High Peak

Well, grade 3 at last!! Wasn't sure what to expect. We've been doing loads of 1-3 and 1-4 classes so thought it probably wouldn't feel much different, but it did ... maybe partly coz we were a bit off our usual patch being as far South as Bakewell added to the feeling I hardly knew anyone in our queues!! teehee. Going back to arriving at the show - it was "interesting" as my (OK, secondhand) camping spot was already gone! Big thanks to Karen & Andrew for squidging us onto a corner of their palatial plot, luckily we were just in the mini-mousehouse this time! 

So to the rings ... first up was a 3-5 jumping for Tim - fairly tricky but not impossible course, we bodged the first bit but he did some lovely bits including a very non-linear last line - the type of thing he's struggled to sequence in the past, and he flew down it, very good boy :) Mouse then had a 1-3 Agility - fairly straightforward course, she was pretty zoomy and ran a nice clear - few seconds off the placings - G3 reality bites!! On that run, on a sprint to the finish, I set off and twanged something in my lower leg ... kinda decided to leave it there for that day but the in the late aft there was this ace course ... was 'only' G3 but it was such an interesting tricky course I couldn't resist running the girlie again, despite the leg and the downpour and the big queue and the fact I had to walk it 973 times to almost remember it!... & blimminy heck, to cut a long soggy story short, she only went & finished 8th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It wasn't a classic run and though we set off well we both ran out of steam a little halfway round and she stomped through the weaves, unimpressed! lol, but 8th!!!!! I suspect this may turn out to be her PB in G3 - and that is fine. The course was not Timtastic so he didn't run - it would've blown his mind. He did a slightly muppety one on the 1-3, bless him!

On Sunday, with the leg strapped up and a bucketful of painkillers, I ran both of them in a 3-5 Agility. This was a really nice course with some slightly more challenging elements without it being too bonkers! There was a wrong-end of the tunnel bit which both dogs ran with aplomb. I was particularly pleased that Tim did a wonky flick-flacky bit very confidently. In fact, his only 'error' on the course was (again! arrrg) entering the weaves at the 2nd pole, otherwise he ran very proficiently indeed, albeit at a rather sensible pace for him! Clever Mousie went clear again!! & she was very zoomy for her!! Think this was quite indicative of how things will be for her in G3 though as we were about 4 secs off the places, even though she ran as fast as she ever can. Was reeeally going home then Paula Z put up a lovely Jumping course for Tim so we stayed and had a run round that. Went in at the 2nd weave - again ... but he did some super sending on and listeny bits and had his supersonic legs on this time too!

I was very proud of the pair of them over the weekend, some slightly harder challenges which they rose to beautifully. G3: it's OK really!

Greyhound Gap had the most superb cake stall, a tent of tempatation and joy!!!

Have really buggered up my leg though, dunno if I'll be able to run this w/e when we're back at Bakewell again, this time for Dog Vegas. If it holds up I might be able to 'run' Tim as he will work away, but Mousey sprints would just be too foolish so it looks like she might be joining Mr Woof on the Management Team for this show. I'll be gutted not to play with her but got to be sensible for once, I think.

What with being one-legged for most of this week and unable to walk them enough really, I've done some extra bits of training with Tim - working on his weaves with me stood/sat still!!... I think we might've partly solved the recent wrong entry problem - famous last words!?!!..........