Goldens at Soccer Blast: August 16-18, 2013

Friday: 8/16/13

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ifv6zmlNI
NQ – Bar on double (obstacle 2)

A little sluggish off start line, probably contributed to dropped bar on double as obstacle 2.  Nice lateral send to allow for blind cross before teeter (even though I barely got there).  Got nice bottoms on teeter and dogwalk.

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY9pYSg-EsI
100 – MXJ Leg #18 – 6 points

Big puppy sit on start line but still started with ok speed.  Wide turn on jump leading to line of jump to weaves.  Slow weaves but then kicked it down.  Nice job not taking wrong course #1 after tunnel.  A front cross that I barely made at the finish but she found a way to cross.

Saturday: 8/17/13

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxDU97qeTU0
NQ – Popped weaves

Very slow weaves.  As I tried to speed them up I got way ahead and she popped out.  I got way in front on second try at weaves and she did them all.  Weird tunnel to dogwalk combination, I played it very safe on the entry and she handled it fine.  Went around jump as I believe she was heading for the exit. 

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFSKol-K8rg
NQ – Dropped last bar.

Odd run as I thought she was jumping poorly, especially first half but kept bars up.  Weaved slow.  After weaves pace picked back up and jumping got better.  Dropped bar on the last jump.

Sunday: 8/18/13

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EmCtA7mdvQ
NQ – Ran by table, popped weave (early weave, she thought weave “bit/attacked” her butt)

Ok start, nice dogwalk to 180 jumps.  Ran by table.  I was expecting that there might be an issue sticking the table off the triple but I’m not sure why she didn’t engage it at all.  She may have thought it was tire instead.  Big speed to weaves and she managed to enter but then reacted like a pole bit/attacked her in the butt and she turned to look.

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEFrg02Bq-0
100 - MXJ Leg #19 – 9 points

Solid enough run but I still thought her jumping looked a little labored until the weaves and the weaves were very slow.  Speed and jump style got better after weaves.  Very confused if what I saw was physical or mental (since it got better after weaves). 

Chiropractor visit during the following week, she was off but not a lot off.  Still don’t know if issue was mental or physical.

St. Croix Valley at Vadnais Soccer Center: August 9-11, 2013

Friday: 8/9/13

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZjnaYoH27U
NQ – Missed aframe contact, popped out of weaves

Not an easy start getting push to panel then wanting front cross after it but she handled it great.  Missed aframe contact.  Lead out from table allowed us to handle little hidden push/pull that got a lot of dogs.  Got tough weave entry then popped weaves as I tried to pull off them early to try and set up a tough to set up safe dogwalk entry.

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GToPWjbUR84
100 – MXJ Leg #17 – 6 pts

Technical course with many issues and she ran it awesome including awesome call-off wrong course jump late in course that got a lot of dogs.  Did have a wide turn when facing ending jump on the way to weaves. 

Saturday: 8/10/13

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdZtOXeJN8M
NQ – Missed dogwalk contact, popped out of weaves

Very nice start, good speed and tight lines.  Chose an independent dogwalk in order to get turn to aframe instead of wrong course weaves but she lept off dw contact.  Because I had flunked I purposely got out in front of weaves to try them but she popped.  I got in front second try at weaves and she stayed in them.  I LOVED how she did the final three jumps, she made them look easy which they weren’t.

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGEaOLDh0CA
NQ – Dropped bar

I did front cross into weaves which was not planned or wanted but we survived with front cross after them as well.  There were some tough turns and lines which she handled very nicely as well but dropped a late bar.

Sunday: 8/11/13

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyaFBfBTv0A
NQ – Around  jump, wrong course tire

Great turn from tire to weaves while in a box, found weave entry very nicely.  Barely hit yellow on aframe but did.  Fast dogwalk.  She came flying out of a tunnel and went around a jump.  I didn’t see that issue and wasn’t ready for it.  Got a wrong course soon after but I wasn’t trying hard after the flunk.

