Agility Nuts

Finally back on form with Kim – EMDAC (Oct) and Wyre (Dec) were a bit down, just one 4th in the end despite a couple of good runs – but she decided to start 2008 with a bang. She came 2nd in both jumping classes, missing out on 1st in the Jumping by 0.3 seconds (my fault, naturally, I caused a bobble at the first tunnel). We’ve never done Primary Snakes before but I did think we’d at least manage to go clear; it’s essentially a jumping class where there are a series of tunnel traps to be avoided. Since Kim is not a big tunnel fanatic I never thought she would be tempted off-course and she ran a perfect clear, I don’t think there’s anywhere she could have gained any time. Having said that, I didn’t think she’d come quite as high as she did, there were some seriously quick Maxi dogs and it was a nice fast course, not usually the kind of thing we do ultra-well on.

We also got a 9th in the agility with a fairly appalling run by our standards; Kim didn’t set off with much enthusiasm and although we got around clear, it wasn’t very tidy and she got a very lucky call on the seesaw contact. Final run of the day was my favourite class; I love Time Fault & Out! However I take full responsibility for our “early” exit – refusal on obstacle 20 – Kim was just going way too fast for me and I couldn’t get into the right place to handle the flick flack. She came 12th (rosettes to 11th only, so just missed out!) but her time was fantastic, she had over 20 seconds left on the clock when we had to exit and she got both dogwalk contacts. Shame she doesn’t have a better handler!

All those places put her up to the top of the Primary Medium Dog of the Year tables! It’s a bit early in the year for talking about the final Dog of the Year results, especially as BAA have a lot more shows this year that I can’t get to, but it’s certainly nice to be at the top for a while anyway. Amazingly we’re also top of the Primary Jumping League (all heights!). I always think of Kim as better at agility rather than jumping, as usually she’s just not quite quick enough for high places in the jumping classes. She seems determined to prove me wrong at the moment.

Congrats to Katie and her hounds for their places, and especially to Sarah and her contingent of collies for their fab top-10 rosettes. Also, I just have to mention my favourite dog of the day, an amazing little Papillion who just stormed around the Introductory TFO and won it with an amazing obstacle tally – who says Micro dogs never win anything?!