We had our last trial at Dream Fields for 2012 this past weekend. The morning started out cold and very wet but the rain stopped quite early and it actually warmed up nicely. Good thing, as it was Remembrance Day and I feel bad for the veterans, the men and women on parade and standing vigil on the Cenotaph if the weather is nasty.
We ran 6 events on Sunday, two Standards, two Gamblers, a Jumpers and a Snooker. Although we started off with a great run in the first Standard, it was to be our only Q of the day.
The first Masters Standard had a Standard Course Time (SCT) of 66 seconds. Beckett ran the course in 44.32 seconds, doing 4.15 yards per second. He was not only the fastest 16" Regular dog but the second fastest of all the Regular dogs. Some of the other Regular dogs had the zoomies and some did training in the ring, so not all the times are indicative of what the dog really could do, but I was very happy with Beckett's time just the same. Beckett also got Best Run for the mini Regular dogs (10" and 16").
In the next Standard, Beckett incurred a refusal on obstacle 4; I think either because I really wasn't committed to it or that I had started to turn my shoulders to the teeter. In any case, he came off his line and turned in front of me and I had to send him back to complete the obstacle. The SCT for this course was 66 seconds and Beckett did it in 48.23 seconds, going 3.98 yards per second. Even with the five faults, it was still the best run as no mini Regular dog actually Q'd this course.
Next up was the two Gambles, when I saw them I didn't think we had a chance but Beckett actually did all right. There was no barking or spinning at me (well very little) when I sent him out from the line to the first obstacles and he had no problem at all with the mini which you can see is very nearly the same in both Gamblers.
In the first Gamble, we got 46 opening points, again I think the scribe missed out some of our points being called but since we didn't Q, it wasn't worth any discussion and even if we had done the main Gamble we would have had enough points to Q. For the opening, we did the single jump that ended the main Gamble, the four point obstacle twice, the A-frame, the single after the A-frame, the mini, followed by the weaves, then the mini again ending up with the weaves. We had just finished the weaves and were heading for the teeter when the buzzer went. My count has the point total as 51 but maybe my math is off. I sent Beckett out to jump 1 of the Main Gamble and he did the first four obstacles beautifully but then blind crossed me and took the 4 point obstacle. I had tried just moving along the line was going to try a "get out" to send him over obstacle 5, but we didn't get to see how that would work. The best technique I saw to get obstacle 5 was to turn your back to the 4 point obstacle as you called your dog over obstacle 4, then as you backed up, turn towards obstacle 5 and send.
In the second Gamble, I had intended to do tire, the A-frame, then obstacle 2 of the Main Gamble to get to the mini. Beckett decided to do tire, tunnel and I continued on with my plan from there. Neither the judge nor I realized that we had done two obstacles in sequence of the main Gamble, but since we didn't get this Gamble either, no harm, no foul; we just got to play a little longer. In this Gamblers, I did the mini, followed by the weaves, then the mini again, then we did the single and the four point jump twice and then the single near the teeter. We were just heading to the teeter as the buzzer sounded. I didn't think Beckett would get out to the tunnel. I tried to send him out but he took obstacle 4 instead, that worked out all right as I turned him away from me and he did the tunnel and the second jump and was on the teeter when he bailed from the teeter. I have no idea why he did that at all. Had he stayed on the teeter, I'm sure he would have gotten the Gamble as the other two obstacles were closer to the line than shown on the course map.
Hard to say it wasn't a good trial even though again the Q rate doesn't show it. We got a Q, had two best runs (more toys for the toy box), had the two best Gamblers openings we've ever had and didn't get too much barking and spinning at all. Our distance work is paying off so hopefully it will all come together.
We have an all-day seminar on 30 Dec and I have a working spot with Beckett, maybe there'll be some new skills we can take advantage off. Keltic starts agility classes next weekend and by next summer I hope to be doing fun matches with him; his buddy Sam is already in the conformation ring. Beckett and I have one more trial in 2012 and then we will all have 2013 to look forward too.