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GToPWjbUR84
NQ – dropped bar on double, wrong course jump

Handled tough opening really well, smooth.  Slow weaves.   Dropped double when running at high speed.  I tried tough front cross before tunnel and barely made it.  I didn’t react well to her wrong course soon after, I should have been more ready for it, many other dogs did the same wrong course.

SPDTC: August 2-4, 2013

Friday and Sunday Runs By Kris

Friday: 8/2/13

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=embap1GcjW0
NQ – Two wrong course jumps, missed weave entry

Came out flying with a tunnel start (not always a good thing for her speed).  Great speed all along. 

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m539FzcvgcI
100 - MX Leg #7 – 12 points

Near wrong course aframe after the panel. A tiny mis-step on upside of dogwalk but she found her balance. Wide slow turn on jump after table. 

Saturday: 8/3/13

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDd2tEspUio
NQ – Dropped bar.

Solid start.  Very slow first half of weaves.  Dropped bar on pre-cue turn. 

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmhzjskelz8
NQ – Wrong course jump after aframe

Was able to get distance for CO front cross before tunnel in upper right to take that discrimination out of play.  Came flying off aframe and got wrong course jump.  Don’t know if it was aframe exit speed or heading toward exit corner or both but she lost a little focus there.  Was able to get lateral distance for front cross before tire.  It was a battle to get front cross on teeter but we managed it.

Sunday:8/4/13

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5z8xEmn4p4
NQ – Wrong course jump and a dropped bar.

Mis-timed take-off on first jump but cleared it. 

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1sC4YmHr5A
NQ – Curled off jump, wrong course jump instead of tunnel

Terrible wide front cross on first turn, Kris was late plus she was seeing the aframe.  Weird curl off jump after aframe, it looks like she caught sight of a wrong course obstacle.

Working Group at Soccer Blast: July 27-28, 2013

Saturday: 7/27/13

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLw0UWwpH5Q
100 – MXJ Leg #15 – 9 points

Good speed off start line but didn’t sustain it early.  Nice blind cross after 5.  Solid finish, handled tunnel discrimination in upper left corner nicely.

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQqa_cq_pt8
100 – MX Leg #6 – 16 points – Double Q #2!

Good solid run.  Somewhat rare rear cross after dogwalk that went fine.  Flying into weaves she managed to enter correctly even with a slide into the first pole.  Great dog! 

Sunday:7/28/13

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eolvKoAQN5k
NQ – Wrong course tire (heading for exit-itis)

Seemed a little hesitant about table but did it.  Great save on weave entry although shouldn’t have gone that wide to start with. Was in “heading for home” gait on dogwalk and after it, got a wrong course tire.  Nice rear cross and didn’t even look at wrong course tunnel at the finish.

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKUJIqFIjUg
100 - MXJ Leg #16 – 4 points (hoarked on course)

Was going fine then “hoarked” her treat or something right before double, barely avoiding refusal.  Not great speed in weaves but very nice send to tunnel allowing nice front cross on jump after tunnel, a cross that wasn’t easy to get to.

Shepherds at Soccer Blast: July 19-21, 2013

Friday: 7/19/13

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrroWjIqFjA
100 – MXJ Leg #13 – 9 points

A very good run, great speed throughout with tight turns. 

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27Lx022tkYQ
NQ – Missed DW contact.

Not good speed to start but did have a tight turn on the wrong course dogwalk option.  Solid run until missing the dogwalk contact which was the second to last obstacle.  I thought the judge got the call wrong when I was running it but the video proved the judge was right and I was wrong.

Saturday: 7/20/13

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5FmmCEB008
NQ – Went around a jump.

A great NQ run.  Very good speed, good lateral distance, tight lines.  Went around the jump that Tori and Kiva also missed with different handling choices.  It was berner unfriendly.  ;-)

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDxZrnlw-zc
100 – MX Leg #5 – 16 points

Nice run, good speed throughout.  Although a couple of extra strides coming out of chute still proud she pulled off the wrong course jump that was very popular.  She came out of tunnel before weaves so fast that I was afraid she would miss weave entry but she made it.

