August

Well it is August and just have done my last agility show for the year (kc ones at least).
They are all down in the central belt and just too expensive to do them.
Just back from Platinum beside Edinburgh, could only do the 1 day though.
Weather down was very rainy and at the show was a wee bit miserable until lunchtime.
4 runs 2 e's and 2 clears but no rossies.

Granite City Show

Missed the Beardie show as I think that 1-7 combined classes are not very good except for grades 6 /7.
Difficult for the judges as well to pitch a course for all grades of dogs.
Granite City what can I say the weather was really too hot on Sat. Sunday was just a wee bitty cooler (not Much).
Got 3 clears over the weekend how did I do that?
The heat got to me and on 1 course I was 21 seconds over the course time.
Also seemed to have less dogs at our show.
Is it because there are now too many shows in the central belt?
Or too expensive to travel.
My average miles up to now for all shows is now 203 miles each.

Having a wee break from agility, all the competitions are really too far away just now .
Most of them are in the central belt, just too expensive to go to shows.
Only done 4 shows this year and my average miles per show is 250 miles.
Back to Jodie had a big scare last Tuesday she was very ill and you could hardly touch her as she would scream out.
So off to the vet we went and guess what, the vet tested every limb, her spine and head movements.
She never complained once, on arrival home I had to lift her out of the car and she screamed again.
Going upstairs seemed to be a problem but going down was ok.
Thankfully she was more friskier on Wednesday and now seems virtually back to normal.
Took her to the vet this morning and she thought I brought a different dog to the surgery.

Avon Agility Show.
Sunny Saturday, Sunday not so sunny .
These agility courses seem to be getting longer and longer.
Some courses were tricky I thought, but I managed a 2nd and 3rd on the Sunday.
Fiona course was really long, did a nice slow start because I wanted a clear round.
Went up to Falkirk to see the Kelpies on the way home.
I thought they were dogs but it turned out to be statues of horses.
Nice park think you could spend all day wandering around the canal and locks.
You really must go and see this place.

Gleniffer May 2014

Weather was good mostly rained during the night.
Although we had thunder and lightning it didna last long and it was at lunch time.
Jodie had 8 runs 7 were the big E but we had a clear. (how did that happen).
Some courses looked pretty easy, but they soon caught you out.
What I notice with a lot of courses now, seems to be a long distance between some jumps, passing too close to jumps that you have already done.
One little loss of concentration and your dog takes the wrong jump.

Fair City 2014

Arrived at the show about 08.00 was raining a wee bit, so on with the waterproofs.
Didna like a couple of courses one had a spread, the first time I have done one in a competition.
Jodie managed up to the spread and then darted out of the ring for a wee. (first time for everything)
So we had 3 big E's on the first day. The weather improved as the day went on so pitched the tent had a good look at all the other rings running.
Had a good walk before tea, went to see the peacocks and a wee walk to see if we could see some otters.
The camera I took went flat so never got any pics for the weekend. (silly billy charged the wrong batteries).
Sunday weather was pretty good, got a Second in Helens Glass course 4/5 combined agility went a wee bit slower just to see if I could get a clear round.
On to Linda Park ring tricky start I thought and a tricky bit at the end anyway we got the big E because she back jumped( woman always knows best)
Back to Helen Glass last event a 5/6/7 combined jumping it was the same for large so walked at 14.00 and just turned up as it was about 75% finished for smalls, then I found out she had changed the start she made it even more tricky I thought.
We were last to run managed the start quite well. Jodie was going well, so much so that I coodna get her on to my right  side and we arrived at jump 7 so it was either jump the jump or kick the dog, I took the jump and got the big E.
Jodie and I finished very fast and I thought I had clear because there is nothing in the rules says you canna jump a jump.
So we had a discussion about it, and it turned out I widna get anything anyway so everyone went away with some good banter going about.
At the prize giving Helen gave me the judges special.
Hey I was a happy bunny all the way home

Fair City Perth. 10/05/14
Well off we go to our second show of the year, same venue Scone Palace (nice grounds).
Wonder if we will get some clears this time.
Have to travel down on the Sat morning because I have to go and watch the granddaughter dancing show on the Friday night. Why can they not have it on the dark nights.

KOF April

Went to KOF show in Perth.
Weather was sunny but very cold with the wind, with a little drizzle.
Nose got a wee bit sunburn.
Had 6 runs 5 were big E, and had a 5 faults on Laura's course.
Seemed a long show, some classes lasted ages. Maybe because loads of dogs and people from far away came to try a wee holiday up here.
Scone Palace is a wonderful setting for an agility show.
We will be back again in May for another show this time Fair City.

