UKA Thatcham Success and Devastation

We were at UKA Thatcham this weekend. Due to mug not being able to tow the caravan and it needing to be serviced, I decided to commute to Mapledurham for the 3 days of the show.

I was determined to use the show to get Jordan and Magic running as they were before Crufts as both seem to have lost confidence in each other. The show started off disastrously. Day parking is behind some trees and you can't see the rings. Toilets are quite some way away. You can't exercise the cockers near the river.... So the first day we missed 2 runs and 3 course walks. We've only ever done this at big KC shows like Thames. In the end the show sec said best to park by the rings. Problem solved.

We started off with some training runs and then for real in the steeplechase. Magic ran really well but stopped to do an archaeological dig for a treat from a previous show but Jordan got him to carry on. Unbelievable he was 2nd - only 6 seconds behind Nancy Hudson's impressive, technically perfect and fast round. If Magic hadn't stopped he might have beaten that round!!!!! It was then that the penny dropped with Jordan - that Magic is a very fast little dog, who covers a lot of ground in his long stride, who is also very accurate and at home in tricky courses and fast flowing courses. The only thing is keeping him going by sound to stop him leaving the ring and sniffing. A 4th in Gamblers followed - except Magic jumped the last fence and ran straight into the Thames. Then came the revelation that Magic was no longer novice steeplechase - he was now senior!!!! Just when I wanted flowing steeplechase courses to promote the partnership!

The next day Jordan was up for it with Magic. The senior course was one of the nicer courses at this level but still tricky - several Es came. Magic flew the course - running with great speed and accuracy. He was 1st!!!! Jordan was really celebrating. Especially as he came 2nd in the Champ steeplechase with Rupert, only points of a second behind Virginia Harry's Zoe.

Then one of the worse days of my life came.

I still don't know how this happened. We took all 3 dogs for a walk and play at lunchtime. I'm encouraging Jordan to take Smartie off on his own with a ball to build up that partnership. They must have been 400 yards away from the cockers. Magic had his ball and Rup was sniffing. I told Jordan to get Smartie off the field of charf onto the edge of the field as it was a bit brittle. I still don't know what happened next as I was picking up Rup poo. I looked up and Magic was holding up his left leg in a classic dislocated shoulder position, wagging his tail with Smartie's football in his mouth. Smartie was miles away. According to Jordan, Smartie pointed and rammed Magic. I'm wondering if J kicked Smartie's football and Magic landed awkwardly in the charfy,uneven field that I had told Jordan to get off.

I gave Magic arnica and checked him but there was little forward movement in his shoulder. I decided to drive him to the emergency vet in Guildford, not Reading and we arrived at 1.30. The vet told me that he probably had a fracture and it was likely he would never do flyball or agility again. Jordan was in tears, I was in tears. I blame myself for this happening. Smartie can be like a little charging rhino and you have to stop these charges verbally or by a whistle as he just keeps going and Magic doesn't seem to get out of the way or hold his own like Rup. I often keep him on a lead if Magic has a ball or walk both separately, while we are sorting this out. It's not happened in the last 4 weeks and I thought that behaviour had gone.

Well, we left Moo for an x - ray and went home in tears, extremely anxious. Dunno what I'd have done without Michelle form the Dream Team who kept in touch. By 9pm we were out of our minds waiting for a text from the vet. Finally at 10.30pm the x rays were done, so we drove over for 11.30pm to collect Magic.

Well, the good news is that there is no obvious fracture. But Moo is still in considerable pain and holding his shoulder at an odd angle. The vet said 10 days off but I feel this is a month at the very least. I'm now waiting for the vets to open as the orthopaedic specialist is in today and our physio is gong to slot Magic in as an emergency. I can feel a hot spot at the front of his shoulder that I think the physio will be able to work on.

Positive thoughts for Magic, please.