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The theme at Ruffdogs52Weeks this week was Eyes.
If the Pentax (K-x) has any faults, one is definitely the tendency to overexpose photos. You have no idea how many overexposed shots I got for this! I eventually figured out how to adjust the Exposure Bias, and got this. I know didn’t get it exactly right — this is really too dark! — but I’m pretty happy with how this turned out.
Tailwaggers #1 was all about the ice, Tailwaggers #2 was all about the snow. Bob suggested that #3 would be all about the flooding, but we remain optimistic for bright and cheerful sunshine all day.
Primary Agility was a fairly straightforward course, but with a tempting little dogwalk/seesaw discrimination at the start. What I really love about this show is that they fence off a fairly large queuing area, so you actually have room to warm up your dog properly before you run. So Dylan was absolutely raring to go by the time he hit the start line, stretched and focussed and it really paid off. His dogwalk was perfect, and he was all about working that course, and letting me co-pilot only. I suddenly get why everyone has those hard-staring Border Collies that you just shout directions at from the middle of the ring. It’s smooth and fast and easy!
I genuinely wasn’t sure if we’d won or not, since there were some of the usual super-fast competition still to run (although there were a few missing, like Chloe and Ritz), but Dylan came comfortably 1st in the end. Halfway to Novice, what a star! Bob’s Twig was in 2nd, over 2s behind, and Twig usually kicks our arses.
That 1st also means he now has his BAD-Bronze title. The BAD-Bronze is a special one for Dyl, because it’s the only time he’s been first to get something. Kim has always been their first before, but she never got this one. So props to Dyl!
Primary Jumping was fiendish but fun, and Dylan opted for the “take everything in sight” option. We got E’d, but it was a blast anyway. We had a slight argument in the Triple-A Agility; Dyl blew the first Aframe contact, stopped on the second in a perfect 2o2o, and then stopped on the floor for the 3rd. Naughty boy … but he made the judge laugh, and he jumped everything beautifully, so not too many complaints. I know we have to work on that Aframe, I’ve been letting him run it too often.
Primary Up and Under was a mad course, four tunnels in a row and various options! I was trying so hard to remember where I was going I didn’t really handle it all that well, but we came 2nd anyway, beaten by Vicki’s Diesel, who is just looking more and more speedy every time I see him run. Dylan has also decided that he’s maybe not so bad … maybe in another 3 months he’ll finally seccumb and actually play with him!
This Tailwaggers Dylan? He’s awesome. I’ve got to find out how to have this dog every competition.
Let’s gloss over Dylan’s first run, except to say that if you are queuing, have your damn dog with you, especially if the queue is only three people long and you are two of those people. Congrats to Julie and Winnie for winning it though, go the Beardie/Lurchers!
The Graded 1-3 Agility was a really nasty little course. It was the same for the 1-4 Small/Medium classes, and included two contact call-offs and a horrible box push-out and around. Not my kind of thing at all, but Dylan did a nice run, not really flat out at all but he did a really lovely dogwalk. He did get marked on the down contact and I genuinely don’t know whether he hit it or not; I tried to front cross at the bottom and pushed him sideways, and although he did his 2o2o stop, I’m not sure he had any paws in the yellow. Not his fault anyway, and it was almost-fast and was confident.
Lady Jane made an appearance too, because Myerscough is light, clean and airy, and she likes the crowds and the noise. The classes were 5-7 but the gamble partly paid off, and we had a cracking smooth Jumping course, just offset by the painfully difficult Agility. She was really happy to be there, so I still happy with the semi-retirement thing.
Kim and I watched everyone getting E’d or faulted on the Jumping, and Kim showed those whippersnappers what an old lady can do. Shame her handler is spacially challenged! We got a big 5R as I pulled her off a jump way too early, so we looped back around and then came 2nd, with a time that would have comfortably put us 2nd in the Grade 6, and with the second knocked off for the loop, we’d have been in the G7 placings too. This really makes me smile, because Kim runs at cruising speed these days, just chilling in middle gear and laughing at me the whole way around, and still clocks up faster times than dogs running flat out at half her age. For a long time it bothered me that I had failed her with regards to training, and that she never got the Grade 7 label I knew she deserved. I guess I’m just happy to take her line on things these days; she knows she’s more awesome than everyone, and I know she is too.
All the other three rings had packed up by the time came for Kim’s agility, but I guess we can’t be first to leave all the time! The agility involved a little bit of coaxing on the call-offs, but Kim raced through all the straights and made up more than enough time. I promptly forgot the ending, had to make it up and wasted what felt like hours improvising slowly and wildly. We got around though, clear and easy, and Kim came 2nd again. I’m more than happy with that! Staying in Grade 5 means I can stay away from 5-7 or 6-7 classes, and let her have a blast in 3-5s.
Kim also had an interesting end to her Agility run. The big white horse barriers (double bar, about 4-5ft high) were marking out the edge of the run. I’d seen a couple of dogs over the course of the day jump the last jump and then continue to jump through the center of the two bars to leave the ring, mainly when the walkway area was clear of dogs and people. Kim jumped the last jump, and then tried to jump the whole thing. She nearly made it, bailed at the last second and somehow pinged back through the centre hole as it was tipping. It landed on her head … she is such a drama queen, with the screaming and the hobbling and the “much sympathy required” signs.
Within two minutes she was being gobby and muscling in on Pippa’s snapshot moment – Kim was originally stood three foot to the left, until she saw the shutter going down …
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This was not the shot I really wanted, but there is something I really love about it. Mol’s got stumpy little legs!
This was the best way to spend Valentine’s Day. I drove the dogs up to Castle Hill and we ranged all over the footpaths; Mollie interrupted all the snuggling teenagers and Dylan tried to knock people over as he raced past. Kim was on her own mission, which involved digging up as many moles as she could find. She didn’t find any, but it’s always worth a shot.
Mollie did try and adopt herself out to several families who were out for a Sunday stroll, but none of them would take her home. Poor Mol, she’s stuck with us! I did have to send my dad to go and fetch her back after she latched on to a certain couple who were throwing a ball for their own dog, a very patient Collie/Staffie cross. Dad returned carrying her, because she wouldn’t actually leave them alone. She was looking plaintively over his shoulder, but as soon as her paws hit the floor she was off, racing Kim down the banks.
The fitness regime is kicking in, and all the gang are starting to get their streamlined figures back. Dyl has lost almost everything he gained, and his ribs are almost back to touch. Mollie still looks like a bit of a bear, but it’s her fluffy winter coat, and “Fat Rolls Kim” has her waistline back, although her belly is still clinging. It’s hard to get the old ladies to shift their fat.
We did two lazy circuits of the hill, and the dogs did at least six mad laps of the hill. We all stood and watched a bit of the rugby going on below, and then wandered up to the castle for a nosy. It wasn’t open today, otherwise I’d have got some photos from the top. The lovely sunshine had all gone and the clouds were rolling in, so we came home a bit early and didn’t let the dogs blast over the kite field. I don’t think they minded so much.
I think Dylan wishes every day could be Valentine’s Day.
