Monday, June 14, 2010

A SUPER agility weekend


Summit and I were down in Castle Rock, Colorado for a three day AKC trial. In short, out of the total six runs, he came home with FIVE 1st places and TWO double Qualifiers. I am so pleased with our consistency this weekend and the bars all stayed up!

The courses were nice and flowing but challenging. I liked all three judges this weekend and enjoyed the different style of challenges in each of their courses. I'm happy with my handling in all classes except Sunday's Standard run (I OVER handled a tunnel end discrimination and ended up pulling Summit off the tunnel completely). 

Here are the videos. The courses had challenging lines with potential wrong courses. Places where the dog really opened up and extended and then had to collect again for the more technical sequences. In several courses, having independent weave poles (so handler could get downstream ahead of the dog) was critical with a fast dog.




Friday's jumpers run. The last sequence (the turn to the double and last 4 jumps) was challenging. The 4 jumps were off set in a zig zag and if the handler wasn't in the right position, the dogs either missed the second to last jump or the finish jump. Thankfully, I've worked a lot of the APHS zig zag exercises.



This was a really fun course and FAST. Summit's time was 35 seconds. Quite a few dogs missed the teal jump before the panel (it was off set enough the handler didn't set a good line, the dogs didn't take it). Quite a few dogs also popped out of the weave poles since they were weaving into the wall.



Saturday Jumpers with weaves. I liked the opening in this Jumpers course. The second jump (#3) of the 180 was off-set a couple feet so you had to push out more than a typical 180. Also, lot's of wrong course options after the weave poles; especially the line after the weaves. I had to use no motion as Summit took the yellow jump (3rd jump after the weaves) until he landed and I got his head. If the handler turned their shoulders too soon, the dogs continued on that line and took the jump in their path instead of turning and taking the orange jump. The ending was fun and I love how Summit read the wrap and turned over the bar. It would have been even more perfect if I hadn't BENT OVER! (must stand up straight when cueing wraps).



Saturday's Standard run. I really don't like long lead outs like this but I didn't like any other options but the LOP. Again, if you couldn't leave your dog in the weaves to get ahead and set a LOM to the table, the dogs had two wrong course options - the aframe and the chute. Many took the aframe if the handler was behind. Since I could leave Summit on the dogwalk, I chose to move laterally and FC the jump before the aframe (I wanted to be on the other side). But a pull worked well there too but then the handler couldn't get the FC after the tunnel and so FC'd the end of the teeter.



Sunday's jumpers course. The beginning was tough. MANY dogs missed the weave entry. I liked both the double FC (landing side of yellow and landing side of red) as well as a rear at the weaves. I chose to FC the yellow to shape my dog's path to slice the red so he landed seeing the weaves. He came over the yellow with a little too much extension and so landed a bit behind me and I had to wrap him around but it did set a really nice line to the weavepoles. Must practice this more.
The rest of the course was a bit strange (outer circle followed by inner circle). Some wrong course opportunities but most faults were bars as dogs were in extension the entire time. I am very happy to see Summit keeping those bars up.

We are leaving Thursday morning for Salt Lake City, Utah (Farmington) for the USDAA Rocky Mountain Regional competition. Summit has a fun DAM team with Donna/Indy (BC) and Kat/Whim (JRT). Should be a lot of fun!

8 comments:

Diana said...

Wow, you did have a super weekend. Awesome runs!! hey do you have the course map for the standard run on Friday? If you do, could you post it? Good luck next weekend. Diana

Diana said...

Oops, I forgot to say Summit's dogwalk picture is way to cool. Diana

Morganne said...

Diana,
I have it in .pdf format but it won't let me upload as an image file.
If you can provide an email address, I can email it to you.

Thanks on the comment about the runs. I am pretty happy about the weekend.

Diana said...

Thanks Morganne. dkrause64@gmail.com Diana

Kathy Mocharnuk said...

wow, that looks like a super weekend, that sat jumpers course looked really complicated and you handled it so smoothly. It is so neat to watch you, my Breezie is just getting the idea of the jumps to take at a distance and Summit just understands so well-wonder if we will ever get to that level of communication? I also think it is too cute How you put Summit in his start line stay and he turns his body to look at you-but he still understands that it is the obstacle you are putting him in front of that he is supposed to take-it sort of reminds me of Breezes contact where she lays looking at me which at first I thought was a real problem, but then figured it works

It really is fun to watch your runs, I make them full screen and then I can really see your handling choices-helps me figure out some of the things we are working on, ;- )

Have fun in SLC, my mom lives up there and says the weather has been really nice

Morganne said...

Thanks kathy!
The courses this weekend had very subtle challenges with off set angles. Couldn't take anything for granted. What appeared to be a straight line... wasn't.

Yes, I love the Forward Send in APHS. It allows me time to get downstream and it gives Summit the turning cue early. You and Breeze will get it too. Just takes consistency and practice. It sure would be fun to train together.

Yes, I laugh everytime I see Summit turning his whole body to face the direction I lead out. Since he always takes the first jump and never drops the first bar, I figure... let him do what he feels he needs to do and I won't fight him about it.

Chris and Ricky said...

I could watch you and Summit run all day long! Congratulations on another great weekend!

Morganne said...

Thanks Ricky!