Tunbridge Wells

We drove each day as Roger was judging on the Sunday and I did not fancy having to pack away after he had finished judging and take the caravan back to storage on the way home.

On the Saturday Fleet had a nice clear in Grade 5 Jumping and came 6th. He also had a messy clear in the Chum Team but some of our Team mates were not clear. Fleet came 11th in the KC Novice which I was pleased about as he worked it nicely and had to wait for me to catch up on the contacts! No clears again for Roger and his two.

On the Sunday I had three early runs - Rip had Veteran Jumping and came 6th, Foggy had a clear in Anysize, and Fleets Team were drawn quite early in the Crufts Team and we all went clear - Pia and Maisie, Sue and Millie, Nigel and Shaya and Me and Fleet. We kept popping back to see how far we had been knocked down and we hadn't the class was closed and we had won the Crufts Team - wow so pleased and off to Crufts we go - March 2009 seems a loooong way away!

Fleet did a stunning run in Grade 5 Jumping - even having to do 6 weaves on the other side which is not his strong point and if he is clear I don't tend to try but the course meant you really had to so we gave it a go. My wow and amazement continued as he went into the lead and stayed there - 1st. Yay what a Superstar Fleety- I was very proud of him :) To bring us down to earth Fleet had a messy clear in 3-5 Jumping stopping dead in his tracks at one point cos I was trying to switch behind and came 22nd! Fleet had a Grade 5 Agility which I decided not to do - I had done almost the same course with Cad for the KC Medium and the ring was like half as wide again as a normal ring - just the sort of course to make Fleet spin/bark/come back to me.

Cad missed the weaves in the Kc Medium - it was a hard entry and I thought I would let him see if he could find it and he missed out a jump in the 4-5 Jumping.

Here is a photo of Fleet with his trophies from Tunbridge and also Shrewsbury - I really tried to get a close up of the Shrewsbury one which was sooo cool and had a dog weaving inside the block of crystal.


Roger had a small breakthough in that for a change he was entered in Agility with Josie he has been on and off trying to re-train her contacts as they were so awful - she had a nice clear in Grade 4 Agility - the contacts were a little too slow ofr a place but at least she got them and he worked them well to the floor and praised her before releasing.

Vyne

Just a short post on Vyne - still trying to catch up on the last few weeks!

It was lovely to be back running Cads but I feel a bit rusty with him. Bless him he did three clear rounds - a messy 1-7 KC, a messy 5-6 Agility and a nice clear on a flowing 4-5 Jumping - he was just out of the places in the Jumping and here is a photo kindly taken by Arthur of Cad in the jumping


Fleet did a clear on a nice Grade 5 Jumping but it was a rather up and down course and he was just out of the places. He did a lovely run on 3-5 Jumping and I got 3 reverses in that I did not think I could so was well pleased with that and then we had the last pole down. He was a goon in his Grade 5 Agility.

It was Rips Birthday - he was 12 and he got placed in the Anysize and Foggy also went clear.


Roger had some nice runs including a messy clear with Josie but no places.

Shrewsbury

Fiona kindly saved me a camping space as I had Cad at the Vets in the morning and I was worried I would get there late and be parked in the back of beyond, I had a good journey there and it was a nice spot to camp with only a short walk to the rings - Ta Fiona :)

This was Cads first show back after the ear-ole issues....well even though the Vet said he was fine I ran him like a pansy in the first run thinking oh gawd if I whizz him through the weaves or anywhere and he knocks his ear I will feel awful....so he ran a nice steady clear round looking at me a bit bemused on the way round and was just out of the places. In the next run I thought lets just try and run as normal and he was whizzing round and then .....he got blown off the dog walk! He landed on his feet and seemed fine - thank gawd! He did a lovely run in the KC Medium Class till jump 18....and an E in a jumping class and the pairs. It was nice to be back running him again though :)

Now a funny story about Ruby - Kaisers Mum - due to van trouble Mark was not at the show but Ruby was due to do pairs with Sue and Merc so Marie brought her along but as she was judging that day so kindly said I could run her - Mark had said he was not 100% sure she would go with me but it was worth a try as she is always seems pleased to see me - I had 6/7 Agility first and she did jump 1, 2 and then ran away! Luckily only down to the side of the ring where Marie was judging. We did chuckle that an Ag Ch that loves agility really does love her Dad more than agility...but she did run nicely with Marie on the Sunday :)

Fleet was a star in 5-7 Graded Agility for some reason he whizzed round without looking back once and I released him as soon as he stopped on the contacts and then thought I would check my time only to find he was in the lead....argh anyone who knows me knows that I really done want Fleet Senior/Grade 6 as his handler is much too dippy and also he seems to get easily confused on stuff thats too tricky. It was a Graded Class with the grades running in order 5..6..7 and the 7's had started to run and he was still in the lead....eeek....luckily a Grade 5 then came along and beat him phew! We were very pleased to be 2nd :)

Fleet had the Adams Derby to compete in and it really was not power and speed and was renamed by me as power and pull through.....I can become a bit determined sometimes and think I will not let this darn course beat me.....one of the pull throughs was not pretty but I was very pleased to come 3rd and Qualify for the Adams Derby Final in July.

On the Sunday Tom Hadaway was judging and kindly said I could run his dog Panic as she is not registered in his name - I have never run her before and she was fab - she is Grade 4 but knocking on the door to win out with jumping wins - we came 5th in Grade 4-5 Combined Jumping and then scarily had to run in Tom's Graded 4-5 Jumping - she was awesome and flew round until one jump to go and I thought she was with me but she flew ahead over the start instead of going over the finish doh!

Roger had no JaiJai clears but he did nice bits in some. Josie got a 7th in Grade 4 Jumping and a 6th in Grade 4-5 Combined Jumping (ooops I beat him with Panic!)

Some photos taken by Mike Fairlamb on Sues camera - Oi Mike none of My Dogs! I have included one of Sues Pixie(dora) as she won Grade 4-5 Combined Agility so up to Grade 5 they went.

Catching up....again!

Ok I have been a bad blogger (again!) there just do not seem to be enough hours in the day and each time I think ah I must update the blog my brain is tired!

I will do a little re-cap fo what we have been up to.......

WBSDS another little show of 12 rings! Still no Cads to run and I do miss running the little furry chap. Fleet did some lovely runs on some well thought out courses with just a 5r (Fran Walton and David Isbisters courses), Fleet did have a nice clear on a course I did not think I could do (Ian Balchins) it was just one part that I thought I could not do and yippee we managed it - hard to describe but a snake that you came at with the handler left behind (or rather me left behind some faster on their legs peeps got in front!) and there was a pull through at the end of the snake - Fleet had a run off which he won and came 8th. Fog and Rip had fun in the clear round only anysize classes.....it's a good job I luv those pesky old things as with Wallingford and WBSDS it worked out £15 on 6 clear round only classes for them - I know they don't care if there are no rosettes on offer but I prefer it! Roger got a 2nd with Josie in 4-5 Graded Jumping - it was an erm...interesting course so it suited them well.

Cads ear....well things seem to be doing ok, he was sedated to have the stitches out and he was so happy to finally have the bucket off his head! I think the ear is still a bit tender but the Vet said that is to be expected but fingers crossed the Op has worked.

Kaiser is loving going to shows and has got to meet some of this brothers and sisters, seen his Mum Ruby and big half bro Puck and big half sister too.

Shrewsbury, Vyne and Tunbridge to follow and hopefully some photos!