Viva Dog Vegas!

Tried to take a pic of Maisie with her pretty rosettes but she shoved her bum into the frame, leaving Tim to blunder in and pose winningly instead :o)

What a great weekend! Maisie had some really nice runs at Dog Vegas (Winterton) and brought home a lovely haul of rosettes - 3rd, 4th, 9th & 2 other clears - she's ever such a clever Mouse! We had a really nice variety of courses, some big gallopy round ones, and the more twisty-turny ones that Maisie does well on results-wise. Her weaves were sooo much better - think she did 12 correctly three times, not always very speedily but more focused than she was and I tried to give her a bit more space and trust she'd do them without me bugging her too much. And then once she popped out at number 11 but that was just because the judge happened to step towards her at that moment and she had a bit of a wibble. Contacts seem better than they were but still not great. I couldn't quite bring myself to just run her down them "sod it" style, but she didn't dither as much as she was doing and seems to be gradually gaining confidence. In one round (the one where she got 3rd) she really thundered up and across the dogwalk like a good 'un! She also got so speedy she surprised me into rear crosses twice!! And I surprised myself with an unplanned bionic sprint round the top end of a flat tunnel - thanks Brenda for planting the daft idea ;o)

It was super watching the Finals in the evenings - very exciting, especially watching our clever clubmates - Go White Rose! Also there was a divine Welsh Sheepdog called Cai who it was great to watch and later meet.

On Sunday Billy had his turn and flyballed at Drax. Had to leave early so don't actually know yet what place our team got but anyway he ran well and enthusiastically as ever. We had a new Starter team with us too and they did ever so well.

Tim had a nice time socialising and being fussed by humans and humped by male dogs - must get him a less pink lead?! ;o) He was sooo cute with one little dog we met - a tiny 15-year old Papillion, not in the best of health. I thought he might be too big and rough but the Pap's mum said she'd be fine and could stand up for herself, so I carefully let him meet her and he laid himself down flat with his chin on a paw, and then just nosed her very gently and she snuggled up to him. I wish I'd had a camera. So maybe he's not a complete oaf after all!

& elsewhere ... at 'Northern Week' Helen and Skip got that second, closely followed by a third, Jumping win, so it's bye-bye from grade one to them. Big congratulations you two, now go get grade two!!!!!