Not long to go until the WAO's

Yikes, not long to go now until the WAO's in May.  We are travelling out on Tuesday 15th May and then there are training sessions on the Wednesday and Thursday with competition three days Friday-Sunday.  Zeki is in nearly all of the events as we have recently been called to do the games classes.

I have been working on jumping courses and trying to get a better mind set when I step on the line.  I think it's coming but I'm not there yet.   We set up a good course on Tuesday night, again thanks to Greg Derret, it was a version of his masters jumping course from Easter Monday.  Once more it was different from the original because of the shape of our arena.  His course was designed to a square and we had to adapt to rectangular.  It was a good course which had plenty of handling but flowed for the dogs.

Still I didn't manage to go out and run clear first time round.  Zeki did a brilliant run but on my first attempt I lost her into the weaves # 11 instead of the tunnel #5.   I started again and she ran clear.  However, that is not going to be good enough.  I have to run a jumping course clear first time before I depart.   The course turned out to be a good training pattern as there were so many different ways of handling the weaves #11 through to tunnel #17.   We ran the course the way we thought we could run clear and fast and once we had done that then we tried different things.  Both Leah and myself found our final attempt at running the course to be our personal best attempts.  In both cases it wasn't the way we chose to run it first time.  So we took away from this not to be blinkered about how we handle certain sequences.  

Last night Leah set up a jumping course for me at her club.  It was very tricky and testing.  I was reasonably pleased with my performance in that I actually got round to #17 before going wrong.  This is further than I have been getting and it was an exceptionally tricky course.   We worked through our errors and on my final run we managed to go clear.  This is my best attempt at replicating the pattern we ran:

I am hoping to set up an extra training session at our school before the WAO in order to get some more practise in before we leave.  I am also hoping to get in two competitions before the event both with champ classes for Zeki which will be good practise plus of course I so want to win that third ticket!  We are booked at both Vyne and Beacon shows and subject to this wretched weather improving we will be there trying hard to give our best performance.

I got my tee-shirts back from Marilyn's mum who has made the most fantastic job of altering them.  They now fit me and no longer look like tent dresses!

Here is a link to the WAO magazine in which Zeki and I feature on page 54.

Happy twelfth birthday to our little 'Tri-Pawd' Becky

Happy birthday to our dear little Becky who is twelve today.  She is so much happier than this time last year when although she had four legs she was in so much pain.  Now she is smiling every day and back to her old happy-go-lucky self.

The hair on her operation site is really growing back thick and fast and I think once a bit of top coat comes through it will be hard to tell that she is in fact a 'Tri-Pawd'!

Spring garden and strange sighting

It has been so wet and I think we have quite a bit more rain to come.  We were booked into Wallingford for one day this weekend by I don't much like Newbury in the rain so have decided to stay home.  We've been quite busy this week so I'm really looking forward to lighting the fire and catching up with some t.v. with a glass of wine.  Shortly off to walk the dogs so hopefully they will be nice and tired and will chill out by the fire too!

Managed to get some pictures of the garden to cheer the blog up.  The garden is loving the current spell of wet weather and I think it shows.

For a couple of weeks now a little Blue Tit has been visiting our garden and we noticed it has an extra long beak.  We have sent a picture to this organisation as they like to keep track of weird things like this.

Here is a picture of our little feathered friend and some of the garden:

Final WAO training session and what I need to work on

On Sunday we trekked off to Gloucestershire for our final official WAO training session.  I have found these sessions really helpful as they have pushed me but also highlighted things I really need to work on.

Now all I need is for the weather to be a little kinder so that we can get outside and practise some of these things: sending Zeki onto an obstacle with me starting to pull away ready to run off in another direction; weaves into a solid obstacle e.g. side of a tunnel and more important that anything jumping courses period.  I always do better on agility courses and really need to find a way of getting the right focus for jumping courses.   My mind set is poor where jumping classes are concerned and I really need to work hard to change this attitude.  Possibly this is because jumping classes have never really had much importance in British agility, even with our current championship class it isn't always critical to do a first class jumping run and so I tend not to take attack jumping courses the same as I do agility courses.   Also, we rarely train over jumping courses because people want to train contacts and we tend to set up what the majority wants.  Perhaps we need to change this practise and once a month set up a tricky jumping course.  Anyway, all I know is that I have to change my attitude and fast.

