Lincoln 2013
Haven’t done this show in a while. Kim won out of G1 here back in 2007, and last time we competed there Dylan was G3. It’s still nice, such a lovely showground, and it was the EO qualifying weekend which was actually one of the reasons I entered. It’s always fun to see the top dogs and handlers running!
Dylan’s first run was in the C6-7 Agility (super course). I thought when walking that the dogwalk might be a problem, there was a tunnel underneath again and the sun was shining directly on to the up-plank. Dylan had a huge meltdown, absolutely refused to move, and I had to lead him over the dogwalk in the end. That was … mildly embarassing, if I’m honest, but more importantly, really worrying.
I was able to talk to various people over the course of the day and get some input, and I’m honestly not sure how to fix this one. Aside from the tunnel-underneath-dogwalk part, Dylan’s issues with the dogwalk are limited to the First Contact aluminium-frame rubber-surface dogwalks. This is either due to the aluminium being sightly different underfoot OR due to the very very shallow slats, which can’t be seen at all in bright sunlight (and therefore making it look like a seesaw) OR a combination thereof. The tunnel underneath the up-plank exacerbates the issue, presumably because a tunnel beneath what looks like a seesaw is terrifying (understandably). Unfortunately, First Contact supply the majority of the shows we attend*, and because the aluminium contacts are so expensive, nobody actually trains on them.
I’m honestly not sure whether First Contact provide non-aluminium contacts anymore, but the wooden/aluminium differential isn’t specified on schedules anyway (just wood/rubber surface). If I have to cut out all First Contact supplied shows in the future, then thats what I’ll do (although I’ll have a seriously reduced diary!), but if anyone actually has some aluminium contacts I can come and train on please let me know?
*First Contact is a GREAT equipment supplier, by the way. My agility club buys most of our equipment from them. This problem is specific to their aluminium frame contact equipment.
Dylan had the slowest clear in the G6-7 Agility. I knew when I walked the course that I had to sacrifice handling the last part of the course to make sure he took the dogwalk, and that’s what I did. I also held his Aframe contact and took him the long way round off #4. No worries, he nailed the weave entries and ran really well. He hesitated but didn’t bail on the dogwalk (although it was very slow) so that was an improvement.
Dylan ran well in both his jumping classes, we got caught out by a fractious queue in the G6-7 Jumping (and the tough weave entry) and then I made a silly handling error in Brenda Tenton’s nice C6-7 Jumping. Oops!