#aaylassportjournal

[theadventurek9]

This weekend we got three Qs! Two for Rally Excellent and one for Obedience Open!

For all four classes I had a happy enthusiastic dog even though it was over 80* both days. So all of the classes were successes to me.

[theadventurek9]

I’m really loving the photos of her jumping in motion. She really does have a better jump form and you can tell she is starting to get turning in the air as well as jumping straight without drawing her hind legs up so awkwardly.

[theadventurek9]

Aayla now has her excellent agility and open JWW titles!

Also got a leg for Premier JWW, Premier STD and Excellent JWW!

5/10 Q rate for her this weekend. Lots to think about had some less than smooth courses that is going to give us stuff to work on. I’ll recap later.

[theadventurek9]

This trial was the best yet. We felt so amazingly connected! Few hiccups and things to work on but it went so smoothly. Aayla got 5/8 Qs, 8 points towards her T2B, three firsts and a second! She also ran in excellent for the first time in standard! She handled the course super well.

[theadventurek9]

So the first video was really bad quality, sorry for the double post. I was pretty dang happy with our run for Standard Excellent. It felt like a nice run that we handled well!

[theadventurek9]

Last one of the recorded runs. Excellent JWW Q

I think we were both tired (5 runs is too much for us right now). So I told her to jump for almost every jump. I really want to break that habit. I give way too many unnecessary verbals.

Yet she ran nice and smooth minus for the random circles she did along the fence line. I think she wanted to go back to her crate and that’s where we were set up. She finished very very well and for the first time I feel like we really got a nice wrap in a trial. Almost all the handlers that ran this course cued to wrap left. Only 10% of the dogs actually did it. The straight line to a wrap had most dogs slicing that jump and making a bad line to the finish jump. Or the dogs ended up back jumping the jump in the confusion. So I was stoked when Aayla got it.

Overall, no 5 runs in one day for multi day trials. At least not until she is really in peak condition. Even then I don’t want to make it a habit. We do our best at 4. I don’t ever want her wanting to get back to our set up in the ring. Makes me feel like I didn’t make the best choices for her.

[theadventurek9]

So we had a wonderful start to our first trial of the year. This also was only our second time in USDAA, and our first time was our first trial ever about a year and a half ago. It’s crazy to think of those runs and what we did today. We have changed so much and I can’t wait for our future. I have to say I am way more confident about getting into Cynosport for all three classes, as long as we can get to trials.

Total results:

Friday

Starters Jumpers - NQ (bar)

Master Class Biathlon Standard - NQ (refusal at A frame)

Master Class Biathlon Jumpers - NQ (bar)

((MC Biathlon combined - Q))

Starters Standard - Q 1st

Saturday

Starters Gamblers - Q 1st (title)

Starters Standard - Q 1st (title)

Steeplechase- Elim (Off-course handler error)

Grand Prix - Q 1st (bye for regionals)

She needs work with her wraps and getting into better shape. I think she was a bit tired from our move as well. So she was running slower than normal, but she ran so amazingly well for everything. It was her first time seeing solid colored poles and she didn’t blink. Except for falling off the teeter once she held her contacts very well. Her start line was perfect and we were working so well together. She is not used to jumping 22” and I was expecting her to pull more bars, especially since these were some of the hardest courses she has EVER done in a trial setting. She killed it.

I managed to fall, backed into a jump, and did some weird funky handling things. I did a lot better today than I did yesterday, but I need more work on relaxing and my flow. I left Aayla hanging...a lot. She is just so good that she waits for me to get my shit together and move on. Also we would have gotten the Steeplechase Q and possibly been in the money if I didn’t forget the course and send her to the wrong jump.

[theadventurek9]

3/4 Qs for the day! She won all the classes she qualified in. No videos this time but she was really good. Hit all of her weaves first time, and got half her contacts. (We need to do more proofing). She also struggled with her lead outs a bit today. We have some homework to do.