So far I have used my new rubberised contacts just once, they have been wrapped up under their new covers since the day after I got them as we've had quite a lot of rain.  Typical April weather really but after the very warm, dry March I think we all thought summer had arrived!  Sadly not, although I am not truly sorry for all the rain because here in the south of England it is badly needed.

Colin Knight very kindly did some videoing at the weekend and here are a couple of Zeki's rounds as a result.  Thank you Colin.





We picked up our WAO clothing on Sunday.  Love the jacket but it was hilarious when I tried on my polo shirts.  They were like dresses on me.  Not far off knee length and miles too big in the body!  Oops.  Luckily Marilyn came to the rescue and took the shirts with her for her Mum to alter.  What a super star.  I honestly couldn't have run in those shirts as they were so huge.  It provided a good laugh and I wasn't the only one, was I Bernadette LOL!

Last night at training we set up this course which is a take on Greg Derrett's UKA Masters agility course from Easter Monday.   We had to adapt it because our school is rectangular whereas Greg's course was designed to a square.  I expect some things were made easier and others more difficult as a result.  All I know is that it was certainly testing but that I loved running it with both Niamh and Zeki.

It certainly tested two of the things I need to work on with La Beek: #4 to #5 where you had to commit the dog to #4 but be starting your move to get up the line and get into position for #6 and #17 weaves into the back of a rigid tunnel.   Niamh popped out at the tenth pole but did it after rewarding with her ball, Zeki was foot perfect, clever girl.   I also found I needed to handle the run up to the A-Frame differently for my two dogs.  With Niamh (who has a stopped A-Frame) I layered #9-10 to the seesaw, got right up beyond the seesaw to recall over #12 so I could push to the rigid tunnel and then peel away from the A-Frame, recalling over #16 and scooping to the weaves.  I did this with Zeki also and it worked well but I got a better running A-Frame if I didn't layer and actually worked the sequence slightly from behind.  This meant I had more acceleration approaching the A-Frame and the pull away wasn't so obvious to Zeki.  I love how this course made me think and how there were lots of ways of handling the various sequences within it.  In my view a perfect course and I just wish we saw more like this at our shows in G7.  Well done Mr Derrett I think you should judge more often .........

Exhausted by the end of the evening but really happy with how my girls ran this course.

Happy first birthday to Tidey

I can't believe where the time has gone, Tidey is a year old today.  

Happy birthday my little Tidal Wave of naughtiness.  

Tidey 'Pepperbox Moon Tide' on her first birthday

Happy fifteenth birthday to my sweet little Poppy

I am so lucky to have Poppy here for her fifteenth birthday although sadly she isn't feeling very good at the moment.  She is unsettled and rather wobbly and shaky. We are keeping a close eye on her and will most likely take her to our vet for a check up tomorrow.  

Happy happy birthday my sweet little girl.  

Happy birthday to brother Quincy and sister Ruby from Poppy xx

 Poppy enjoying the spring sunshine

More pictures of the garden and doglets

Just thought I'd put up some more pictures of the garden before the weather changes as it is supposed to.  It's nice to get some shots of the magnolia in full bloom as it lasts for such a very short time.  Already the blooms have died and are falling.  These pictures were taken the weekend before last when it was in full bloom and looking gorgeous.

The long border taken this morning, I love the pink tulips!

And to finish, the doglets basking in the sunshine!

La Beek

Becky

Naughty Niamh

Poppy

Princess Kizzle

Kizzle and Murphy sleeping in the sunshine

Tidal Wave peeping over the water feature

Tidey again

A very pleasant weekend

What a lovely weekend we had.  The weather was glorious and perfect for training and gardening.   On Saturday I was out for the whole day training with Natasha Wise.  In the morning I ran Niamh and in the afternoon Zeki.  Tidey came along for the day and we did some crate games and playing whilst other dogs were running.   Tidey was really good and grabbed her toy as soon as a dog took off on the start line.  It was well worth taking her for the day.

