Jordan and Rupert Go Champ!!!!!

A big congratulations to Jordan and Rupert for winning into Championship class at Waverunners last Saturday in the Steeplechase programme. A great achievement for a 10year old.

Way to go!!! I'm sure the performance will follow only points to go!

Crufts

After an age of hype and waiting Crufts finally arrived. Our first Crufts. Well, we didn't have any expectations and were just happy to get there and use this year as a learning experience. I was very stressed with the YKC Agility Dog of the Year at 13.10 and the flyball at 13.55. We stayed at a lovely farmhouse and arrived at 8.30 and managed to get 2 cages for the flyball and YKC benches on our tiny trolley. We benched with both the YKC and Dream Team but left Magic in the flyball benching as it was quieter. What I had not realised was that parents are not allowed to walk the course with children or queue with them. Jordan is quite able to course walk on his own but he walked it as if he was handling Rupert!!!! What really freaked Jordan out was having to queue without me and communicate with ring staff. I could see his panic and stress and Magic who soaks up stress looking very uncomfortable. An inevitable E followed when Jordan slipped and knocked over a jump wing when he realised he had to switch not turn with his shoulder, which hit Magic on the head who then fled the ring and into the crowd!!! I really felt for Jordan of all the times for this to happen. I think next time I will defiantly make sure he has someone with him in the queue. We then fled to join the Dream Team in the flyball quarter finals. Considering they only really got going as a team the week before the Crufts qualifier it was a real achievement to be at Crufts. The first race was fabulous as we won by lengths. However the heat and lack of water took its toil on the dogs and Jordan and I were in search of water and wet towels. Eventually we came 2nd!!!! We were organised for the semis with buckets of water and soaking towels. Sadly luck went against us against Warrington in the first heat and we were out. But what an experience. It's a real buzz to have 8 flyball teams escorted through Crufts by a phalanx of security officers. Since Crufts the hits on the Dream team web page have been considerable. I do hope that we will get to Crufts again. And if we do we'll have time to chat to people. Time just flew and everybody is busy but we did see some friends, many of whom doing so well. I'll leave people off if I name them. I did get offered £1000 for Magic!!!!! Well, he's not for sale and certainly not to soemone who thinks he's teh most beautiful dog and hasn't got a 10 foot fence, willing to do long walks everyday and cope with a compusive flusher on a dog walk!!!!! On Sunday we went to UKA AJAXS. Poor Magic wasn't at all keen on going in the ring after Crufts and ran out of the ring and into the Thames twice. After 2 practice runs and understanding judges we got a 3rd in the steeplechase. Rup was stonking and left with a 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Well, J and R are not on the brink of Champ class - only the 6 games points to go.

Good Luck Magic and Congratulations

Good luck to Jordan and Magic for DfS Crufts 2010. On Thursday 11th March they will be competing in the semi finals of YKC Agility Dog of the Year in the YKC ring in Hall 3. At 13.55 in the Main Arena Magic will be the reserve for the Dream Team South East when they race the Wimslow Wagtails. It's Crufts flyball, 2 fast teams in the quarter finals, first year of BFA style boxes, so anything could happen. I'm sure Magic will enjoy his adventure whatever happens and someway along the line we will get cockered!!!!

Congratulations to Magic for gaining his flyball dog award at St Leger Horse Park. And thanks to Roland for running him that day.

The Year Kicks Off

The Agility Year kicked off with the Traval Crystal Challenge. This meant a 6am start and, after a week of leaving the house at 7am to go to a new school in Brighton, it was a bridge too far for J. We ended up leaving an hour late and arrived as the medium dogs were doing the agility. J was devastated. He decided to have a go but due to not course walking didn't see the weaves at no 2 demanded the correct line from jump one. Ahhh!!! He lined up Rup wrong and an E followed as Rup missed the weaves. Started again and did a cracking round. Never mind. They went on to come 3rd in the open agility later that day and 5th on the Starters jumping. So they have at least scraped through to the finals of the Crystal challenge next December. Magic's mind was on other matters that day and wasn't fired up. He did a good agility round with Jordan with his usual A frame 5 faults! We have got to fix that for Crufts!!!!!!

Then disaster struck a few days later!!! Magic was on a walk on the downs when he saw bunny. A fast chase followed and a scrabble. Magic came back with bunny and blood everywhere. Got him to Pachesham for training and whist cleaning him up in the yard discovered he'd torn a dew claw. So out of action for 10 days.

Magic's injury was really bad timing as Jordan was on half term and had planned to train and bond with him. So those plans went out the window. We had UKA Valentines Show at Cheltenham and The Gun Dog Show at Telford that weekend. Both these shows were to be Jordan and Magic's Crufts warm up. But what a weekend!!!!

