I’ve talked a lot so far about how I did, and how great my
dogs were. But there are certainly other people who deserve mention.
Firstly, both clubs did a great job organizing and running a
fabulous trial. I thought the judges were nice (and set good courses), the days
went pretty smoothly, and volunteers were appreciated. And as a bonus, there
were hand-wash stations outside the porta-potties all four days!
Next I have to thank the judges. Despite some grumblings I
overheard during walk-throughs, I felt the courses were fair. Not necessarily
easy, mind you, but fair. Both judges were patient with the new handlers. The
gentleman in particular was very classy, congratulating people on Q’s and
offering encouraging words those who didn’t quite make it. He also had a sense
of humor, played upbeat music during walk-throughs, and was just pleasant to
run for.
Last but certainly not least, I’d like to send some huge
congrats out to all my agility friends who competed with me! From the veterans
running for double-Q’s in Excellent to the woman trialing for the first time
ever, everyone did a fantastic job. I saw a lot of smiles coming off courses
regardless of a Q, which makes me happy. Even when the runs didn’t go as planned, I
saw lots of great work in the ring. People were able to reconnect with sniffing
dogs, complete obstacles that had been giving them trouble in class, and just
have fun with their canine partners.
I was especially thrilled for a classmate who had entered
just to expose her dog to the trial environment. She went in with a great
attitude, realistic expectations, and a plan. She came out with a FAST Q!
Other runs of note include, but are not limited to:
- My classmate who kept her high-energy Beardie focused on the task at hand, barely knocking any bars (a big accomplishment for him) and not mugging her.
- A friend who got a slow-and-steady Jumpers Q with her young dog, getting him more energized than we usually see on course.
- Another friend with a BC who showed quiet leadership for his dog, resulting in a quiet, smooth run.
- My tent-mate taking on the challenge of her extremely scent-oriented dog, and getting him to take the teeter like it was no big deal (he had been refusing it for a while in class).
As Mr. Trainer constantly reminds me: the goal of agility is
to have fun with your dog! Everything else is just a bonus.
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