Canada Cup 2015

This past weekend we were off to Guelph, Ontario for the Canada Cup event which is held at Royackers Kennels in Arris, Ontario. Canada Cup is a private event that attracts competitors from all over Canada as well as parts of the United States. This year, I heard, there was even a competitor from the Czech Republic. The Canada Cup has two games events that are each a single heat and three championship events, Grand Prix, Jumpers and Steeplechase, that have two heats for each event with the top 45% of dogs moving on to the finals. The top four dogs in each height class win money prizes and really big ribbons.

This was our third year going to the Canada Cup. Some of you might remember that two years ago Beckett qualified to run in the finals of two of the events but I tore a calf muscle in his final Jumpers heat and I was unable to run. Last year we were not fortunate enough to make any of the finals so I was not certain what to expect this year and was thinking that it might be our last Canada Cup.

This year there was a UKI trial the day before Canada Cup was to start so we drove to Guelph on Canada Day so as not to have the long drive and trial on the same day.  We got to Royackers on Friday, 2 July with plenty of time to set up both at the outdoor ring for Canada Cup and in the indoor crating area for the UKI trial.  Royackers put down artificial turf in the indoor arena this year and it was just wonderful to run on, I hope the dogs liked it too.

Beckett and Keltic were both entered in Jumpers and Agility; Keltic in the Beginners level and Beckett in the Champion level. Keltic did rather well but no Q's. I was especially happy that he did 12 weaves and made the entry on both sets of weaves. He did pop but when I put him back in he did all 12, maybe we're seeing some progress. I thought we only had 5 faults for a dropped bar in the Jumpers run but the score sheet said 15; someone told me that they fault the weaves even at Beginners.  They didn't fault the weaves though in the Agility run, where we only had 10 faults for two missed contacts. I guess I have to read the rules before our next UKI trial. Beckett did well getting one Q in Jumpers. It was the first time he had to do a wall jump; I saw him hestitate taking the wall but didn't see exactly what he did to get over it. I was told afterwards he jumped up on the wall but managed to not to take anything down so he was not faulted. A great way to start the weekend.

Canada Cup started on Friday with one of the Games events, a Gamblers. We don't do the Games events. This year had we known the course in advance we might have entered; it was a strategic gamble not a distance gamble so Beckett would have done alright with that. The main Gamble was either four tunnels and a finish jump or three tunnels and the finish jump; if you did all four tunnels you got 25 points and three tunnels got you 15 points. The tunnels were placed around the outside of the ring and the time was tight so you had to really leg it to get them all done.

The first event we were in was Grand Prix 1. It didn't run until about 11 am so I had time to take Beckett and Keltic to play some Frisbee. On Friday and Saturday, we had three runs, Grand Prix, Steeplechase and Jumpers. We had just awesome runs. Over the six events, Beckett had one only bar down; the last bar in the first Jumpers round. Beckett finished 10th and 7th in Steeplechase so I was pretty sure we would make the finals there. He finished 14th and 12th in Grand Prix so pretty steady; some others who had finished well the first day didn't have as much success the second day so we qualified for that final too. In Jumpers, that one bar put us in 16th place; it's time plus faults so fast dogs can make up taking a bar down but Beckett and I have to go clean. I didn't think we could move up enough to make the final. We finished 8th in the second Jumpers heat and I was surprised to see that we made that final too. 

Just flying

Weav-o-matics

Focus!

On Sunday, the first event, Grand Prix was held indoors. Beckett and I were psyched to run in our first ever Canada Cup final, we, or at least I,  had been waiting for two years. We gave it all we had and ended up in 7th place out of the 12 dogs that were in the final or you could say out of 28 if you included all the dogs in the height class that didn't make the finals.We had a beautifully clear round with a time of 40.53 seconds. Our second final was Steeplechase thought this was our best chance to be in the top four but things didn't go so well. We started fine but had a bar before getting to the weaves to the second time. On the second time through the weaves,Beckett popped his entry. At Canada Cup, this is not faulted but you are losing time. I put Beckett back in but he popped again this time at pole 10, I tried to get him out but he back weaved for 5 faults. We tried the weaves again and again he popped at 10 so I decided to just finish the last three jumps. Not completing the weaves gave us another 20 faults so we finished this event in 11th place. Last up was Jumpers, it was getting rather hot and Beckett was getting tired but we still had a good round and finished in 9th place.