Sunday: 7/21/13

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR1xdFs7P7s
100 - MXJ Leg #14 – 10 points

Another great run.  Handled tough sequence after weaves perfectly.  Nice send to jump in upper right corner.

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx6BoM9HlzA
NQ – Wandered by teeter, missed a weave as I tried to get way ahead.

Odd early wander by the teeter.  It looked a little like avoidance but no idea why it would have been.  Probably just general lack of focus (although very early in the course, it was facing exit corner).  Did great on tough sequence with serpentine to aframe to turn tunnel.  Not a tight turn to the tunnel but it’s not a skill she knows so still good of her to do it.

MAC at Soccer Blast: July 13-14, 2013

Saturday: 7/13/13

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vY4UCtMmvA
NQ – Ran by the dogwalk.

Slow off the start line.  Ran by the dogwalk late in the course.  Path led her wide of the dogwalk approach and I assumed the entry and didn’t help.

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDHhlxxbDbA
100 – MXJ Leg #11 – 5 points

A wide turn on jump toward start line.  Slow weaves.  Handled pinwheels in the middle very nicely.  Almost missed tunnel which was the last obstacle. 

Sunday: 7/14/13

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBWzXNvBhKc
NQ – Got off table and missed weave entry.

Walked from end of dogwalk to table.  Barely made it onto table without a refusal.  Then immediately got off the table.  Almost saved weave entry but entered second pole.  Only decent speed was on last two obstacles.

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGzX2hhQTpk
100 - MXJ Leg #12 – 11 points

After weekend of slow starts she had good speed off the start line, had a tough time getting to blind cross after 3 but did make it.  A good, solid run with good speed to finish up the weekend.

Cambridge KC at Vadnais Soccer: July 5-7, 2013

Friday: 7/5/13

Excellent Jww: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZmORL5mxy8
NQ – Dropped bar.

Good, solid run.  Very nice speed throughout.  First half of weaves were slow, second half were fast.

Excellent Standard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbD4uibOzt0
NQ – Got off table.

Not easy D. Craig course.  Barely got early call-off of aframe.  Not a smooth front cross after aframe.  Still, only mistake was silly in getting off the table.

Saturday: 7/6/13
Excellent Jww: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TVtsCTfrTk
100 – MXJ Leg #9 – 5 points

Really good speed off the start line.  Flying speed through most of course, especially second half after the weaves.

Excellent Standard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uVwMQGFKFI
NQ – Bizarre coming back out of tunnel late in the course.

A little hesitant getting on the table but she did.  Really fast weaves.  Was down to an easy tunnel-jump finish, went into tunnel and for some reason came back out.  To lose a double Q.  Frustrating.

Sunday: 7/7/13
Excellent Jww: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIQZQkm9HuQ
100 - MXJ Title! – 6 points

She came flying out of weaves and we had an ugly front cross and a tough push to a jump.  But it was a tough serpentine finish and we did that great.

Excellent Standard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s7XOv0Qohk
NQ – Missed an easy weave entrance.  Missed teeter.

Was able to get good lateral distance out of a chute for a nice, early front cross.  She missed a very easy weave entrance off of the dogwalk.  Not sure why although she did a mini-sniff before them.  Got a nice CO front cross in before the tunnel.  Strangely just turned off teeter after tunnel.  It might have been “heading for home” behavior.  

Herding at Soccer Blast: June 28-30, 2013

Friday: 6/28/13
Excellent Jww: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU5NBuO0qOM
100 – MXJ Leg #6 – 8 points

She focused on me nicely out of first tunnel, that was a part that caused issues for others.  Nice job coming back into course for pinwheel after weaves.  Decent speed throughout.

