Last Catch up!

Ok having a rest from packing as off to the KC festival in a little while - am on a little tour - Roger does the start and the end as he has to come back for work.

Right quick re-cap - I have had mixed emotions about updating - someone at a show took the $%£& and said that Blogs were just somewhere that people bragged.....and I knew my next posting was about my little fluffy star going Grade 6........Sue put well done on the forum and so many people said well done and that was really sweet. I love all the blogs - photos, courses, videos and reading about what all our agility friends have got up to so I will still Blog and if my dogs do ok I will put it in the Blog and if anyone does not like that well don't read the Blogs !!!

Ok Lune and Barrow - I had fingers crossed for nice weather but it did not really work - we had a good break even though the weather could have been nicer - at least it was a "proper" showground so when it rained there were roadways and the ground drained well.

I judged the first day - Large 1-2 Agility - I did not know that many of the people in the class but it was still enjoyable and an Fab Springer Spaniel won the class :) Then I had Small 1-7 Jumping - Bernadette and Hex won this class - then it was Lazer Pairs with Carlos as the other judge ....mmm well some of the people seemed a bit dippy and did not even understand "indicate to show you are ready" so through the wind and rain we got there in the end!

I had decided that I would just run Cadbury how I know he can and see what happens - if he went Grade 6 then so be it....that's not bragging honest and I do know that the standard of Mediums at Grade 6 and 7 is a real different ball game. He already had 2 jumping wins so a jumping or an agility would move us up.

Well he got a 2nd in 4/5 Jumping and then a 2nd in Graded 1-7 Agility and a 7th in 4-7 Combined Agility (Dave Hutchinsons course that Bernadette talked about on her blog with the tunnel under the dog walk), then we got the win - a 1st in Graded 1-7 Agility - bless him he did a lovely run and the judge was Michael Bye who always sets nice courses (no I am not just saying that cos I won!!).

Fleet had a week of 5-fault-itis - and only one decent clear a 6th in Grade 5 Agility. Ripley had great fun in the Veterans and got some great places.

Roger got a 3rd, 4th and 6th with JaiJai - wow thats good for them they don't go clear very often! Josie had a 9th.

Next Show Wellingborough........The Saturday was Euk day so a bit more busy and on the Saturday Cad got a 3rd in 5-7 Combined Agility - really pleased with that - bless him. Roger got a 4th with JaiJai - wow they are getting consistant - Rena would have been very proud :) Josie got contacts too and a lower place in agility :) Rip got 3rd and 4th in Anysize - I am not telling him he is 12 and a bit :)

Next Stop Rugby.....Cadbury was due to due Crufts Team with Rosie and Disney, Alan and Jude, and Susie and Lucy - but while we were up at the Lakes along with Martin and Dillon when they were at Lansdown the Team Qualified - so well done to them. We were still abel to run for competition whcih was nice - Susie and Lucy were resting up for the EO so Disney, Cad, Jude and Dillon ran and we all went clear and came 1st yay. Cad also got a 1st in Medium 1-7 Graded Agility. Rip has places in Anysize - Fog still does these classes as well but he is not so fast but really it's not about the places as the look on their faces when they go and run is Fab :)

Next stop Newlands Show.....well this was one of the things that took up a lot of my time and prevented me from Blogging (yes I know I nip on and off the forum but Blogging takes memory and brainpower!) I was the Show Sec for the first time and also somehow kept all the jobs I did in previous years hmmmmm! To say I was proud that my dogs worked ok is an understatement as I really felt they got so little of my time - Cad got 1st in 4-5 Agility, 2nd in 3-5 Jumping and 3rd in 4-5 Jumping yay gooo fluffy! Fleet had 3 clears bl;ess him but messy in all of them....this was probably as I was trying to rush and he and I get flustered - the blips put us out of the places in the jumping but he got 12th in the Grade 5 Agility.

