The Weekend Report: Yes! You Read That Right!!!!

First, I must rant! I just spent an hour writing up this post, previewing along the way, and was almost done...so close. I fumbled fingered it somehow, and all my text was gone! Vanished! Not saved as a draft, just gone. ARRGGGHHHH!!!!!! Now I don't have the patience to rewrite it as I had it. Sigh!

Here's an abbreviated version:

This past weekend, Jimmy and I actually tried our hand (and my knee) at an agility trial. I needed to know where I was in my recovery. I truly didn't want the big AKC National Agility Championship at the end of this month to be our first try since early December.

Currently, Jimmy and I are sitting at Double-Q #19. We need twenty to complete our championship title called a MACH. We already have all the points we need so it's just getting that last double-Q. Ordinarily, my nerves would have been on overdrive, worrying about getting two successful runs. But, having no idea if I could really even run, let alone run fast enough to show Jimmy where to go, and also worried that it could potentially be very painful, I had no nerves at all about earning Double-Q #20! I just wanted to see if I could do agility at this point in my recovery. And I found out, yes, I can! Woohoo!

No doubt about it, I have a significant limp. I don't have full speed capability yet. But I learned I have enough to get through a course without frustrating Jimmy. And it really doesn't hurt, just feels odd or maybe twingey.Even after two days of agility, my leg was not sore this morning. This is really happy news. I still have another 10 days I can use to improve my stride now that I trust my leg more.

As to how the weekend went, course wise, let's just say we came very close to earning our championship. Each day, just one downed bar stood in our way. When you consider that my lurching stride was a big distraction for Jimmy, he did a great job. Saturday just one JWW bar, Sunday in Standard, the top bar of the triple. Other than that we had nice runs where I managed to get to where I needed to be.

In addition to our Jumpers and Standard runs, this trial also offered Time2Beat. In an effort to spare my knee too much work, my friend Gretchen handled Jimmy for those runs both days. Many dogs won't run for anyone but their owner. However, with just a tiny bit of angst and a brief look back at me, Jimmy flew around the courses with Gretchen like they had done it 100 times before. Gretchen runs her own Pembroke Corgis, so Jimmy's speed and style of running were pretty familiar and she did a wonderful job, Q'ing both days! She even finished our Time2Beat (T2B) title for us. Thank you, Gretchen!

Jimmy's registered name is now:

Fine Creek's Sharp Dressed Man RN HT MX3 MXJ4 MJB MXB OF T2B

How's that for alphabet soup?

The weekend leaves me feeling very hopeful that I can go to the big event feeling, if not ready, maybe secure in the knowledge I'll be able to get around the ring. The truth of the matter is, even before my knee, we were never going to the podium. The accomplishment for us was in the qualifying. And for me, the experience of competing at a big National event. So barring anymore unexpected surprises, we'll be there! It may not be our A game, but we will be there!

Here's are a few videos.....

Saturday Standard:





Sunday JWW






Sunday Standard:





Sunday Time2Beat: