Sadie had a USDAA trial today in Dover Plains, NY. We were up at 5:20 after a mere 4.5 hours of sleep (why do I do that to myself?) and on the road by about 6:15. I'd meant to leave by 6, but the GPS couldn't find the trial address, and our internet conveniently died when I tried to print the Google directions. Luckily, the site was only an hour and 10 minutes away, so we weren't late for check-in.
Our first class was Standard. She did pretty well, though somewhat disconnected. Nowhere near a Q, but not terrible considering. No weaves, no A-frame... but yay a teeter! Down on the table? No problem! The judge for that ring was really nice, too. After Sadie had clearly missed too many things to Q, she told me to go ahead and get what I could.
Snooker was next. I almost had a panic attack at the start. We got to the line, got the "Ready" signal, had the leash off, and "WAIT A MINUTE!" That was the judge, saying a bar hadn't been set. So now I have distracto-dog, on the start line, with no treats. Her attention visibly waned as we waited. Luckily she pulled herself together and ran really nicely. Unfortunately, I tried to thread her between two jumps to get back to a red, and she took one of them instead. The extra obstacle got us whistled off with a mere 9 points. If I'd been smart and run her around the jump, I'm sure we would have finished, if not Q'ed.
The third run was Performance Grand Prix. I have to say, that was a challenging course. I wish I had a copy of the course map to post, because it's tough to describe. Suffice it to say, I'm not sure I would have been able to handle it successfully. I say would, because Sadie decided to run off anyway. We only got 2 or 3 jumps, missed the weaves entirely, and got excused. I guess it makes sense to allow less leeway on the Grand Prix, but it made for a short run!
The final course was Jumpers. I was thrilled when I heard that USDAA Jumpers doesn't have weaves. It was a flowing, not terrible hard course with only one lead change. I am extremely proud of Sadie, who ran like a champ. She only had one refusal (which doesn't count in her level of USDAA anyway...) and one wrong course. And that wrong course? A million percent my fault. She was running confidently and following my directions perfectly, even when I sent her over the wrong jump! We finished strong and happy. It was definitely the best trial run she's ever had, and it wasn't even a Q. BEST. EVER.
Another great thing about USDAA? We can place without a Q! So I have a pretty blue rosette to hang. We'll just pretend the only other 22" dog didn't scratch...
Max was really good at the trial, too. He was relaxed, rolling around and sniffing all the doggies. He was moderately attentive, and getting treats for following cues. He was giddy with joy when another handler let him play with her dog. They were a great pair, and would have been the best of friends if they could have played off-leash. At the rate he's going in training and hanging out at trials, he's going to be a real competitor once he's ready to trial!
Now both dogs a passed out; Sadie from exhaustion, and Maxwell from mild fatigue and boredom. A good day all around!
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