The vet has decided to put Rup onto a long lasting pain relief that you take monthly to see if we can get him using his back legs properly and avoid the back problems. I've also got a back on track rung and a new warm out routine. The downside is that Rup in now 19 kilos having put on weight due to being less active. He's now on a diet. But Rup was definately back and once he looses weight!!!! At UKA they were 2nd in the senior jumping and 3rd in the agility sadly with 5 faults for a close call dog walk contact that the judge changed her mind about twice. But the gun dog show was staggering. Given that they were competing against Grade 7 dogs in some classes and handlers like Amanda Hampson - the third and 5th were well deserved. I am so pleased with the steeplechase timings. The winner was 20.2 and Rupert was 5th with 20.8 Once he looses that weight ...and once we get the wide turns sorted out Rupert could be back and I hope he and J have a good season in senior and eventually Champ at UKA (only 6 agility and 6 games points to go) and novice plus at BAA.

We ran into problems with Magic's dew claw as the bandage became damp over that weekend. I got it changed when the vet opened Monday. We've decided to go without a bandage but this set back means no trianing till next week. But I might risk some light training with Jordan at the weekend in a boot. I'm also going to do some light training with Rup at flyball. I'm very undecided about Rup and flyball as he tends to drop the ball on tight crossovers after being attacked last year and he can't run all day due to risk of a flare up. But he could get his flyball dog on 90 points to go. He was a good reliable 5 second dog before that. I'm going to see how he is on Sunday and I might put him in the multi breed at Stockbridge if he can run as anchor dog for part of the day in a team. I also need to find a team for Magic with a nice steady dog to cross into and out of. He is very near or has his flyball dog.

Here's To 2010

Well folks it has taken me a month to fulfill my New Year's resolution to keep the blog going. In all the problems of last year the blog went by the way side. I hope it won't be the case this year!

Firstly thanks to everyone who has supported Jordan and I over the past extremely horrendous year. Things look brighter this year for us.

Well, this year kicked off with flyball at Gap Farm. Magic made his debut with the Dream Team last year as reserve for the Crufts qualifier and at Maidstone doing runs ups and running when we were 2 up. He got 50 flyball points. Gap Farm was his first proper debut. Apart from running out once when I turned my shoulder the wrong way and a sniff up on one run, he ran reliably for the day and was an asset as an 11" height dog. Running in the low 5s. As most of the dogs in the 6 dog team had never raced before flyball points were the last thing on our mind that day. I don't think he has his flyball dog but he is not far off.

The next weekend Magic returned to Doncaster for more flyball. Due to Jordan starting a new school I couldn't go. As you some of you know the tumour on my hand has returned and I will have to have more surgery. I'm hoping that during this time Roland will run Magic so he doesn't go without flyball. This partnership has been developing well in training. In retrospect it might have been better if I had been there as poor Roland got well and truly cockered.

Agility starts next week with the Crystal Challenge. Due to 4 weeks of snow and ice and now a new school, we've not trained Magic and Jordan which is a real pity as Jordan lacks confidence running with Magic. They need to be ready for Crufts!!!! Ahhhh!!! Don't ask about Crufts!! On the Thursday Magic is due at 13.10 in the YKC ring with Jordan for the semis of the YKC ADOTY and at 13.50 in the main arena with the Dream Team for flyball. Luckily he is reserve but I'd still like to be there with him.

Rupert has spent the winter resting. His hip dysplasia is definitely affecting him. He has had a full veterinary and physio assessment. He should be capable of almost full range movement but he is not producing this and still getting compensatory back problems. I am trying a Back On Track Rug and pain killers on training/show days with a full 20 minute warm up. So we'll see.

Last but not least we have been joined by Smartie (Rosmak Smart Choc). With our decision to retire Rupert from KC shows, it was essential to get Jordan another dog that could compete in the all heights junior classes. After much discussion with Jordan's trainers and Alan Bray who has been training Jordan over the summer, we decided that Jordan is ready for a large, fast collie. During the summer he ran several friends collies. So we set about finding the right collie which was a tall order. The quest was to find a bomb proof, happy go lucky, fast collie with a quick eye who would respond to hand signals and non verbal commands. I noticed that Rosmarinus collies not only ran well with the other juniors but were very responsive to hand signals. Despite my own wish for a Sandhyl/Canen dog, I decided these lines could produce a dog which for Jordan might be a step too far at this stage. So we took advantage to visit Rosie whilst we were at DINAS as Clip, who is litter sister to a friend's highly successful agility dog has a litter. Rosie used to teach deaf children and knew what we were looking for. We carefully chose a name that Jordan will be able to recognise both as a pet and KC name and is inspirational. In September we picked up the Smart Choc and turned to the dark side.

