Catch up....

Ok, I am totally useless and did sort of forget about my blog until the otherday.. oops! Last time I wrote anything on here, we had just got back from Norfolk show, where Ploddy Roddy had just gone Grade 6, clever dog. I sort of classed Norfolk as my last proper show of the year, where I had decided I needed to give the dogs a little bit of time off then get back into training. Think I gave the dogs two weeks off, then will give them three weeks at Christmas. I really don’t like the idea of giving six- eight weeks off, because then when you bring the dogs back, unless you are sensible like Lee Windeatt, you bring them back to training week one and expect them to do everything they were doing six weeks ago before you put them on rest, you also expect them to be just as fit. I think if I did this, I would forget like most. Also I heard three people say at North Downs show at the weekend “This is my first show back from their winter rest, they came back two days ago” what!!??!! So they have done no fitness work or training and are going to do four runs… hmm… interesting… not very smart huh! Anyway back to what I was saying… after Norfolk and the dogs rest. I couldn’t get myself back into training, I don’t have Lee to train with anymore (well not often anyway) because ive moved back to Wiltshire, I had sort of got myself in a routine which didn’t involve training, it was a lot colder all of a sudden and basically I just couldn’t be bothered. I had so much to work on with young Rods, I had no idea where to start. However luckily, I got my self back together and begin at the beginning, made myself a little list of what I needed to practice, and it seems to be going ok so far :D!

At the end of Oct I went and stayed with Garry Lee (not like that) for a few days. On the Thurs I traveled up via the Stokoes and did a bit of training with them, Rodney ended up being ill, so we had to cut training short ! While up at Garrys we had a great time, well I did anyway. For my birthday present (I was 21) Garry paid for me to get my tattoo done :D I got a mustang (galloping horse) on my right inner upper ankle tehe, I still like it 3 weeks on which is a bonus. I don’t think I’ll be having any more done, think that got my rebellious bit out of me. On Sunday the 1st we went to Broxburn show, which was ten mins down the road from Garry. This was Rodneys first grade 6’s. Grade 6 agility had two dog walks, two aframes and no see-saws, soon as I saw the course, I thought wayhay here comes our first win to grade 7. Once again as soon as I thought I was going to win, it all went Pete Tong. Rod had a pole, so I sort of gave up, changed the course slightly and left the ring. Sarah Stokoe however won it with her young dog, fantastic round, she only needs one more win for 7 . Then we had 6/7 combined jumping, nice course, however I got Rod E’d, I had to pull him across the face of a jump, however I didn’t tut! Once again though he ran well. Grade 6 jumping left, was a totally stupid course, it literally was just jump turn jump turn, think I used 12 steadys and did 7 front crosses, because I wasn’t committed due to it being a crap course, Rod got worried and ran really slow. However luckily due to being up in Scotland we still finished 2nd, 0.5 I think, behind the winner. Everyone thinks winning in Scotland is really easy, ok it is easier than winning down here, however I do think most southerners forget there are good dogs up north too. I think by going by general speed the dogs are faster up north, however there handling and turns are no where near as good as a lot of people down here. Basically to sum it up, after everything I have heard, I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed myself. That’s lucky I enjoyed myself, because Lucy Clifton and I are going back up there for Woodside next month, hope she doesn’t read this post, because I haven’t mentioned the shows in Scotland, just said it was up north… la la la!!

So North Downs, four runs, no clear rounds tut! However Rods was running so much faster who cares. Below are the runs, once again kindly videoed by Lucy Clifton. In the first agility below, you can see I get E’d because my handling off of the dog walk, Rod goes straight into the wrong end of the tunnel. If there is anything I can do off of contacts it is wrong end tunnels. So the next day I go training up the field, I decide this needs to be set up, I was expecting perfection like usual, however, it wasn’t at all, first two times he went into the wrong end (the end I didn’t want him to go into) :O I was so happy, you may ask why. I was so happy due to the fact, if I cant do something in the ring, I also love it when I cant do it in training because atleast then I can work on it. If its just something you cant do in the ring, but its always perfect in training it is soooo much harder to sort out. So of course we are going to be working on this. I have now introduced my “here” command whilst he is on the contact and not as he is leaving, due to the fact he has speed up and hopefully will keep speeding up, leaving the “here” until he is leaving the contact is too late. Have done this once is training so far, just on a plank and it seems to be working very well, so fingers crossed.










Also a huge well done to Lucy and Pie for winning grade 6 agility, lovely run. Two wins down, two to go !

I almost forgot about poor little Phoebe. Broxburn, I think we did an extra jump in every run, however for once she ran well. Then at North downs, she had one clear round, which we trained and came 4th in, the other two rounds, she wanst too bad, however E’s! I am starting to have a little more faith in her. Paul Oldfield mentioned how he needs a medium ticket… so…. If naughty little Phoebe will run with him…. Hahahha watch this space lol!!
Here is Phoebes clear round…



Well im off to Spain on Friday for a nice long weekend with a couple of friends. Have two weekends off, then Rugby and Woodside. Will hopefully not forget about my blog again, if I can remember how to upload videos, I will take some of Rods in training next weekend and put on here.

xoxo

My internet sucks...