Now this next one seemed a good idea but I was cream crackered! I had entered Chipping Norton the day after Newlands - actually it was very relaxing - 4 rings and run by nice people - one funny incident with a judge who had a paddy (not with me!) and there was lots of time to watch other peoples runs while sitting around the rings. Cad was an angel - he had a very hard 1-7 Agility and he got to number 16 clear and then jumped it the wrong way (it was hard!) and missed a pull through int he jumping and did get one place a 9th in Jump and Go - weird class - a time jumping course that if you are clear you get to do the untimed agility. Fleet got 9th in 4/5 Agility and Rip got 7th in a tricky Anysize.

Really I should add some photos......as all this text must be getting dull......I did take a few on my phone in the Lake District.....but have not downloaded them yet!

Next Stop Derby Show - Fleet was in the Adams Derby Final (Novice Power and Speed) and I also I hate Newbury so off to Melton Mowbray we went - OMG it was soooooooooooo hot! I think the hottest I have ever been at a show! Fleet was ok in his final - got round the agility bit ok but then took the wrong jump in the jumping - the jumping is normally speedy but it was quite a handling course with a tricky weave entry - Pat Brown won and made it look easy!

Roger was at work on the Saturday so I could to run his dogs - there was a heat of the Adamsn Derby and I got all 3 dogs onto the power bit so was pleased about that - only one clear int he jumping was Fleet and he was running NFC ! JaiJai did a fab 4-5 Graded Agility with just one pole - there were only a few clears and he came 5th! Fleet got 9th in the Novice KC and 9th in 4-5 Jumping. Cad was running well despite the heat (not sure about me!) and was doing a lovely agility and then just had a run-by - he had a coupel fo jumping courses that were almost 4 straight lines - bless him he tried but he does not have the length of leg or turn of speed to compete against the bigger dogs on these kind of courses. He did a lovely run a 4-5 Jumping and I watched others go and was very surprised that we came 1st - I thought they looked quicker than us and the course had a few bits to work but no majoyr traps as such. Rip got 3rd and 4th in the Anysize again and Fog also got a place (10th).

Yay nearly up to date now....! Next stop Burridge -a show on a Friday - weird! Friday is my day to ty and catch up on stuff at hoem but this show was sooo local - 20 mins down the road! One ring and very laid back - I only had two runs with Fleet - no places but he did some nice bits. Roger had taken the day off to go and he got no clears :( ! Back to Burridge on my own on Saturday as Roger was at work - Cads missed the weave entry in the 1-5 Agility - he went to the number - he has never done that before! Went clear in the KC Medium but with some very good dogs there he was just out of the places. Our friend Joyce was in hospital (is out now) so she had very kindly said that I could do a couple of runs with her speedy medium collie Jovi - that dog is awesome! I had run Jovi once at training a few weeks back but only over 5 things so were did our best but we not used to each other - her best run was 1-5 agility with just a missed weave entry (as Cad did that too it must be me!). Fleet did pairs with Matt and Buddy and I was very proud that they came 6th.

oooo nearly there.......on Sunday we went to Aylesbury. The ground was rather bumpy and the weather a bit pants too! Bless him I think the ground did affect little Cad as he is not a pole knocker and whizzed round two courses only to have one pole in each. His last run was in a ring where I think the ground was a bit more even and he got a 2nd in Jumping (3-5 Graded). Rip won the Anysize Jumping - bless him it was an interesting course and he whizzed round it! Foggy came 10th. Roger did two runs each with Josie and JiaJai with no clears and I think he was then determined to go clear and got them both clear round 4-5 Graded Agility - JaiJai did what I think was the best round ever and came 2nd - the dog that won is a brilliant dog already Grade 5 and Josie a little behind JaiJai on time but still clear and came 3rd :) No places for Fleet and he did slip on a corner on one run so I checked him and came out - luckily he seems fine.

Right that is me all caugh up sorrreeeee for being so bad at updating and sorrree that there is no photos. Now off on an Agility Tour so will promise to try and update more often when I get back!

Good Luck to all our Agility Friends - especialy those in Semis or Finals. Lorna x