Penultimate Trial

We had a good weekend up in Cato, NY! It was a four-day trial (Thursday through Sunday), but we were there for just the last two days. The site is nice--a farm about a half-hour west of Syracuse. But the weather, whew, was it ever hot and humid! Highs around 90 both days. I don't know what the humidity was, but it was very high, too. The trial was outside, and the dogs and Paula and I spent two days hanging out in the fug. Mr. D. did well, though. I kept him cool with water that I sprayed him with and by letting him swim in the pond. Saturday we had a double Q, but Sunday we had one bar down to spoil our run in Standard.

Since I bought a triple jump a few weeks ago and have worked with Darcy most days on it, his jumping has really improved! The bar that came down yesterday was not related to his old problem of taking off too early. I'm not quite sure what happened here. He knocked a panel jump (we don't see many of those in practice), set 90 degrees and very close to the A frame. I think he just took off a little too close to the jump. Anyway, we'll work on that for a bit after class tonight.

Missing that one Q on the weekend almost definitely takes away any chance we had to finish first in the Invitational qualifying. Although I've said that doesn't really matter (we just have to finish in the top five, which we definitely will), it does matter on a personal level. I had really hoped we would place first and that hope is now gone. Oh, well.

It probably seems like I'm a bit obsessed with qualifying for the Invitational, and with the sport of dog agility in general. It's true, I am obsessed. But when you spend two or three years focusing on a particular goal, you do become pretty obsessed. Otherwise, why would you be doing it!?

We have only one more trial, now, in the qualifying period. This coming weekend we'll be up in Palmyra, PA, Friday through Sunday. Then we can take a deep breath and relax for a while.  :-)

Rob