Description of Sundays Novice Runs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On JWW which we ran first,
there was a difficult opening sequence. Suki - one of my instructors - walked
it with me a bunch of times, and I messed it up on the real run, but I learned
a valuable lesson. The dancer in me needs to pick something on the perimeter
of the ring to "spot" as I turn, that way I can end up in the right place
instead of standing right in front of the jump as I did. OOPPSS. We earned
1 refusal there, and one refusal at the next jump because I was still off
kilter. So, after the first 4 jumps we
had our maximum of 2 refusals. I told Suki before we ran that if we had no
knocked bars and were close to qualifying, I was going to be sure we nailed
the weaves which were number 11.
Many of the dogs had
trouble with #9 but we were fine. All of the dogs but a few got the zoomies
around 10 and into the poles, Winston included, but after a couple of tries we
did the poles!!!!
Then, Suki had wanted me to
be on the right side of the last three jumps, and I got out of position and
was on the left ----------------- booo hooo we earned our 3rd refusal on the
second to last jump! No knocked bars, we did the weaves, time was fine, but
one too many refusals.
Then it was time for
standard. The first obstacle was a tire then to an off set dogwalk. Suki and
I discussed whether to be on the right or left, decided on right, should have
done left, earned a refusal at the dog walk, but he nailed the downside
contact unlike Saturday, so I had hope. Weaves were obstacle #4, and after a
short pause, he completed them, I had hope!
Then, between the next
sequence of jumps, I completed the cross we had planned, and got him to the
seesaw, he completed that and I really had hope! The next obstacle was a jump
- no problem. When the dog landed from that jump, they could see the next
jump, but instead they were to make a 90 degree turn to the A-Frame - Suki had
really cautioned me about calling the A-Frame at the right time. He sailed
over the first jump with me calling A-Frame in mid jump, he landed almost at
the next jump and I said HEEEEAAAAARRRRR and he turned on a dime, and I really
had hope!!!
Too much hope as he
launched off the down side of the A-Frame - drat!!!! On to the table which
was a sit this time. Nailed it, and as the judge walked over to start her
count, I turned to her and mumbled - he's a poodle - remember this judges owns a
standard poodle - she was laughing so hard she could barely count. On to the
chute and the final 3 jumps. Under course time, no knocked bars, 1 refusal -
and no Q.