Well I am only hmmm 2/3 weeks late with this post. My excuse is my internet, I for-whatever reason seem to live in the middle of no where and the internet is so painfully slow, it kills me! I can never get myself together enough to even be bothered to try to get on. The only way I really seem to keep in contact with the world is via facebook on my phone!

Back to the dogs though, so my last show was Norfolk. Seemed to do pretty good, Rodney won a combined 4/5 jumping and a grade 5 agility, then he had a 2nd in grade 5 jumping and another 2nd in 3-5 jumping. Phoebe, well im sure you can guess... er err! She did however have some almost rounds lol! Poor little Phoebe, as of today I started training her again, seeing how she will be in champ next year I thought id better, don't want to embarrass myself any more than I already do!

Since Norfolk, I have got very slack on the training front, been more interested in boys, out-going, make-up etc... tut tut! However that is over and I am finally back in the game ready to get back to training. So I said before I had a see-saw issue... I have of course done a bit of work on this. I am very lucky Rod learns very quick, so ive literally only done a bit and hes got the hang of it already.. I hope. Ive proofed it in two new venues and he has been perfect. So just need to get to afew more venues and get in the ring to see if its properly sorted.

Hopefully this Sunday Lucy and I will pop down to train with Lee, I am sure ive picked up some bad habits since I haven't trained with him for awhile now... :(! However he watches all my videos from shows then tells me what he thinks im doing wrong which always helps, so I can go away and work on it. Apart from hes mentioned a few times now that I waggle my finger if im picking Rod up from a tunnel, I actually cant stop myself from doing it ahhhhh!! Then next Thurs, I am travelling up north stopping and training with the Stokoes and Jennings for the day (another new venue for Rodders) then continuing EVEN further up north to SCOTLAND :0! To stay with Gary Lee for a couple of days, and doing the Broxburn show (Rods first grade 6, think I forgot to mention earlier, due to Rod winning the grade 5 agility at Norfolk, he is now grade 6.)For the rest of the year I have North Downs and Rugby (Kc shows) then think I have entered a UKA or two, plus Corton are having a limited show in a couple of weeks, so have got that too! My only issue really is, the fact ive got to work to pay for all of this :( its rubbish and as my friends know, I am still on the look out for a rich boyfriend who can fund me, so if anyone finds one pleaseeee send him my way, thank you :D!!

I was going to finish the blog with a few videos from Norfolk however, they have changed the format on youtube and I can not for the live of me figure out how to now put them onto my blog, think Ill have to speak to charlotte of Lucy! The videos are on Lucys youtube page though... lucykippie! (dont want the one where I tried to run pie lol)

xoxo

Five Rivers

Ok, so Five Rivers show was last weekend, I am a bit late updating this and can prob not remember most things anymore. Guess thats good, this maybe a shorter post for once.

So, lets get Phoebe out the way to start with, I remember last post saying how I was really happy with how she was running and how she is all of a sudden so much better, ok if im allowed to take that back.. its taken back. She was useless, or maybe I was useless.. one or the other, prob the latter. I dont think we got a clear round once again, not even in the H/S lol.. tut! I took her out of two runs for being an idiot, then in one run Lucy and I swear she was E'd, however she got an 8th.. who knows.

Rodney wasnt too bad, ok yes still need to work on waits and see-saws, but apart from that hes running well. Once again getting faster every show through confidence. It is still showing if I dont go into the ring 100% he will not run right, luckily I am getting better at this though. This weekend was slightly annoying, cos he ran well but I kept making silly mistakes, making him wide, hence why he had 3 clear rounds and only 3 2nds. However he was never far off the winner and I know if I hadnt made stupid handling mistakes he could of won all 3. I know I know, everyone can say that from time to time, if not all the time "If I hadnt of been E'd 3 times, I would of won!" But when im saying it I am once again refering to his speed across the course.

So here goes come videos, luckily Lucy Clifton came with me so she videoed a lot of my runs :-) Here is 4/5 graded agility, ok up until the see-saw, you can see he slightly flew the see-saw tut, then I messed the end up cos I hadnt walked the course. From this video you can see why I keep saying I MUST work on my see-saw...



Here is the other 4/5 graded agility which we came 2nd in. Jo Thorpe with her dog Kyp won it by 0.5. As you can see not our best run, but I guess its good to have them all on video so you can see what needs to be worked on... yes most of this round needs to be worked on actually...



Here is one of the jumpings Rod came 2nd in, think this is the one he was 0.6 behind in due to the end I messed up, then the other jumping he came 2nd in, he was 0.09 behind, naughty Lucy forgot to video! :P



Last video of the show, we have the H/S combined 1-7, I was so pleased with the speed Rod started with in this run. However I somehow get E'd or faults or something, I have no idea whats wrong with me. Paul (oldfield) told me I had to run inside the box due to the position of the box, I was like no no no, on the outside will be fine, however I did it all wrong and well basically Paul was right, think I must of been one of the only people to get E'd lol. There were some fantastic times in this course, Elaine with Davey did it in 13.23 :O!...



That was a bit of an over view of last weekend, due to not really remembering what happened. When I get chance and Lucy puts the videos from Norfolk on youtube, I will post a new blog :-).

Chow (think thats how you spell it) for now xoxo