Excellent Standard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFkj7O1ooJU
100 - MX Leg #4 – Double Q #1! – 12 points

Course had a four jump serpentine at start that had a lot of options for handling.  I chose to just keep her on my right which worked great.  She paused a bit and got a little crooked at top of the aframe.  I was a little concerned with the dogwalk “heading home” but she got well into the contact.  I went to wall side after weaves to avoid accidentally pulling into the late wrong course tunnel which worked nicely as well.  First double Q!

Saturday: 6/29/13
Excellent Standard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISYC0fwK_wE
NQ – Missed weave entry, refusal at double

Great speed on this course.  Early dogwalk call-off that she handled nicely.  Had a turn-tunnel off of the dogwalk we she did perfectly.  Missed weave entry after momentary “heading for home” pace.  Interesting finish, since we had NQd I tried to front cross after the tunnel that did not work.

Excellent Jww: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIsTuMjqA_A
100 – MXJ Leg #7 – 2 points

Straight forward course if you can keep up with your dog, It was going well including a couple of rear crosses.  Unfortunately after jump 8 she hoarked up her treat again.  Kept it in her mouth but cost us about 4 seconds time.

Sunday: 6/30/13
Excellent Standard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aya4iXWcg1k
NQ – Refused table

Nice lateral distance on obstacle 2 to set up CO front cross for tunnel.  Good response on 180 with wrong course dogwalk option.  Just wandered by table.  It was next to crowd that might have contributed to it.  Good job finding weaves out of chute, weaved with good speed.  Almost fell off dogwalk on incline but saved it. Scary.  Finished nice.

Excellent Jww: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOAZ1Nzmto8
100 – MXJ Leg #8 – 9 points

Ran hard until weaves.  Slow weaves.  Picked up speed again after them.  Tough call-off of orange jump on finishing stretch but she handled it great.

St. Cloud: June 15-16, 2013

Saturday: 6/15/13

Excellent Standard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eYQR35RSJI
NQ – Entered second weave pole.

This was an extremely tough course by S. Kaufman (only one dog 8-16 inch passed, only two 20 inch dogs passed!) but Shasta handled it pretty well.  She had very good speed off the start line but then paused at the top of the aframe.  Did a nice wrap in a box of wrong courses.  It was a 180 out of the chute to weaves and she entered second pole.  I should have tried the front cross before the weaves.  I made my own course off of the table to avoid what I thought was a horrible dogwalk entry.  All-in-all, not bad for an incredibly difficult course.

Excellent Jww: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79ERvwkjunY
NQ – Wrong course tunnel at last obstacle.

Had a tough sequence needing to get to the back side of the jump out of an early tunnel, something we never see but Shasta handled it well with decent motivation/speed.  Nice blind cross off of the double.  Last obstacle was a u-shaped tunnel and we got the wrong side of the tunnel.  I could have turned harder with my shoulders but she also should have responded to verbal and lateral distance.

Sunday: 6/16/13

Excellent Standard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoYmqa0zOGw
NQ – Called for missed aframe contact, refused the table, ran past weaves

Speed was ok, considering sun and temps.  She had a big pause at the top of the aframe then leaped a bit into the contact zone.  Not sure why it was called, she was clearly in the contact, speculation was that the judge may have called it “accidental” hitting of the contact.  I didn’t know that was a potential judgment call but apparently it is.  We then missed the table shortly after, not sure if it was her refusal or her reaction to my annoyed reaction to having the call on the aframe.  She refused it more than once.  Then on chute to weaves sequence she ran by the weaves as I think she had a bit of “heading for home” attitude.  She also had a distracted detour on the finish stretch.  First half was pretty good, second half was a distracted mess, not sure how much was due to my reaction to aframe call.

Excellent Jww: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOFzr9_6GpM
NQ – Missed weave entry

Very slow start to the course.  Entered wrong side of first weave pole.  Weaved second try but very slow.  Course had very dangerous finish that the judge wouldn’t fix so since we had NQd and she wasn’t into the game, we did an abbreviated course and left.

