It was a rather cool weekend (50’s)– even downright cold at night getting down to 25! Saturday we had some pretty good rain showers and Sunday was a bit windy. But there was a great food vendor on site that had hot and very tasty food. First thing Saturday morning Wazzu learned about the food vendor and wanted to drag me there after every run. The lady that worked there noticed Wazzu right away and seemed to fall in love with her. She would feed Wazzu hamburger patties, hot dogs, and bacon. I had to keep limiting how much Wazzu was allowed to have as I needed to be able to motivate Wazzu to run. Between the food vendor and the cool weather, Wazzu was very happy all weekend.
This trial was a different atmosphere for us as there was more than just one event taking place. This was a three day trial with Friday being an ASCA trial – which of course we weren’t entered in. But all three days, held in the same arena, there was agility, confirmation, and obedience. It was interesting but I must say the agility dogs looked like they were having a lot more fun than the dogs that had to spend hours standing still being brushed only then to just get to trot around the ring once or twice and then get thrown back in their cages. I just can’t imagine Sparkie in the confirmation ring – even if there was such a thing for mixed-breeds!
Wazzu really made me smile this weekend. Before each run she was engaging me in play. Usually I’m having to try to motivate and excite her in any way I can. But this weekend she was doing her bucking bronco imitation and was playing tug (well her version anyway) with me every chance she could trying to get me to give her a treat. This is always a good sign as that’s when she tends to run her fastest.
And run fast she did. Her Jumpers run on Saturday was probably one of her finest runs of all times. We worked distance that would have rivaled the best of distance teams anywhere. She totally acted like she had walked the course beforehand. We didn’t Q through as on the third to last jump she hit an especially soft patch of sand and didn’t get the push off she was expecting and just ticked the bar. But it didn’t matter one bit to me as the run was truly a thing of beauty.
Sparkie was more wound up this weekend than we’ve ever seen her. I know many of you can’t believe it is possible for her to be more wound up than she normally is but she outdid even herself this weekend. I really thought she was going to make herself sick as she was in such a frenzy.
Fortunately she didn’t get sick but she did miss a number of contacts – after all why run when you can fly. She certainly left nothing to the judges imagination! In addition, Mike was thinking an obstacle or two in advance, which is what usually works, whereas Sparkie was thinking four or five obstacles in advance. Fortunately she managed to make most of her errors on the same runs so they still managed to go 4/6 both days.
And when she Q’d there was no one who could touch her. One run she beat the next fastest dog by 30.24 seconds! Many runs she won by over 15 seconds. She ran faster this weekend than I think she’s ever run. She was just a blur.
Wazzu was the fastest of any dog in Touch N Go – since that’s one of the runs where Sparkie forgot all about the “Touch” part and just did the “Go” part! Sunday when all was said and done and the High In Trial was announced it was my dear sweet Wazzu’s name that was heard. Yeah Wazzu!!
Oh, there is one other very notable thing about this weekend that I didn’t mention. Little Slugger. He was only entered in one Tunnelers run each day. Saturday, while he ran, he was a bit too slow and missed time by a little more than a second.
Sunday’s course was much more difficult for him as there were a lot of turns and call offs. We figured he didn’t have a chance but would enjoy getting to participate nonetheless. Did he ever surprise us! He took off really fast. Not only did he run so fast that he was doing his cute little head bop but he turned immediately every time Mike called him. He may have gotten a bit of a headache though as at one point he and Mike collided and Mike kicked him in the head. Slugger looked a little stunned as to why Daddy would kick him but he shook it off and continued on doing the course perfectly.
But most surprisingly was when the results were posted. We were sure hoping the kick in the head didn’t cost them so much time that they missed a Q. As it turns out we sure didn’t need to worry. Slugger easily made time! Not only that but he beat Wazzu – and she had a very nice run.
Oh, what a weekend.
Debbie and HIT Wazzu
1/28/07
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