On Ground Hog day we went to our first agility trial of 2014. The drive down after a snow storm made me wonder why I was doing this but playing agility with Beckett and Keltic made the drive worthwhile. I had to be down at the trial location for Keltic's runs which started at 8:30 am, usually it only takes about an hour to get to this venue; this time, because of the road conditions, it took more than an hour and half. I left early though so we still weren't rushed, arriving at 7:50 am.
Keltic's first run of the day was a Starter Jumpers. I worried about it a little as the very first obstacle was the tire and I thought he might just decide to go underneath. I needn't of worried, it ran beautifully.
Keltic was on fire, he ran this course in 28.02 seconds, going 4.46 yards per second. This was his first qualifying score in Jumpers.
The next run was a Starter Gamblers. Since the dog walk was worth five points we started with that line, tire, dog walk, tunnel. Keltic certainly didn't have a two on two off on the dog walk but he didn't leap off the dog walk, just zoomed straight into the tunnel This could be a bit of a problem in future.
We did the four point jump and I wanted to get him round again to the 4 point by doing the single jump. Keltic had other ideas and raced over to the teeter but then wouldn't do it and bailed off. I got him back over the four point and then on to the mini gamble which he did beautifully. We had a very nice opening with 31 points. In the main gamble, he came back to me after the first jump but I got him back out to the second jump and he stayed out and did the tire, I was pretty sure we had finished in time but you never know until the results are posted. He did it, and this was his first Gamble qualifying score. Keltic now has one Q in each of the games making up the Starter Games title, he only needs two of each for that title, he's half way there!
Last up for Keltic was a Starter Standard. I was worried about the teeter since he had bailed off of it in the Gamblers. The opening line was much like our Gamble opening, tire, dog walk and tunnel.
Keltic decided he had enough of tires and went underneath then backjumped, went underneath again and then came around and finally did it. We still need more work on our weaves as I had to guide him through them all but the rest of the run was nice even the teeter which he did very nicely.
So two for three for Keltic such a nice way for him to start the new trial year.
Beckett didn't do as well and went 0 for 4 but he did have some very nice runs. First up for him was a Masters Standard. I didn't get him a good line for his weaves and he missed the entry then on the last line after the teeter, he was well ahead of me and after 18 started to turn in my direction then almost took the chute. I got him off that but he was spinning so we faulted on the last jump. Good thing we had faulted the weaves or that would have been a real bummer.
Beckett's course time was 43.81 seconds with a standard course time of 58 seconds so we were running well.
Next up was a Master Gamblers, Beckett had a nice opening, getting 40 points. He did the main gamble too but we were over time. I have to take a little time to settle him down and then he came back into me after the jump following the tunnel. But I was very happy that he found the blind tunnel mouth at the beginning of the main gamble and that he went back out to get that last jump. We have worked very hard on that, still more work to do but we're progressing.
The next run was a Masters Snooker, I decided that I would try 3 sets of weaves. Beckett has great weaves (usually), this run we only got one set of weaves out of three. I could have started my close right then but decided to go for the fourth red and obstacle 5. Just after obstacle 5, the buzzer went for time so we finished with only 25 points far short of the 40 needed to qualify. It was a good run in one respect though, as I learned that I can get Beckett past a number of obstacles without too much difficulty and that is a good thing in Snooker.
Last up was was another Master Standard, Beckett ran well but knocked a bar at 9. I probably was late on my front cross but other than that the run was beautiful. He ran it in 49.82 seconds on a course that had time of 65 seconds, more than 15 seconds under time.
So no Q's for Beckett at our first Ground Hog Day trial, well I think it was the first time we trialled on Ground Hog Day but he ran well and we had fun.
The drive home was much nicer and faster even though it was in the dark. I had made a slow cooker meal so that was nice too, having a nice warm meal and vodka cooler to end the day. Nice too that I knew I could sleep in as I had taken Monday off.
