A week of rain, mud, promotion and Crufts Magic

It seems like last century but on Monday we drove up to the UKA Nationals at Tewkesbury. We had a late start as I had to sort out my tax credits or else... and we didn't get the camping pitch we wanted and had to camp up the hill by the sand pit away from the rings.

The week began well - Jordan and Rupert did a stonker in the Monday evening tunnel maze and came 2nd or 3rd. Magic enjoyed it but I had to choose to run or hold up my trousers as the belt went half way through and dignity won over glory. Seconds later the heavens opened and every one scattered so I should have erred on the side of glory. The next day Rupert won the juniors and was placed in all his other classes. Sadly he and J got E'd in the Nationals - in the dog walk/wrong end of tunnel grave yard.

Meanwhile the relentless rain continued and the 2 roan cockers became grey cockers. It was like Glastonbury. Wet and damp was the theme. But I was on the top of the hill. I decided I needed some warm so J and I swam down the main road to the pub for dinner. When we came back it was like Supa dogs. Everybody down the hill had or was being moved up the hill. J dug in and helped carry caravan awnings up the hill for people moving before being dried off by me before going to bed.

Mud took over the week and damp. Rup runs well in that kind of weather and did a beautiful agility round with run contacts to rival Dawn Weaver's and won into Senior. But it was the Rise of the Worms and Magic discovered that the rising water drove the worms to the top of the soil and was relentless in his quest to dig them out. It put a new slant on spag bog. Luckily - apart from juniors - we were running him NFC to perfect the run contact, weaves and to make him run with Jordan.

On Friday I decided to go to the Chippenham YKC Show to run Rup in the Agility Dog of the Year and Magic but I felt it really was a year early for him. He still has problems with the A frame and finding the weave entry. If there are worms he just won't run. Greg Derrett was very supportive and said they'd tow us out. But the 4 wheel drive got stuck towing someone else out. So.....it was decided to take down the post and rail fence at the top of the hill where we were camped. Horray we were now a 5 star pitch with road access and we took off for the Chippenham show.

After an evening on a camp site on Watership Down and Magic with a dead bunny - caught on his bedtime walk. But on the up side camped beside a wonderful pub called the 4 Magpies. We set off late for Chippenham as I had to clean the van of mud and remains of bunny. It wasn't torrential rain but it was constant, relentless drizzel.

I love the YKC CHippenham Show - the club are so supportive of young handlers. There was a practice ring until 10.30 and we unleashed the cockers. Rup went well over the large KC height on quite a difficult course and Magic was running for Jordan with lovely run contacts. First up was Rup who decided he'd left his brain at Tewkesbury but he was going clear until J decided to run for the weaves and layer the jump with another obstacle. Rup, not used to doing the large height, didn't see the corner jump and followed J's path and was E'd. Ohhhhh!!!!!!!!

J was devastated his Crufts dream was gone. He was quite realistic that Magic wasn't ready. But Magic by name and Magic by nature.... The start was bad, Magic decided to treat himself to some worms on the start line but once he'd done that was over the start line and galloping round. It was a lovely round until, for some reason, he slipped on the A frame. This dented his confidence but J encouraged him back up and he redid the A Frame but jumped the contact. 10 faults. But very fast and lovely weave entry and weaves. E's followed and a slow round with 10 faults. Magic was through to Crufts with what was a lovely round bar that slip on the A Frame and reaction to it. A deserved result as he is only 20 months and this was his 2nd agility round in competition.

He also came 4th in the tunnel maze.

Don't ask me about Rup the rest of the day. He just barked and acted like he'd never been trained for agility.

So Magic is off to Crufts in the U12 Young Kennel Club Agility Dog of the Year (medium). He's also qualified for Stoneleigh 2010 jump off for an agility place at YKC Crufts. And Jordan and Magic now enter the Agility Club U12 League.

Unfortunately the rain brought the worms to the surface and Magic decide they were more fun than agility for the rest of the day, so I took them all home - exhausted, muddy and exhilerated well one was with Crufts, the other with worms and Rup is high most of the time.

I NEVER WANT TO SEE MUD AGAIN !!!! I have spent the whole day cleaning cockers, going to flyball training (where Magic cocker decided the fox hole was the best thing) and Galen sports massage and washing clothes, van etc and cleaning up Magic poo as teh diet of worms does not suit him.