This is Journey's 6th AKC Agility Trial, September 20,. 2014, and his first trial in Open class, for all three events. It took him less than 8 months, and 5 trial days to get his Novice titles in FAST, Jumpers with Weaves and Standard. Not bad with an old lady as his partner. I am very proud of my boy.
Look at those neatly tucked in back toes!
This trial was hosted by Portland Agility Club (one of my favorites). It was in Ridgefield, WA, at the Clark County fairgrounds and the temperature was 94 degrees in the shade. The barn was about 10 degrees hotter- so thay said. I just know it was really hot!.
En pointe.
I was a little nervous about the heat, and also the new class level. Knowing there would be longer courses on a more difficult level - knowing that the courses would be faster, with less allowance for any faults - well the question always arises for me, "can I possibly run fast enough to let him get a Q." I know he can do it as he just keeps getting better and better. I just get older :o). Having way too much fun to quit though.
So we began with the FAST course. That is the one that has a period of time for us to collect points by taking obstacles with as many points as possible, for a period of time, then "doing the send" or the bonus. It is a series of obstacles that are all on the other side of a ribbon laying on the ground. I cannot cross that ribbon with him. He must cross it to do the series of obstacles at a distance from me. He needed two tries at the teeter. He went up halfway and noticed that I was a long ways from him. He bailed and came to me. I sent him back and he did it just fine, along with all the other obstacles too. He finished the course with 75 points, (he only needed 55) and he was under the course time. Too many faults on the teeter though. It gave me some confidence that we could do it though.
Jumpers with weaves was next and Journey did a strange thing, for him, he went around a jump instead of jumping. When I pointed it out to him, he looked like "oh, did you want me to jump that one too?" I directed him back around it and he was fine from then on. Jumpers is a fast event though, and missing the jump took extra time and gave us faults. He was 3 seconds over course time and had too many faults. Oh well, good try, except for missing that jump.
"Mom is catching up - I must really be going slow. I better step it up."
Mr. Casual
5 seconds on the table - "I got this!"
Such a nice Judge, he is really watching us.
Where is Journey?
"Boo!"
Journey likes the chute. When I trained it, we played peek-a-boo and I think he still thinks of that.
"We did it!" First Open Standard event - First Q in Open.
We are on our way and we did it at temperature of about 100 degrees. So one Q for 3 events, but it was a Clean Run and way under standard course time. Proud of us both on this one.
