The ups and downs of agility!

What do you think of this pic? Our good friend Anthony Mosley took this pic this weekend. He was the one taking pics of Gracie and me at the Show N Go a few weekends back. We're going to purchase it from him tomorrow!

We're late posting about our trial this past weekend, mainly because Mum is hurting still. During my first run of the weekend (which was a nice speedy Jumpers run), Mum slipped and fell helping me with a rear cross. Her feet went right and her body went left and she landed smack dab on her hip.

She felt OK after, felt like she'd have a nice big bruise. We finished out the run, and then she ran me a little later in the day in my Standard run, and even ran me on Sunday in both my runs. But come Sunday night and Monday the ouch started to really set in.

This time Mum got to go to the chiro yesterday, instead of me. And found out that she's pulled some muscles in her hip area and really bruised her tensor fasciæ latæ. She's doing better with lots of icing and some Advil; but still has some swelling in that area, a little less strength in her left hip and leg, and some ouching in her lower back on that side.

We went to practice anyway this morning, because Mum needed to see how she was feeling when she ran Gracie and I full out, since we have a trial this coming weekend. She had some trouble in the beginning, but felt better after a few runs.

So back to the trial from last weekend.

Mum's pretty bummed about falling. She's fallen in practice, but never in competition. She tried to keep me with her so we wouldn't get a refusal on the run, but it just wasn't to be. And it was such a nice little run! Even with Mum's fall taking up some seconds I still ran it it just a little over 4 YPS. Woulda been a really nice Q.

Mum led out to the side of two, and sent me to the tunnel, got a front cross in before 4 and stayed on the right of 4-6. She reared 6, which was her downfall (Ha!), then was on my left during 7 and 8, she got in a front cross before the weaves, and then pushed me out to 10. It was a straight shot from 10-13. She planned a front cross after 13, but I was speedy and she couldn't make it, so she stayed on my right and rear crossed 15 with a big come. She pretty much just stayed in one spot from 15 through 17 as I barreled around the jumps, then took a step back and ran with me through 18-19.

Oh, so wish we had that Q! It was such a nice run. Next time!

Here was our first day standard course. Not the most fun as courses go, lots of places where Mum ended up really having to work me, which doesn't make for the speediest of runs, but there were just too many off course ops, especially around 3-4. But we managed it. Mum loved my frame and turn into the tunnel, couldn't have been smoother. But after the tunnel, it was uphill to a triple, which isn't the easiest, but it worked. After falling, Mum was extremely cautious in her running so she stayed on my left from 9-11. I didn't go down very fast on the table, but 12-14 was nice, and Mum loved my turn from the tunnel onto the dog walk (the tunnel in person was actually even with the dogwalk, much safer). Mum stayed on my left from 16-17 and reared 18, then on to 19. We finished up 2nd place for this run; even though Mum didn't think I was very fast in this run.

That night Mum wasn't feeling very good, kind of sick (like the throw up kind). But we all took a quick nap when we got home, and Mum felt so much better after that. She took off to the store and got her some Merrell Moab Ventilator Hiking Shoes. So she was set for Sunday with more grip to her soles.

We started again on Sunday with Jumpers. A nice course. Mum led out to two, sent me to 3 and then front crossed before 4. She stayed on my left through the weaves, then went way out from the weaves and did a front cross just before 9 (that always makes my weaves speedier). It was a haul butt from 10-12, then a quick front cross in front of 13. Mum stayed on my left and then reared 15. She planned a nice front cross before 17, but I was too fast and she couldn't get it in. Then the line was bad and I ran past 17 - ahhh, refusal. So NQ on this one.

Standard was a tricky one for a lot of size dogs. Three to 4 was really tight and some dogs missed the up on the teeter because of it. Then the immediate turn from 6 to the weaves was tough for lots of dogs if their handlers didn't get in a front cross after 6. I wasn't as speedy on this run, so Mum decelerated at 3 and I turned right to the teeter. Since my teeter is kind of slow (still!) Mum got in a front cross after it, and then another front cross after 6. The chute didn't look obvious to many dogs, but they managed it. I was super slow in settling on the table Sunday, kept looking at the judge.

Mum led out some to 10 and got in a front cross before the frame. She let me take the frame completely independently, since she had to hurry and get in a front cross after 12 to get me in the tunnel. She said my frame was beautiful!!!! Loving that independence.

Because she was so far ahead of me coming out of the tunnel, I made my contact. She then sent me to 15. And, just like the set up in the Jumpers run, she didn't get in a front cross after 16, but she was prepared this time, and she reared 17, with a bit of a push out to 18. Not my speediest by any means. But we got a 4th place.

So after these discombobulated runs last weekend, and the fall, Mum wasn't feeling very; well not sure if confident is the word, but...it's one of the reasons she wanted to go to practice this morning, even though she still kind of hurt.

At practice during my class we worked on gambles, some really difficult ones. The first, easier ones I got right away, the harder one which was layering the dog walk with jumps about 10-12 feet away on the other side of the dog walk, took a little more practice. But once Mum got her directions clear I did great. She knows I'm a great gamble dog, if she can get her moves right.

By the time Gracie's turn was up in practice it was drizzling a lot. But they took it in stride. Gracie started off a little unfocused, but after getting wound up, she was doing her thing. She ran off once to try and play with a BC in the ring, but came back to Mum. She made her weaves well today, all but one time. And she got her Frame and dogwalk contacts today. And she was focued 90% of the time. So we can't wait to see how she does on her run on Sunday.

Ok, gotta go, Mum needs to get more ice on her hip!