Berner Show: June 7-9, 2013

Our first outdoor trial where I worried that she would go “dandelion shopping” but she never did any of that, never lost any focus.

Friday: 6/7/13

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZKWorD61oA
NQ – Missed jump

Again, she missed a jump early where I didn’t support it enough as I was taking off to go down the line. Good, solid run otherwise.

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdWJBekOzlY
100 - MX Leg #3 – 15 points

Very good speed at the start with a tunnel start.  Fell back into ok speed through most but then had very good weave speed near end.  Another solid run.

Saturday: 6/8/13

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9xIBcQm29Y
NQ – Wrong course tunnel

A chute start this time, pretty good speed at the start.  Called off wrong course before table that got many dogs.  Pushed into a wrong course tunnel where I was pulling and thought I had her but didn’t.

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXe85kPh1MA
NQ – Dropped a bar.

Very nice rear cross of a jump into the weaves.  I forced a late front cross on a tough finishing sequence and she dropped the bar after the front cross.  Good speed.

Sunday: 6/9/13 (The Pouring Rain and Mud Bowl!!)

Excellent Jww: No video
NQ – Dropped a bar

This was the rain and mud bowl.  Ridiculously bad conditions.  But she tried!  She does not seem to like rain so it was very impressive to try.  She did everything but dropped a bar in the middle of the course.

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL_o5zDEdTE
NQ – Crashed triple.

It wasn’t raining but the mud was awful.  We managed almost the whole course.  Late in the course there was an extremely inviting wrong course tunnel that MANY dogs took.  I called her off it too early and strongly and she turned hard into me only to create a bad approach to the triple.  She tried to clear it late but crashed it.  Fortunately she seemed fine.

Springers at On the Run: May 31-Jun 2, 2013

Friday: 5/31/13

Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNXZ7JEk8dI
NQ – Three refusals, heading for home issues.

OK speed to start, especially considering early weaves.  First refusal was my fault, I took off from tunnel too early and pulled her with me.  After tunnel she went into “heading for home” mode and struggled with the finish stretch.

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc_DeOzBscs
100 - MX Leg #2 – 8 points

Not great speed off start line, even with a running start.  A little distraction near the “finish corner” early in the run.  Slow dogwalk and then came out of tunnel with big speed.  Did nice table off of aframe, tough combo for her.  Good speed from weaves on, solid run.

Saturday: 6/1/13
Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26Y8742Z8iI
NQ – Missed a jump, my fault

Missed an early jump as I intended to send her to it and get down the line but I left too early.  Once we flunked I tried throwing in a tough rear cross and she didn’t pick up the cue.  I also tried more independent weaves and she did them but a little slow.  Solid finish though.

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NRcHoNnyMg
NQ – A couple of refusals because of heading for home behavior

Good speed throughout.  Great dogwalk performance.  Came through chute in “exit behavior” and missed a jump.  I tried hard to get 2o2o contact on aframe, it was closer than usual but didn’t get it.  We missed final jump, not sure if it was exit behavior or just a miss.

Sunday: 6/2/13
Excellent Jww: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbFyjoGBOY0
100 - MXJ Leg #5 – 2 points (lost lots of time due to hoark after jump 4)

Great start, nice blind cross in opening.  Unfortunately, hoarked her treat after jump #4.  Turns out she snuck cheese from someone right before entering the ring.  Dang.  Still, great overall run including very nice rear cross at finish.

Excellent Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp8SnmvXOVI
NQ – Missed the last jump, missed double Q on it.  Ugh!

Good speed throughout.  Did nice pinwheel near exit corner with no loss of focus.  Jumped early for jump after weaves, not sure why but she cleared it.  Missed final jump by curling in after chute.  A few other dogs did the same but I was gassed at the end and couldn’t get the tiny push.

