Gun Dog Weekend

It finally arrived! The weekend of the long awaited Gun Dog Show.

We started by heading north east to the East Midlands for the last Winter BAA EMDAC show. I must admit I felt awful driving up. Very cold and nose like a tap. After the night in a Travel Lodge I'd lost my voice. And realised I'd forgotten Rupert's ritalin equivilent. Ahhhh!!!!

The day started with the primary jumping. I was furious with the ring party and judge. I have told Jordan not to go in the ring with Rupert until the last dog is finishing and not to line him up on the start until the judge and scrimer are ready. Well, the stupid leads person made J stand on the start line with lead off while the last dog was still jumping. Rupert was manic. Then to top it the juge decided to talk to the previous competitor. Meanwhile J was hanging on to Rupert for dear life. When he finally let go Rupert crashed the first fence. (His first pole down in 1 year). He was manic and an E followed.

J lost a lot of confidence and asked me to handle Rup in power and speed. Rup pretended not to know what a contact was but luckily did touch them. He did a stonker of the speed and was 4th -shame he checked my signs and that hesitation cost him a higher place.

J had him in the agility and they made a lovely start over a tricky course. There was a horrid switch after the dog walk to avoid a tunnel that J fluffed. So Rup charged off into the tunnel and an E. Not content with that he indulged in a giddy spot of fun.

Next came the advanced juniors. Jordan had now become dolly day dream. It was also not a course for Rup with a really fast start into some very tricky handling. I was wishing Magic was 18 months as it was much more his kind of course. I lined them up with medium ticket after the large dogs and hid. Suddenly J and R were doing the full height course with J doing the opposite to what I'd told him. Rup was treating the full height as a a sign he needed more speed. Now I must admit it is very odd for J not to wait for the jumps to go down or insist this happens. Well, I just exploded with him about being responsible for his dog and doing the right height. He said the ring party pushed him in and he was copying his friend. Ahhh!!!!!

By now I was feeling really rough. And 2 hours of ring party was all I needed - a voiceless scrimer was all the judge needed. J was doing both leads and sheets. And nobody bothered to help. We left poor Harold Weston doing all our jobs to do take your own line.

J suddenly went up a gear and wanted to do TYOL. I explained the rules and realised this could be a Rup course. J was game and the pair did a stonker that put them in 4th place with points of seconds depriving them of a first.

Thankfully I was better the next day. Still sniffing. But we made our way to the Gun Dog show. J had a new found confidence. First up was the G1-7 steeplechase. J and R flew the course and I was pretty sure they would be first as the jumped the last fence. Everyone started clapping and then.... the last pole wobbled and dropped. 5 faults!!!!! J's face said it all, so did the judge's! J did 2 agility rounds in the G1-4 and came 4th overall due to a handling fluff that caused Rup to uncharacteristically run past the A Frame. I had serious concerns about the G1-4 jumping as it was like the advanced juniors - a fast motorway start with a sharp left instead of carrying on. Well, despite a bat outa hell start with Rup 2 jumps ahead he heard J hoot and may have seen J twist left but he did go left and a fast clear put the pair in 1st place. What with that and being 3rd in the G1 Gun Dog League J is the happiest child in Surrey.

Well next week brings about the "age of Magic". I must say I'm really excited. He was a little star in trianing last week. Eleanor is really stretching the Pachesham pups and introduced some quite challenging "layering". Magic is so responsive he didn't mind that I was handlnig him from 15 foot away with jumps or weaves inbetween me and the equipment he was doing. He did what he was asked. Eleanor is also working hard at the weaving to get the pups going straight down the middle of the V weaves. I need to do a lot more work with Magic on this. He also has a tendancy to go too fast over jumps and go under. I''m not expecting much at Waverunners except fun. (Too many birds and the river in view!!! (LOL) I was hopnig to work with him today but I'm exhausted and still coughing.