Grand Prix 1

Grand Prix 2

 Video of Beckett's Grand Prix runs

Grand Prix Final

We had a spectacular weekend of agility.  I'll have to really think about whether we go next year or not. Beckett did really well but he still was one of the slower dogs; don't know whether that's him or me.  As much fun as it is, it would be nice to have a chance to make the podium. We shall see....

But to all of you who haven't gone yet to Canada Cup, you need to go at least once!

Canada Cup - The Finale

When I got up Sunday morning, my calf was rock-hard and really really stiff, I hoped it would limber up as I used it but I kind of knew in my heart I wasn't going to be able to run.

I arrived at Royackers to find out that Beckett had qualified for the Jumpers final as well. He had qualified in 7th place an even better finish than we had for Steeplechase, the running order below is posted in reverse order. I found Susan Royackers and told her that we had to scratch, everyone asked me, "won't he run for someone else" but there was no one there that we had even tried to have him run with them.

I picked up course maps anyway and went and got the dogs settled in their crates in the screen tent.  I'm not ashamed to say that when the other 16" finalists started their walk through for Steeplechase, I had tears in my eyes.

I'm sure Beckett would have done well in this Steeplechase, we may not have been the fastest but we might have had a chance for the podium but now we don't know. I did video the other bi-black sheltie, Jazz and her handler, they had an excellent run.

The last final we would have been in was Jumpers, again when I looked at the course map, I felt that Beckett would have done just fine, he threadles well, has a good around, only the last line of jumps might have given us a bit of a problem if I hadn't been able to keep up with him.

Again I videoed Jazz, her handler even handled the jumps after the second tunnel like I would have.

After the finals were done they set up for the awards ceremony but first they had a competitors' raffle. Each of the competitor's names were put in a bag and when your name was drawn, you went an drew a number from another bag and that was the number of the prize you won. There were tunnels, big gift baskets, and lots of other great items, we won a sport umbrella.  We also won a prize in a raffle to help another handler and her dog go to the Paragility Games in Hungary.

Adrian Royackers and the Canada Cup Judges

16 " Winners - Steeplechase

16" Winners - Jumpers

 The Steeplechase winners got a nice big black and white ribbon, oh how we would have liked to get one of those.

So we've already put the dates for next year's Canada Cup into our calendar and we'll try again to qualify for the finals. Who knows maybe even Keltic might be ready to give it a try.

Canada Cup - Part 2

The next day, most of the day was just overcast and when it did rain the rain wasn't nearly as heavy, sometimes the sun even tried to peep through.

The day started with Gamblers which we hadn't entered so again we didn't have to get up as early as some competitors.  There were over 120 dogs registered for the Canada Cup events. It's quite unbelievable that we got in that many runs and didn't really finish all that late in the evening.

The Gamblers event was really unique, three mini gambles with one main gamble, if you did all three minis in your opening you received an additional 20 points and you got 5 points for each obstacle of the main gamble you completed.  When the buzzer went to end the opening, you also had to take the two jumps (or go between the uprights) before you could attempt the main gamble. There were some pretty spectacular runs. The link is to the run of winner of the 22" Height class, pretty darn amazing!

Tânafon's Canada Cup Gamblers run

We started our day with the second Grand Prix. It was a bit of a train wreck for us. Beckett knocked a bar and then came back between the uprights, 5 faults for the bar, 5 faults for the off-course, then he totally blew off his dog walk. I don't think he's ever come off like that since we got to Masters which is not to say he always gets the contact.  If this had been a regular trial, our run would have certainly included some training in the ring. Then he also got 5 faults for missing his A-frame contact, so with 20 faults added to our time we were way out of it.  

Canada Cup Grand Prix 2 - Beckett

So making the finals in Gran Prix was not to be, I hoped that our next run Steeplechase would go a little smoother. And it did, although not super fast, Beckett was clean with a time of 38.10 but he finished in 13th place so I wasn't sure if he would make the finals; only 9 dogs in his height class would make the finals in this event.

Canada Cup Steeplechase 2 - Beckett

Our last run of the day Jumpers started well enough although I did a front cross after 3 when I had planned to post turn. It worked out all right as Beckett was a little forgiving, and took 4 without spinning and let me get back into position for obstacle 5. After that the run went well until I did a blind cross at the far end of obstacle 16 to set Beckett up for the last four jumps. Then without warning something in the calf of my left leg gave way and we had to do a hop, skip and jump finish which probably ended up adding 3 or 4 seconds to our time. Not sure what place Beckett finished this event in but his run was clean and, given the circumstances, in a respectable 36.91 seconds. Fellow competitors got me some Advil, water and an ice pack right after our run.