Bloomington Four Days: May 24-27, 2013

Friday: 5/24/13
Excellent Jww: http://youtu.be/Cqvk2KXqw1U
100 - MXJ Leg #2 – 3 points

Puppy sit at start line.  So-so speed at the start.  Good wrap weave entry but then slow weaves.   Decent speed on the two straightaways.  Good wrap at near the finish.  Solid run.

Excellent Standard: http://youtu.be/wwC9LYLNc_A
NQ – Ran/Walked by weaves

I was worried about early call-off of the aframe but she handled that fine.  I purposefully got ahead of her on the aframe as that had been working well at home training to avoid pause at top but it didn’t help in the show, she paused big-time.  Felt and looked like a decision not to try weave entry until last second she did sort of try.  It was not a nice dogwalk entry unless you helped a lot as handler, which I did.  Finished fine.

Saturday: 5/25/13
Excellent Jww: http://youtu.be/dQbl9MTBD8s
NQ – Dropped bar late in class

Pretty good speed off start considering I used a lead out.  Solid run.  On the dropped bar, I called her name over the bar as I was worried she was going to want to “run for home”.   Over-analyzing handler.

Excellent Standard: http://youtu.be/hIi-RVvaPU4
NQ – Ran by obstacles on finishing stretch (heading for home)

Not a great dog walk entry but she managed it fine.  I thought I helped it more than I did.  She came out of the tunnel in a different speed, clearly thinking of “heading from home”.  Ran through a-frame and did, indeed, head for home.  I got her back on course and we managed most of the end but she still wanted to get her treats.

Sunday: 5/26/13
Excellent Jww: http://youtu.be/_1MtU3-VA1Y
100 – MXJ Leg #3 – 7 points

Good speed off start, she like me running with her.  Got great lateral distance to setup second front cross.  Second half of weaves was picking up speed.  Everything else was very good speed.

Excellent Standard: http://youtu.be/xlB8bJX4-64 (scary fall from a-frame, watch with caution)
NQ – Awful fall off the top of the a-frame

Shasta paused again at top of aframe, this time turned to look toward me and in doing so, her rear left leg missed staying on the aframe and she fell.  It was one of the worst falls I’ve dealt with in our years in agility.  Terrifying to see and experience although, for some reason, maybe shock, I wasn’t panicked at the time.  I picked her up for a few seconds, set her down carefully to see if she could walk it off and she did, including taking a jump on the way out.  Fortunately, by some minor miracle, she seems fine after the fall.

Monday: 5/27/13
Excellent Jww: http://youtu.be/u3ybSMKyqs0
100 – MXJ Leg #4 – 3 points

Her first run following the fall from the aframe.  It was great to see her run without any issues.  Last three poles of weaves had better speed, maybe there are some signs of them getting better.  I did the front cross on the jump after weaves and had NO IDEA what the next couple of jumps were.  That doesn’t happen to often to me.  Fortunately I guessed correctly although the crosses weren’t very efficient because I was looking at obstacles, not her.  She really picked up speed after that and I still managed a blind front cross in a box of jumps.  Finished with a turn on the flat after a call-off of a jump.

Excellent Standard: http://youtu.be/l-TzuqhAwRM
NQ – Drop bar on double.  Missed teeter as she “headed for home”. 

I was very scared to do the a-frame after the prior day fall.  It was the focus of my run.  She did it fine!  Whew!!  Even managed to enter weaves from the a-frame.  We had another not-great entry to the dogwalk and she did approach it with good speed and managed it fine.  Lots of dogs we taking wrong course jump after the double and I over-did the cue there, dropping the bar.  Again, look at her “butt-run” coming out of the chute, she was not still in working mode, she wanted to head for her treats.  Judge decided she had put four-paws on teeter in trying to get her back for it, I couldn’t send her to it again, which made the ending messy.  I did get her back into the course before sending her to the finish.