Natasha focused on exiting turns in terms of where we were facing and specifically where our feet were facing. We applied the theory across all turns and it really worked as your dogs turned tight and moved confidently off the turns as they were very clear about which direction we wanted them to head in.  As always the training was brilliant being challenging, enjoyable and confidence-boosting.  We all came home very tired but happy and I was really happy with all my girls.

Karen joined us in the afternoon with her dogs and here is a picture of our crates all in a row.  We had to move into the shade as it was so warm.  Karen was rather confident about her crate training with Todd and was brave enough to leave the front unzipped.  It was hilarious when we turned round to see that Todd had exited his crate, moved in front and was laying watching us walk a sequence.  Good job Todd!

Andy spent the day in the garden, he had to move all the contact equipment from the agility paddock out to the front as we have sold it and a lady was coming from Norfolk to collect.   When he moved the seesaw the feet fell off and were pretty rotten.  Panic time because although we sold the seesaw with the plank needing refurbishment we hadn't realised the feet were knackered.  So, Andy rummaged around in the yard and found some perfect timber and voila - a brand new pair of feet for the seesaw!

We are getting new rubberised contact equipment in the next few weeks from Premier.  I have also ordered a set of contact covers.    At the same time Premier are re-sanding and painting our dog walk and seesaw from club.  The A-Frame is much newer so doesn't need doing (someone up at the yard broke our old one and bought us a brand new replacement.)   I am looking forward to getting it back and seeing it all smart.  It's the first time in twenty years that anything has been done to it.  It stays in pretty good condition as it never goes outdoors.

I am looking forward to training my dogs on the rubberised equipment.  We decided not to rubberise our club kit for two reasons, the main one being until rubber kit is the norm I want to be able to train on both for the safety of the dogs and the other is I'm not quite sure how rubber will stand up to our surface if it gets stuck onto the contacts areas.   Our surface is superb to run on but it is a bit sticky (hence no dust) and I think it could negate the effect of the rubber.  For now we have the best of both worlds.

On Sunday we had a lovely and productive day in the garden.  Again the weather was glorious and I especially wanted to spend the day out in the garden as it would have been my Mum's birthday.  She loved gardening and being in the garden and so all day my mind was filled with memories.   I have just one regret which was that Mum became ill before we bought this house and so she never got to see our beautiful garden which she would have loved so much.

Here are some pictures of the garden springing to life and of our doglets enjoying the day outside with us:

Mr Murf snoozing on the bench 

The magnolia on Sunday almost out completely; today (Tuesday) it is in full bloom, will take some more pictures 

The long border coming to life with spring bulbs and in need of a good weeding.  This has now been started as you will see from some pictures further down.

Tidey watching at the alley gate 

 The Naughty Niamh with her favourite toy

Tidey enjoying herself in the sunshine above and below

Tidey in full stretch

The series of photos below show how much Becky and Poppy have improved after their major surgeries and how much they are enjoying life.  You can see Pops lurking behind the fencing on one of her many circuits.  She never stops moving when she goes into the garden, round and round.  By the end of the day she is totally exhausted!

Poppy and Tidey watching through the gate as Andy is throwing a ball for Kizzy.  We don't generally throw toys for our dogs as we worry about injury.  However, we make an exception for Kizzle as it is just about the only way you can get her to exercise.  She is so lazy on a walk but goes crazy to fetch a ball.

Niamh is allowed to stay inside whilst Kizzle is being exercised because she just watches with her own ball and doesn't chase.  The others, including Becky and Poppy, would go crazy! 

The weeping willow almost in full leaf.  Crazy weather! 

Poppy on a route march 

 Becky and Murphy at the end of a long day in the garden

 Mr Murf (he needs to get practising as he is entered in all sorts this year; he is going to love it, I can't wait to see his little face when he realises he is in a queue and going to run!)

Julie came yesterday (Monday) and made a start on tidying up the long border.  I have had another go today but don't seem to make much impression.  She is coming back hopefully on Friday to do some more. 

Much to do in this part of the border and that's after I spent half an hour on it! 

More memories of my Mum.  That little cast iron trug was what she used for feeding her chickens.  So she is always here in the garden with me!  Much the same as she goes everywhere with me in the form of her shopping basket as my friends will testify to.

The 100-acre field behind us greening up.  It was only a few weeks ago they were muck spreading and now it looks like this!