It's been a very long time indeed since my last weekend report. We have attended a few agility trials over the summer and fall but not like past years. Wilson still comes along so it's only one day a weekend and not as often. It's a lot for him and I wouldn't want to over do it. Now, why I never reported on those trials is just the same ol', same ol'...I've been letting this blog slide. However, I did want to report on Jimmy's most recent trial because it is his last. At 11 and a half, he's beginning to show signs of aging. He has a hard time keeping the bars up and it seems his depth perception is causing it. He is also a bit hesitant getting on the contact equipment. Whether this is due to vision or a bit of arthritis, I'm not sure. His heart is definitely still in the game, but I just don't want to take any chances with him getting hurt so I made the tough decision to retire him this past weekend. After such a long and reasonably successful career together, it was a very emotional occasion. I shed quite a few tears knowing these were our last competition runs together. We will still play the game in lessons where Jimmy will be free to jump four inches and we can avoid the contact equipment.
The trial was at that farm I love so much in Reva, Va. It was a gorgeous day which helped ease the melancholy.
Of course I got video!
This is our Jumpers run and was a bar knocking disaster. It convinced me I was making the right decision.
Standard came next, and I almost thought we might run clean, but a bar after the weaves and also the very last jump both went down.
One of the really great things was that Wilson was along for the ride. He has been Jimmy's travel companion to each and every trial and he was there for the very last one. Look at that perfect blue-sky day!
I could not have asked for a better teammate. Jimmy loved the game as much as I did!
MACH PACH2 Fine Creek's Sharp Dressed Man RN HT MXB MJB MXP6 MXPS MJP7 MJPS PAX2 OF T2B
We celebrated our many years of fun with a cake that evening. I think the cake decorator's hand writing left something to be desired! LOL!