Fargo on Dirt: May 16-19, 2013

Thursday: 5/16/13
Excellent Jumpers: http://youtu.be/S07-bLbioks
NQ - Dropped bar (with chest, horribly timed), popped weaves

A good start but she took out a bar with her chest when she appeared to mistime or didn't even see the jump.  I don't know what happened, she wasn't looking at me.  She was running faster than usual, I think she might have tried to add a stride and she didn't have time for it.  She understandably turned a little sad after including sniffing at weaves and leaving them.  She weaved on second try and recovered very well for the remainder of the course.  I threw in a rear cross that created a wide turn.  It should have been tighter but at least she did eventually read it correctly. 

Excellent Standard: http://youtu.be/i59cY4txdTU
100 - MX Leg #1, First MACH points

A tougher opening than it looks, we got a wide turn at the 180, might have been distraction.   Handled box with three tunnel options very cleanly.  I did not help straighten out teeter entry like I should have but she was great in straightening herself for it.  We had a near refusal at the table as she curled in toward me.  I put up my off arm to collect her and she responded too well.  We did a nice turn on the flat to the tunnel, something we have been working on.  She finished by clearing a triple that many dogs dropped.

Friday: 5/17/13
Excellent Standard: http://youtu.be/7Y0bTAyMYOQ
NQ - Jumped off dogwalk at end of course

Started by not releasing from the start line on the first to release commands.  We did get a pause at the top of the aframe.  She came off it with good speed.  We got our push out to the jump out of the tunnel but, like many dogs, she read that push as an acceleration cue, causing her to go long and get confused for a moment.  She nailed a sort of tough weave entry and did the weaves faster than usual.  She approached the dogwalk out of the tunnel with a lot of speed and lost her footing.  My early training teaching her that it is ok to jump from the dogwalk may have helped her as she landed quite softly.  She seemed ok so I took the opportunity to put her back on the dogwalk which she still did very confidently.  At that point we had to leave and skip the last jump.

Excellent Jumpers: http://youtu.be/-708E8yiomE
100  - 2nd Place - AXJ Title

Took two calls to release from start line.  Not good speed through the beginning then slower weaves. Nice send to a jump in the pinwheel.  Had a wide turn on a 180.  Better speed on final stretch including nice blind cross.  Slower than I would like but an overall solid run.

Saturday: 5/18/13
Excellent Jumpers: http://youtu.be/uLZiCRqvYDE
NQ - Bar on double, refusal at tunnel (distraction issues)

Fine start but came out of first tunnel very slow.  Was she "hoarking"?  We then had a big "freeze-off" with her by the corner near our crates.  Finally got going again only to knock down the double.  We then had an odd refusal/distraction at the tunnel near the end.  Maybe our worst run as far as distractions go.

Excellent Standard: http://youtu.be/8Q4xFzlbxk0
NQ - Ran past weaves, missed two late jumps (distraction issues)

Early in course she ran past weaves a bit distracted, couldn't recover the entry.  She went very wide on a wrap but didn't back jump.  She then took the dogwalk confidently, nice to see after jumping off the previous day.  Got confused and never did 2o2o.  Near wrong course off the teeter but we saved it.  She then did a great aframe, no delay at top.  Missed two jumps off the aframe, probably more distraction issues.

Sunday: 5/19/13
Excellent Standard: http://youtu.be/9c_AVEcCctU
NQ - dropped panel

Solid start with no distraction at entry corner.  Another confident dogwalk.  After the distraction issues on Saturday, I chose to try and get a front cross on weaves to put me between her and the "exit corner".  In trying to force the front cross, Shasta dropped the panel on the way.  With the speed she had through the panel she did enter the weaves but couldn't hold it for pole 3.  Good finish.  Overall, lots of speed and no distraction issues.

Excellent Jumpers: http://youtu.be/rkO8ddHbr94
100 - MXJ Leg #1

Decent speed to start and a fairly tight turn off jump 2.  Entered and stayed in weaves with good speed and not setting up entry.  Did a successful rear cross on the flat although it did slow her down a bit.  Solid finish to the course.