Canada Cup Jumpers 2 - Beckett

By now they had posted the Steeplechase finalists and I was very happy to see Beckett had placed 8th overall and so had made it to the finals.

As it didn't rain too much during the day and the forecast for Sunday was very promising, they made the announcement that the even would be outdoors on Sunday. We moved our crates down to the screen tent along with some other gear so it would be there in the morning.

I hoped whatever happened with my leg that by Sunday, like a bad cramp, the stiffness would have eased enough to allow me to run.  We didn't wait for the Jumpers results but went back to the hotel, fed the dogs and then I went out for a quick bite to eat. When I got back to the hotel frozen waters bottles and hot bath were the prescription for my leg.

Canada Cup 2013 - Part 1

The Canada Cup is an annual event hosted by Adrian and Susan Royackers on their property in Ariss, Ontario. It draws competitors from all over Canada and the United States.

I've wanted to go to the Canada Cup for many years but in the past I would have had to go as a spectator as dogs have to jump their regular jump height and Ceilidh and Tucker both jumped as Specials. This year, since we weren't going to Nationals and because a friend also decided to go, I entered Beckett. I hoped we wouldn't be totally outclassed by the level of competition and that we'd be at least in the middle of the pack.

We arrived on Thursday afternoon, 27 June in Guelph and headed out to Royackers to set up our screen tent so that would be one less thing to worry about in the morning. We set up the tent, even though with the weather forecast of rain and lots of it, we had been told that the event would likely be conducted indoors. I was totally impressed with the venue from the top field, to the pond, to the outdoor ring. The fields were like golf fairways, impeccably groomed.

Beckett playing Frisbee and Keltic running off to visit yet again

The pond

The dock

The top field with RV parking just off to the right

View of the pond from the top field

 In three of the events, Grand Prix, Steeplechase and Jumpers, there are two preliminary rounds with the top 45% of dogs moving on to the finals. The other two events are Snooker and Gamblers with the winners being decided by the single run. There is also one event for veteran dogs, a jumpers challenge.

I only entered Beckett in the Grand Prix, Steeplechase and Jumpers as your entry fee ensured you two runs and because the registration form said that the rules for the Snooker and Gamblers would be announced on the day of the event so I wasn't sure what to make of that. The rules at Canada Cup are a bit different than those of the Agility Association of Canada. For one there are no refusals called; we like that, as having a dog that sometimes gets a bit spinny, it was nice that we were only losing time. As well, most things were only accorded 5 faults, teeter fly-offs were 10 faults and non-completion of an obstacle was 20 faults.  The placements in each event, other than the two games, was determined by time plus faults so a fast dog could afford to make a small error.

Friday, 28 June, we arrived at Royackers in time for the general briefing and afterwards set up our crates in one of the buildings that were connected to the indoor arena. It was nice that we did not have to go outside to get our dogs as it poured rain for much of the day.  We got to watch most of the Snooker runs, which were really amazing, as the only way to win was to go for four 7's and get the full closing for a perfect Snooker.

Our first event was Grand Prix. We had never run a Grand Prix event before, it was a lot of fun.  It has all the obstacles you would find in a Standard event but the courses, I found, flowed smoother and weaves were judged at Starter or Novice level like Steeplechase.  In this first run, Beckett had two bars down and as a result he didn't place very high but being his first run, I was just glad he hadn't come in last.

YouTube link to Beckett's Grand Prix 1 Run

Our next event was Steeplechase which is one of our favourite events because even in the AAC, there are no refusals called.  I felt really in sync with Beckett on this run and we finished the clean run in a time of 33.61 seconds which was good enough for 5th place.

YouTube Link to Steeplechase 1 - Beckett

Fifth place finish for Beckett

Our last event of the day was Jumpers. We had a clean round in this event too;  it was not spectacularly fast and we finished in 10th place. There were 20 dogs in our height class so I thought unless we did much better the next day that we probably only had a chance to make the Steeplechase finals.

YouTube Link - Jumpers 1 - Beckett

I was very happy with how Beckett was running, two clean runs and he was right in the thick of things.

Since it had rained so much they made the announcement at the end of day that Saturday's events would be indoors too. It was a very long day, we headed back to the hotel to feed the dogs and then went out for dinner ourselves. The next morning came far too early but since we weren't in the Games event, we didn't have to be in a big rush to get back to Royackers.