It was totally mad. It is the first time I have attempted five runs with Rivi, and it was manic, booking in, the guessing which class would get to Rivi’s or Zev’s class/height first. Rivi was a Beautyoli and won 4 of our 5 Novice classes. I was on cloud nine. I am such a kid, I get so excited when we achieve a first place, actually I get excited about handling something well, let alone achieving an rosette! Hence the picture....as the thrill just does not diminish.

I could have kicked myself with the snooker, as Rivi was going beautifully and then I heard the whistle and thought ‘last jump’. I should have thought ‘weaves, last jump’. Still only the second go at snooker and the judge was lovely and sympathetic. Oh what a doughnut. I think I will have to have a lesson with someone who is experience in Snooker, as the rule book makes loads of sense until I read the section about the snooker! I also think the more I do the class, the more the rules will make sense. A classic ‘chicken and egg’ dilemma. So that is a project for the winter, get to grips with snooker. Thank you, Babyoli.

Now the Zev was brill I had just run Rivi, and Zev’s class was closing. "Yikes", there is no way I could miss his first one. I ran with Rivi to the ring, explained I was going to get Zev. The lady said the class is closing. So I explained I just had to run in another class and will go and get him straight away. Poor Rivi, straight back to the van. Poor Zev, rushed from van to the ring, plonked on the start line and off we went. It was a good big course, just how I envisioned a steeplechase. I got Zev ‘e’d’ as I pulled him off a jump after the tunnel, but it did not matter. He ran like the wind, was so responsive, hence the ‘e’ and made me feel so alive. His second class, was another steeplechase, now this course was real clever in how the line of jumps was set, and driving Zev round, we had more close shaves with the jumps than Wallace & Gromit. But I was thrilled with how he attempted to change his line, understood the rear cross cue and also did a reverse turn and he ran and found his cool kong and did a little lap of honour. And despite the zigzagging we still came 2nd! We had a really good laugh, as it was such fun. I wish we had the day on video....

What a day, I was beaming so much, my cheeks ached, so chuffed with my guys, it was good to be smiling again. And Nuts really enjoyed getting treats off new people he met. He is such a cheeky charmer shoving his nose at people’s pockets! In his defence, he keeps getting rewarded for the said behaviour ;-)

So life goes on....

Grief is a weird thing, and I agree that those who offer the profound wisdom. Which is that it lets us know we have loved. And we Wynne's are lucky for knowing much love. And yes life's relentless march forward continues on. No power to put the world on hold for a while.

So we look to the future and our hopes for journeys yet to be taken. One such adventure is having a pairs partner for Rivi. Can't be Marc, as he already has a pairs partner! This photo, introduces my friend's lovely youngster Envy out of the last Nedlo litter (Dot x Will) who is going to be Rivi's pairs partner.

So we have loved.....

So we have loved and so we have lost.

The inevitable day came and our hearts broke once more.

In loving memory of Tri, Marc’s very special girl.

Vanitonia's Mister Big - A celebration of his first year

Well, well, well our little Mister Bigs has just celebrated his first year. If you know us you’ll know that Marc is well and truly smitten, as am I. This fantastic little dog, has packed more adventures into one year than most do in a lifetime. My only question is why did I wait so long to get Marc one? Oh yes, because I would have been entirely grey by now! ;-)

August 09 - KC and DINAS

The KC came and went in a blur. I had ‘glue’ legs and run some elements of courses really nicely and then scuppered me and Rivi at the last hurdle, or anywhere in between. As someone said “what a fantastic save” for one particular round – bugger, I had a blip in my flow ;-) The KC is mega large, with the finals run whilst other classes are still going, so unless you give up runs to watch them you miss them. Which is a real shame? Finals should be exactly that, and I would like to see a lap of honour in finals and champs, lets celebrate achievements. I feel a campaign coming on. Till I caught up with some blogs, I was literally ‘Clueless in Seattle’.

Then we leave early on Sunday, more missed runs, so that we can be ready to help at DINAS. This is a fab show and this year was the best we have enjoyed. Critical decision reached and made to put house on market and get moving with our new direction. I’m so excited, tinged with oh f..k/oh s..t I had meteorically ‘hang on to my hat’ as life is about to hit a new phrase of ‘roller coasters’. However, I’m ready to take the risk, we are young enough to start over, so the reckless, the brave, the foolhardy, dutch courage, but no regrets stage is to commence.

In between this, I was still trying to do Rivi some justice handling wise. And low and behold, Rivi is learning to bust a gut for me, and won Grade 4 Agility on the Weds, so we are now grade 5. I know many of her sisters/brothers are tripping the light fantastic and are grade 6 already – way to go guys and congratulations. But what can I say, my Superoli is just that for me and we continue to build as a team and our journey is great fun and full of twists and turns. On one course I remembered the SG saying on her DVD, the ‘perfect rear cross’ you won’t end up behind. And damn we did it good. Her poles were super and I have LO to thank for that, on how to teach entries is really hitting home. Nuts were great, Rivi’s are taking my breath away.

We have learnt some new ways of walking courses for Raz, we realised he hit a couple of poles as Marc was on his blind side, and he turned his head to locate Marc and jump at the same time. Or if the sun is directly facing a line of jumps that can make his jumping judgement a bit haywire. Like Tri, we know we are on borrowed time, but we are just trying to saviour the moments and grab the joy of the doing and the being.

Then ‘crikey ’ at our next show my Zev, will be competing. Yahooooo!