Well, collie pups are a lot less hassel than cocker pups. Collie are easier than cockers!!!! I would have another collie any day. (But wockers are still dogs of my heart).

Smartie has really bonded with Jordan. The pair are inseparable. A brilliant play relationship has developed and Smartie is instant on hand signals. Over Christmas it was brilliant watching Jordan on his sledge going across the downs flanked by Smartie. The next stage is to start on games that will get Smartie working away from Jordan following hand signals. And more work on the wait!!!!!!!! We have started pre-agility 2 by 2 training.

Well, the Smart Choc is smart, fast and driven. Barks in frenzy when he watches agility but seems less turned on by flyball. He is a compulsive herder with a quick eye and would have a tendency to herd our cat if he wasn't well integrated with her. He is obcessed with Magic and they are like 2 pups from the same litter and often have to be walked separately so Smartie focuses on us. At home he is very happy go lucky, laid back, once he is satisfied the cat is in one of the right places. He is a lot calmer than the ever busy cockers.

Hopfully Smarite will launch on the agility circuit at UKA in January 2011 and officially in Feburary 2011.

BAA Finals Weekend

It was a real dilemma for us as Magic had qualified for the finals of the UKA Dog Games Steeplechase at Staverton but we decided to give this a miss as the cockers had qualified for several BAA fianls. AND the Clever Dogs (fly-agility) is the highlight of our year.



Both Rupert and Magic were in the finals which tured out to be a round robin. Not good for Rup who is still a bit unfit and we still have somehwere to go with the Galen muscotheraphy. The 12 weaves were still early on in the course - not good for Magic who likes more exciting things up front. To top it Magic and Rupert were drawn to run against each other in the first leg!!! Magic decided to invade Rup's lane and both decided to do it in tandem. So they we through the weaves together, over the jumps and through the tunnels together. And up the flyball lane. Maxine decided to give both a ball. Eveeryone was laughing so much. Rup eventually came 4th and Magic 5th. I think Magic will do better next year if he decides to focas and get through those weaves and not try to race off down the flyball lane. He is by far one of the fastest dogs doing it.

Rupert didn't jump at all well after that, so we decided not to run him. Magic was a little star and we came 2nd in the Trios relay with Sylvia and Malcom.

The highlight of the weekend was the presentation of the Advanced U12 Junior trophy to Jordan, Rupert and Magic. It's a great achievement as this is grade 4-7 and to have won it with Rupert and 22 month old Magic is quite something given the other kids run 2 grade 5/6 dogs each. They won it by about 150 points.

A lovely end to our BAA year.

Cocker Kidz at the KC Festival

I'm writing this with the feeling that I took a load of kids to the KC International Festival. Well, I suppose I did - Jordan, aged 9. Rupert aged 4 and Magic aged 1.

It started with the excitement of the arrival and all 3 were manic with excitement and the atmosphere. Friday morning Sara came to give Rupert some Galen therapy before the International Young Handler and he went bonkers to see her. He is a real Galen groupie and it proves it's making him feel better. He was so excited and got 5 faults in the jumping. Next up was Magic and it was all too much for him and he ran out of the ring to tell Mummy how exciting it all was and jumped back round the course, so got E'd. Next was the agility round, which was in a ring in the middle of the show ground. This suited Rup fine. He bolted for the A fame and stood on the top watching everything from that view point and howling his delight. Then went up the dog walk to do the same. Magic meanwhile discovered the Purina van and paddling pool and ran out of the ring to visit the pool and then did a few more obstacles and back tot eh pool. So much for the International Young Handler this year!!!

The next day Rup pulled himself together and got a 5th in the G1 agility which qualified him for the YKC Crufts agility semi final at The City of Birmingham next year for Crufts 2011. He then got a 20th place in the G1 jumping which again qualifies him for the YKC semi final for the jumping at Crufts 2011 at the KC Festival next year. So all we need is a jumping placed clear for Magic. It wasn't at the Festival it was all too much for him and he kept running out of the ring to the Purina van except in one more quiet ring where he did a lovely round with Jordan but unfortunately got a refusal in the weave entry. I will say that he was a bit responsible as when he exited the ring he did run along the walkways to the Purina van and not through the rings!! So there is hope yet.

The YKC Crufts qualifier saw Magic take yet another trip to the Purina van and an E!! Jordan got badly stung running Rup and it all went belly up.

But all in all the cocker kidz did OK with the 5th and the 20th and most of all the experience. The highlight was meeting Orianne and Murphy, Magic's brother.

Off to DINAS with the kidz.