The trials of being uninjured!

This weekend was kind of a tough, but a very exciting USDAA trial for me and Mum. Ahhhh, the trials of dog agility - the trials of being an uninjured dog, for a change!

At the trial a couple of weekends ago, Mum watched me closely, monitored my running and jumping, just to be sure that I didn't show any signs of muscle soreness, or re-injury. I had some great moments of speed, but was mostly slower in many of my runs. I was getting back to running again.

This past weekend was way different. And Mum thinks I am now totally healed, and ready to let loose, be pushed, and run my little heart out, again.

This weekend I had good speed in nearly all of my runs. In a few I even kicked it into fifth gear. Even with 6 runs on Saturday and 4 on Sunday, I still kicked it up. And Mum was happy to see it, and I was happy to be running, well, again.

But with being uninjured and being faster come fun little things like bailed dog walks, off courses, and ambition - mix that with some tricky USDAA courses, loud bonging church bells, 3 red in the front and 7's in the back snooker courses, and what do you get? Yep, not a lot of Q's. But when you get one, it feels sooooo good!

And we got one - 2nd place in Masters Jumpers. Sweet!!!!

I had six runs on Saturday - Pairs, Steeplechase, Grand Prix, Snooker, Gamblers and Standard.
Sunday I had four runs - Snooker, Standard, Gamblers, Jumpers

In Pairs on Saturday, I was paired with a fast pup. They knocked a bar, I took off like a bat out of heck, and missed the turn from the dogwalk into the tunnel, but was really speedy!

In Steeplechase I started sniffing in front of jumps and Mum started getting worried. When I came up to the spread jump, I walked over it, so she told the Judge she thought something was wrong and carried me off course. She walked me, stretched me, iced me down (because sniffing in front of jumps was how I acted when I got injured). But after that I looked OK. So Mum ran me in Grand Prix.

I looked pretty speedy, going well - and just as I made it to the weaves, the Church next door decided to bong their big, loud bells for the first time that weekend- what the heck? Well, I pulled out of the weaves. Then Mum thought we'd have some fun and run like the wind, ended up with two off courses and missed weaves on that one. So No Q.

Snooker - will we ever see a nice snooker course? This one had three reds in the front and the seven at the back again. We were sure we made it through 6 in snooker, but when we looked at the results, nope no six counted. So no Q. Huh?

Then Standard - I was pretty speedy, but back jumped a jump, Mum over rotated a front cross. Silly Mum! I've been thinking maybe she needs to get MP3 players and listen to some music, so she can concentrate more during her course walking!

Off to Gamblers. My opening was good and speedy. The gamble was a tunnel entrance that went way, way out to the weaves, didn't even see them. So no Q, again. Then it was time for Standard.

So we went home on Saturday with just a nice toy, and a sunburn for Mum.

Next day, I was still speedy. Started off with Jumpers, my favorite event. Nice fun run, and ended up with a equally nice 2nd place Q.

Ran Snooker - again, three reds in the front with seven in the back. I got really ambitious and Mum missed a Q - come, instead of here - I took two reds and off the course we went. I did just what Mum told me to do!

Standard was nice, but this was the slow run for the day. Not enough for a Q, a partial second short.

Then Gamblers, had a nice opening, pretty speedy for the last run of the day. Took the teeter in the gamble, good boy! But then it was into the tunnel (with a tunnel, frame discrimination) - Not enough umph after the teeter to get out to the tunnel. So no Q.

There sure weren't a lot of Q's for a lot of our pup friends this weekend either. And a few of our pup friends ended up with injuries - which was very sad - we know what that's like! Must have been something in the air.

But, we had fun, the weather was good, cool and sunny. We were tired when we got home, but after a little rest. I was up and ready for action. Mum gave me my toy to play with and I systematically began destuffing it. Love that!

Then I let Gracie have a go at it, but I kept a close eye on her!

Overall Mum was pretty happy with the weekend. Happy because of my speed throughout the two days. But it felt weird to come away from a trial with only one Q. Not my usual, fur sure! Better luck next time!