Tuesday, April 16, 2013

The Debut Weekend (Fargo): 3/22/13 - 3/24/13

The Debut
T2B: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNJ_KpP3iPY
Q: No errors - 6 points

The debut.  I was pretty calm about it, wasn't real nervous.  A testament to Shasta's usual work focus.  It was a run with complete focus.

Start line was all focus and even a little intensity, decent drive to begin.  It started with jump-weave, usually a tough start for green and non-intense dogs.  It was also 12 weaves as Time 2 Beat.  She handled the weaves great.

She then stayed confident as I got a ways in front of her to get our first official cross, which I did as a blind cross.  I have to say, it felt good to do a blind cross.  I missed them.  Another smooth blind cross after the pinwheel.

The descent down the aframe was very deliberate.  The release from the aframe was a bit delayed as she was hoping for a treat.  Only one or two steps were slow off the release then she picked up speed in the pinwheel/blind cross.  Did the teeter with great confidence.  A quick look at me coming off the teeter (again hoping for a treat I assume).

Overall, great job by Shasta.  Pointed out right away what appears to be our biggest weakness right now, contact releases.  But also pointed out her biggest strength, focus for her age.
Debut Day (Friday)
Novice Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ48Mq_xylw
Leg #1 - 100 - 1st place

It had what I thought was pretty good speed off of the start line.  The descend of the aframe is slow, I have some work to do there.  Delayed coming off the table and a big lack of drive coming off the teeter.  Good drive after weaves over the final three jumps.
Novice Jumpers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrjcenibeOE
NQ - Dropped bar.

Good speed on this run.  We did drop a bar.  The irony was that we had our first "pressure push" on a bar in the course but she dropped the bar one jump before that push.  Nothing noteworthy about the bar, just one of those things.  She handled the push itself really well.  Loved the nice entry of the weaves off of a stretch that sent her "to the crowd" so to speak.  She missed a jump late in the course as I really pushed getting ahead of her but she pulled into me.

Saturday 3/23/13
Time 2 Beat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYcy26fXliw
Q: No errors - 4 points

I handed the lease to the steward and Shasta looked back at it but didn't actually go for it.  Decent speed to start.  A responsive call-off of the wrong course aframe.  Slower weaves but slightly faster aframe.  Only to see how it would go, I planned a rear cross on the aframe.  In trying to set it up, I nearly lost her to the wrong course jump.  Because of the near wrong course, I got too far in front of her for a nice rear cross on the aframe but still tried it.  She almost came off because of it.  I also threw in a rear cross at the end just to see how she would do it and she did it very nicely.
Jumpers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZUZ_oyF9so
95 - Leg #1 - 3rd place

Shasta got confused on the start line as I released her but she didn't budge first call or two.  Considering confusion, not bad speed to start.  Had our first "lead out/pivot" after jump two that went very nicely.  Had our first distraction moment as Shasta briefly visited bar setters rather than go in the tunnel (they were quite close to it).  Decent speed for the finish.
Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYPCawODJT4
95- Leg #2 - 1st place

Bad release from the dogwalk and slow speed through early contacts.  She took a wrong course broad jump off the aframe that got a handful of dogs in a row for reasons we didn't understand.  She could have come out of chute a little tighter with better attention.  But she had good speed at the end as I was planning a very late front cross that I bailed on.

Sunday 3/24/13
Standard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rps59qGvWaE
100 - No Leg (same judge as first two legs) - 2nd place

Very delayed response on release from dogwalk.  Turns out it was because she was coughing her treat which was the reason for the stop before the double.  She didn't actually hack any out on the floor so we got to keep going.  Nice speed and front cross to the teeter.  I got a ways ahead of her on weaves which went fine.  She then self-released aframe and when I "shamed her" she didn't really know what to do, looked back at the dogwalk.  A very delayed response to release from table but then a nice turn off the tire facing a wrong course and good finishing speed .
Jumpers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdqF3aWaw9o
100 - Leg #2 - 1st place

To me, I was impressed with this run because of two things that happened outside the ring.  One, this was late on Sunday of a three day trial in which we were there beginning to end all three days.  Then as we are about to go in the ring, dog before us poops in the ring.  There was a 10-15 minute delay.  I kept Shasta out of entry chute, found some treats and hung out in a chair with her in my lap near the entry.  For the run itself, Shasta got a little distracted on my leadout.  I had to make sure I got ahead of her for jump 3 to insure correct tunnel.  She did her weaves with me getting good lateral distance to set up a front cross.  Nice blind cross in the pinwheel to set up run into box in which we needed the right tunnel.  Paused a moment coming out of tunnel before taking last two jumps at decent speed.

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