Middle of February and just started training again, last I done was at the beginning of November.
Had a really bad fall in a local park in Novenber, and then fell off a ladder 3 weeks ago and had a badly bruised wrist, coodna drive for nearly 2 weeks.
Didna do much though, need to get a wee bit fitter as well. First show will be KOF in April.
Lets hope the agility season will be mostly dry like it was last year (except Granite City in 2013)

Well car passed the MOT, so will be able to go to the show.
ACTS agility show started badly as it had been raining (dinna like rain in agility). It stopped about 09.00 and started to dry out, sun came out for the rest of Sat/Sun and it was really pleasant.
Just had 2 clears the whole weekend but one of them had 3/4 secs time faults. Times are certainly getting tighter round the agility courses.
Spent a lot of time pole picking both days, it was all large dogs that I saw for the 2 days and was not impressed with some handlers and dogs. Did get to see a few small dogs in Neil's ring and the tunnel /dog walk bit had a few dogs making huge mistakes including Jodie.
This week we will be working on the same sort of set up at training.
That was my last KC show of the year, where did all the time go.
Just would like to say huge thank you's for all the people that put on shows so that we could play.
Started at grade 3 and finished at grade 5 so must have been slightly better this year

Acts show in September will be here in a 1week.
Seems a long time since my last show at the end of July.
Lets hope the car passes the MOT on the 2nd, if not we will have to take a walk to the showground.
Hope the weather is good as well.
Think what we need is a few shows in Scotland that we do not need to travel very far too.
Think the average miles for my shows works out at about 160 miles each

Beardie show the weather was good but all these 1-7 combined are a nonsense, so I only did the 2 graded classes but had 2 big Es,
Was very poorly organised still running at 18.50 while all the other ring finished at 16.00.
The judge was available and should have moved the smalls into an empty ring.
Will have to have a think about doing this show again, but it is a very local one

Granite City Show

Weather on the Saturday was hot, but we only got the big E all day.
Sunday it was chucking it down all day, thought they would cancel the show after a very heavy downpour, The judges did well and most never stopped for lunch, they must have been very wet.
A couple of ring had swimming pools in them but judges avoided the nasty bits.
Some really good courses over the 2 days especially on the Sat.
Sundays courses had to take into account the very bad weather.
we came away with a win in grade 5 jumping and was inside the course time on Alan's course on the Sunday.

Fell behind with the Blogs.
East Lothian in July, weather terrific, brilliant show won an agility grade 5 but was outside the course time, wow the course times were tight as the weather was so hot

Was at Avon agility show last weekend, weather was terrific, courses good judges were brill.
Jodie had a 1st in jumping graded.
It gets tougher from now on because Jodie and Ellie are both in grade 5, must remember to run them in the correct order as well.
Ellie surprised me in Mark's class by going clear.
My camping spot was ace as well, not far to get to the rings, also saw the swallows feeding their young above the toilets.
Lots of happy people going about because it is a well run friendly show.

Well we are off to Eglington Park this weekend. 25th May
The weather at this venue last year was actually the best weather for the whole year.
Lovely place for walks around the grounds and a ruined castle as well.

Well what can I say smashing time weather was terrific, courses were excellent, some new judges I think judging for the first time.
Not only that had my best results of my agility career had a 2nd in agility, 2nd in jumping.
Best result was a win in agility making me up to grade 5 now, its only taken me 6 years to do it and was my 1st ever agility win.
Now the question is how will I cope in the higher grades?

Missed Woodie this year, dinna like the sheeps muck especially when you are in a tent.
Looking forward to being at Perth next week, wonder if we will get a wee win or have I had all my luck for this year.
Fair City show was fabby, nice happy Fair City members who worked their socks off
Jodie was also very good managed a 4th in agility, also 2 clear jumping rounds.
 Ellie got a 3 rd in agility I coodna believe it.
Evening entertainment was good as well at Obe's coming out party.

Kingdom Of Fife show 13/14 April.
Had a good time at the show nice to see a lot of the usual people and a few new ones coming into agility.
Saturday was nice but was all the big E.
Sunday it rained in the morning cleared up at lunch time .
Well decided to try a different tactic with Jodie, stood her on the start line insted of just releasing from my hands.
Well must have done something right as we got our only clear round of the day, which became a 1st place .
Wow a third of the way to grade 5 now.
Canna wait until our next show at Perth.

Winter should be over by now but it is still very cold.
Have our first outing to a fun agility show next week.
Jodie has put a little weight on, and Ellie seems to be a wee bit lighter than usual.
Jodie was very quick at the fun day show, but all big E's.
Got the judges special award though for entertainment.
Wow snow every day since and no training at all for us, field was 6 inches deep last week.
If this carries on until April wonder what Dundee will be like?
Hinna entered it anyway so disna matter.
First proper KC show for us will be KOF, really have to get up another grade this year.
Not doing Woodie either and got some bad news about Avon they are going to Biggar this year.

Well we had a wee trip to Hare & Hounds in September nearly a 600 mile round trip for a 3 day show.
The journey down on the Thursday was pretty bad rain from Edinburgh down the a68, stopped driving as the roads were flooded at Jedburgh.
Arrived safely at the show at about 07.00 on the Friday.
Friday was good agility weather and we managed a 3rd in 4/7 agility, wow the competition is much better than in Scottish shows, fast mini cockers and Poodles, Border Terriers.
Sat Jodie managed 2 clears but no places, Sunday was 1 agility clears. Had to miss 2 runs as needed to get back home at a reasonable time on Sunday.
Very good well managed show, banter on the tannoy was brilliant, still running at 18.45 on the Saturday ,and was getting dark pretty quick.
A lot of the judges were new to me, and they put up some very nice courses.

Went to Acts 8/09/12.
Well we got a second place in agility on the Sat.
On the Sunday achieved a 4th place again in agility.
Do not think we will get an agility win.
Weather on Sat was like Gleniffer show hot hot.
Sunday was still warm, but not a lot of sun just good agility weather.