Happy Dog USDAA Trial - November 24-26, 2006

Happy Dog always puts on the best trials and this was no exception. Lynn Sigman was the judge and I always enjoy her courses – they are fun and challenging and she always has a great attitude. This was a Masters Only Trial so Kane and Chance got to take the weekend off! 

My dogs ran great! Gale is now qualified for the 2007 Grand Prix and both Patch and Cin picked up a Performance National Standard leg. Cinder had a FABULOUS run going and at the very end, missed the entrance to the chute. It was weird....someone (I think Leslie) pointed out that the sun was directly in her eyes and that explanation makes more sense than the ones I came up with so....but it was a bummer – she would have won by over 15 seconds! Next time…

Gale is running fast and happy - which for those of you who know the "trials and tribulations" with Gale over the past year -is a major accomplishment. She got her first Super Q in Masters Snooker on Friday (with a 3rd!) so I am thrilled with her. In Saturday's Snooker she did all 7's (which were the weaves) in her opening and was AWESOME - I just sent her off course in the close. But dang, the little dog is coming around!

Cin is having a great time in PIII (still jumping 22” though – just a lower A-Frame.) She won Snooker and PIII Std on Sat and she is seeded 2nd for the finals in Leap N Chase on Sunday. I can tell she isn't totally recovered because her A-Frames are slow. Thank heavens we aren't showing until our little ASCA trial so I can give her some time off.

Patches has been, of course, lovely. She's Q'd more often than not and is in the Leap N Chase today with Max, Tahoe and Dare. Good ole girlie :-) One of my stockdog students is at the trial and took a picture of Patch catching air over the A-Frame. The old girl still has it in her. 

Sunday was a lovely day for me - Patches took 2nd in PIII Standard and Cinder was lovely (as usual) and won her class. I pulled Gale from all her Standard runs because I am still building enthusiasm and her contacts are "shaky." Gale has been running SO GREAT for me over the last couple of months that I feel this program of building her up is working so I am not going to mess with a good thing! Leap N Chase was the next round and Patches put in a solid run to finish 2nd behind Mia and Max. Good girl! Cinder flew around the course and won the 22" Performance class handily. She really likes the lower A-Frame!

Next was Gamblers and I primarily attended this trial to get Gamble legs on Cinder. Alas, not to be....However, Gale flew around the course and did the gamble! Her first Masters Gamble - yay Gale! And she ended up 7th overall - what a gal!

Next we ran Jumpers. Patches was looking all over the place for "mom" so when we incurred an early refusal, I just took the old dog off the course and let her run to mom. Funny dog. Cinder laid down a nice run for another blue and Gale ripped around the course (and covered my butt several times) for a Q.

Final class was Pairs - Starlet and Gale were the first dogs up. Gale was running the 2nd half so I didn't really watch Mia and Star (I completely missed their missed weave entry) but focused on keeping Gale super excited. The second obstacle for us was the dog walk - imagine my surprise when Gale hauled ass over it and then stopped in perfect two-on/two-off! Took me completely by surprise - I managed to blurt out a "GOOD GIRL!!!!" and off we went. She was so fast and happy and finished the course clean. Yay Star and Gale!

When Mia and I first started pairing up Max and Cinder we were quite greedy: "Let's win this one!" Yeah - kiss of death – we could barely get Q’s. Right before our run, we agreed to just run the course and not even THINK about being greedy. Both dogs were lovely and imagine our surprise when they actually won the class! The mind is a funny thing...

Well, I am seriously looking forward to doing NOTHING until our ASCA trial (except run on the beach, swim in the new pool and go to SB Shores....)