D.I.N.A.S. 2007 Dogs In Need Ipswich, Suffolk 14 -19th August
After a long week away at Dashin Dogs we returned home for one night to do the washing and pack the camping equipment for our last week's holiday in Suffolk. The weather forecast was not good - wind and rain - and a whole week in a tent!. Thankfully the tent withstood the elements but I can not wait for the arrival of the caravan for next year!! Our own shower, fridge, electrics and a comfy bed!!!
The first day of the show was Tuesday and as usual I started slowly!! Not a sniff of a clear round!!Tigger was unlucky however having gone clear to the end of a tricky agility course only to run past the last obstacle - the tyre! Poor boy had hit his back on one in the previous jumping class as he is still jumping a little stag like. The judge very nicely let me do it twice. Tigger is still not confident to do them at speed however and this is something that needs working on. Sweep was poorly handled in the jumping and was a little piggy in the agility by missing a very easy weave entry that even baby Tigger got!!! Inca was also a naughty boy for Jess missing a weave entry and his contacts!!!
Wednesday was much better. Tigger and his scratch partner went clear around the pairs and ended up a credible 6th. In fact they led the class for a long time. The grade 1 - 5 Jumping course was more of a Grade 5/6 course and as a result there were only just enough clears for the places. However I managed to handle sweep around all the early problems only to call 'Right' too early and pull him off a fence straight in front of him!!!! The round then fell to bits as I was very cross with myself. Tigger however did a very good clear round and ended up 16th. Not bad for a baby over a very tricky course. I even took the end slowly with him as it contained a tyre. I was chuffed to bits with him!! Sweep went clear in Agility and came 18th. However I was cross with myself for a handling error at the end which must have cost us a couple of seconds.Inca also managed a 15th today with Jess.
Thursday was a rest day and it was off to the country park and estuary. However I think we regretted this as the tide was out and it contained stinky thick mud at the waters edge with oil underneath. Needless to say Tigger had a ball but had to have a cold bath afterwards along with Sweep who thought rolling in something smelly would be fun. I did manage to get some good photos though! (see above!!)
Friday was not much better for me. I worked on a ring today with meant I had a lovely breakfast and lunch but also meant I did not run the dogs well. THe Grade 1-5 Jumping was in my opinion a senior course or certainly the very top end of grade 5. Needless to say I managed to E sweep on an easier part of the course by being indecisive!!! (AGAIN!!!) Tigger was also E'd (for taking an extra jump on the way to the weaves)but I was very pleased with parts of his round. In the agility Tigger went clear and but for a slow A frame and a very sticky moment would have been in the places. He finished 22nd or 23rd and they palced to 20th. Sweep was very naughty in this class. He did a cracking round and then ran past a jump on a left turn to nowhere - our old problem returned to haunt us!!
Saturday was a much better day for Sweep in the Agility. He did a stonking run to go into second place. However Simon Peachey and his untouchable young dog relegated us one more place and thus we eventually finished 3rd and won a very nice trophy. Tigger was naughty in the agility. A tunnel at the end of the dog walk meant he did not wait and thus he was put back on the contact and taken out!! Once again I messed up the jumping with Sweep and Tigger ran around the tyre as he was going a little too fast and he is not confident on this obstacle yet. He went through it from a restart and was thus E'd but I was still very pleased with him. Inca also did well today coming 8th in Grades 1-2 agility and 12th in the Jumping equivilent with auntie Jess.
Jess and Indi managed to win their way into the Grade 1-2 FINAL on Sunday with some very consistent places in the Jumping Classes. Charlie Jess's young dog was however most consistent with 6 clear rounds including a few placings.
Indie did a lovely round in Sunday's Agility FINAL and finished 4th overall. Well done INDIE.
