Flying Poodles

ZAP NADAC Trial

It was 97 flippin’ degrees at the end of the day on Sunday. Why I stayed, I’m not sure.

Elly didn’t run, and Dancer Qd in only three of 12 runs, but parts of the weekend were excellent.

Dancer Qd in Open Tunnelers and got her Superior Open Tunnelers title in a time that would have qualified her in Elite (and took 1st), so we move out of Open Tunnelers, at last.

She Qd in Open Weavers (4th), Saturday afternoon at 4, in 97 degree heat, which is amazing.

She Qd in Novice Regular (1st)… one run out of four. I think they should have special contact zones for poodles, that run from the top of the a-frame to the bottom! We need to work even more on the contacts! I told her–as I led out for the start of the course–that if she jumped the contacts in that run, I would take her out and shoot her. It was the last of the four runs in regular. She got her contacts, but honestly, I don’t think anyone–much less Dancer–took the threat seriously. At least, I’m pretty sure the judge would have whistled me off for dog abuse if she’d been worried.

She had two clean-but-over-time runs in Elite Jumpers, but she was 5% over time in one and 7% over time in the other, both of them in the heat on Saturday–this is an improvement on 10-12% over time in previous Elite Jumpers runs on cooler days. And the heat was slowing down many dogs! She took third in her first run–only two dogs ran faster than her and ran clean, out of 20! After the first run, Susan Perry suggested that I focus on tightening my lines to get those times down a bit more. I did the next run with three front crosses and got tighter lines, but it was 95 out by then…

Touch N Go, being dependent on contacts…… should I say more? The good news? She was WAY under time.

Our Chances runs (distance class) had good bits and bad bits. Pretty much all of the bad bits were my fault and all the good bits were Dancer trying to understand and do what I was asking. I just didn’t have enough uncooked brain left.

Finally, our last run on Sunday, the one with Jay watching? That was the one where I completely forgot the course I’d planned and just left the ring by the shortest route. 97 degrees! Just too bleeping hot!