The Weekend Report - The Season Finale!

Nov. 29th and Nov 30th were the last two trialing days for getting points for qualifying for the AKC National Agility Championship in March 2014. With agility trials, there is an opening and closing date for entries. So, even though I knew I had the points I needed, it was too late to withdraw from a Thanksgiving weekend trial. The period to enter or withdraw had already passed by last weekend when I reached the 500 point mark. Since it was too late to get an entry fee refund, AND I was now standing at 18 double-Qs and needing 20, two more days of trialing was quite enticing! There was a chance I could actually finish Jimmy's MACH!

This trial was a one ring trial meaning a very long day.....It started with our Standard run on Friday. We were going so well! It was a tunnel to the last three jumps. The angle of the last three jumps meant it was a good idea to babysit Jimmy coming out of the tunnel and hitting the next jump. So what do I do? I call his name and say " Jimmy, here!". What does he do? He did just what I asked! He came right to me and did not take the jump! That was a disqualifying "refusal". SO MY FAULT! Gah! Because of the way this trial was ordered, our Jumpers run was about four hours away. Since I no longer needed points for Nationals, and only needed double-Qs ( which I could now not earn) for our MACH, I decided to just head home and not hang out for our JWW run. This meant I got my house decorated for the holidays, straightened up, etc.....a much better use of time.

Sunday again started with a Standard run. Not too tricky except for one corner where you were buried back behind the Aframe to make sure your dog went through the tunnel and NOT up the Aframe. Coming out of the tunnel the dogs weren't sure where to go if the handler didn't keep up with them as they shot out of the tunnel. It was a definite foot race and Jimmy can out run me, short little legs or not! Luckily, I got him over the right jump, and we finished up the run cleanly, even getting a 4th place. This meant we were in for the long haul, waiting for our Jumpers run. Many hours later, we had a very fun JWW run. A slightly tricky start, followed by a long sprint over 7 or 8 jumps in an arc, weaves, a few side changes and we had a Q! Woohoo! This was DOUBLE-Q # 19! That means just one more double Q and Jimmy will earn his Master Agility Champion title! So every run from here on out is a run for the big title!

How's that for a season finale cliff-hanger?! I couldn't have planned it better if I tried!

I am not currently signed up for any future agility trials, but I know I will enter some before our end-of-March Nationals excitement.....so who knows when the big day will happen? While I am incredibly excited for that run where Jimmy and I will earn our MACH, I also look at it this way.......

Have you ever planned a really special vacation? One that took organizing and lead-in and attention to detail? You spend months getting it just right, and can't wait for the day it starts! And then when it's all said and done, and now only a wonderful memory, you realize that a good bit of the pleasure was in the anticipation of that trip? Well, I have a feeling that is how our MACH will play out as well...It is all about the journey and not the destination.

Here's the stats on how our agility year ended up:

Jimmy's registered name with titles: 

Fine Creek's Sharp Dressed Man RN HT MX2 MXJ4 MJB MXB OF

Tracking Jimmy's MACH progress:
Masters JWW legs: 44  Now he's working on his MXJ5!
Masters STD legs: 29 We earned our MX2 and are working on MX3 now.
Double Q's: 19 (out of 20 double-Q's needed for a MACH.... 95 Percent! The snowball is headed downhill!)
MACH Points:  Over 1000 (out of 750 speed points needed for a MACH...... We've got our points and then some!)

Time 2 Beat legs: 13 (out of 15 needed for his T2B) 107 points (out of 100 needed) 
                               On 5/19/13, Jimmy actually WON the 12 inch T2B class! 


AKC Nationals 2014:
Double-Q's: 11 (out of 4 needed)
Points: 567 (out of 500 needed)....WE MADE IT!!!!
Masters Legs: 36 (out of 20 needed)