Agility Nuts August Show

Kiros is well and truly back on form. Over the weekend he was clear in all but one of his competitive runs and was placed in all of them.


Saturday - 5th place in Agility (with Ann), 2nd place in Snakes, 4th place in Power and Speed and 4th place in Jumping.

Sunday - 1st place in Agility, first pole down so 5f in Jumping and 1st place in Time, Fault and Out Jumping. The rules of Time, Fault and out are that you keep running around the judges course until you make a mistake or the course time expires - in this case 40 seconds. Kiros ran beautifully and completed 37 obstacles in 40 secs but it almost killed me! I decided not to run Gamblers making the excuse that it might be to much for Kiros, but truthfully I think it was to much for me!!


Ronnie had great fun over the weekend. The judge must of had a laugh in Snakes (a jumping course were you have to avoid the tunnels) when Ronnie decided to completely circle the tempting tunnel before coming back to me.


He was almost clear in the Knockout Jumping but was distracted by the Dog running in the next lane and ran slightly past a jump. His best run of the weekend came in Ann's TFO. He completed 12 obstacles before being faulted. I'm sure that clear round is just around the corner!!

Reno had a great time being cuddled and playing with other Dogs.

Here are my courses from Saturday.

Veteran, Starters Plus and Elementary Agility
I thoroughly enjoyed the show, the highlight of which was Pen and Brennan winning my Elementary Agility and Kiros coming 2nd in the Summer Season Senior League. August Nuts August Show is rapidly becoming my favorite of the season. I think because it is a sharp contrast to the Pomp and Ceremony of the KCI Festival the weekend before. I'm looking forward to the Nuts winter season starting in October.

Strange "Agility" Happenings

We've just spent two very enjoyable Agility-filled weekends at Scunnie and then at the KC Festival but Kiros's runs have been quite out of character.

He obviously loves running at Winterton so was well up for his runs at Scunnie.

No faulted Dog Walk ups but a very bad missed A-frame down contact on Saturday and again on Sunday (strange happening no 1. He honestly hasn't missed an A-frame contact in competition or training since 2005).

He then went onto run clear in Graded 6-7 Jumping on Sunday and got 10th place (strange happening no 2. Our last jumping placing was 5th in Grade 5 Jumping at Newton Heath - June 2007).

Needless to say I practice contacts at training last Tuesday! I tried really hard to push him to miss the A-frame contact but try as I might I couldn't.

So onto the KC Festival. All but one of my Agility courses lent themselves to stopping on the contacts so that's how I handled them. Strange happening no. 3 - Kiros really seemed to loose confidence, possibly because of this, and even almost stopped on a couple of the courses. Even though we had a couple of Agility clears over the weekend he was to slow to be placed.

His jumping rounds, however, were a different story. He really enjoyed them, helped by some fast open courses, and came away with another placing in Grade 6 jumping (strange happening no.4!) - 29th out of 307 so within 10%.

Reno had a great time socialising and being admired by all. He played with his brother, Speedy, and met some friends of Jo's who recognised him as a "Ronny Pup" straight away!

I'm really looking forward to the weekend coming - Agility Nuts. A good chance to catch up with old friends and I'm Judging Agility on Saturday so I hope everyone enjoys the courses.

Reno's going to Crufts!

I promised Jo that I'd put a post on quickly to let you all know but she's still beaten me to it!!

Firstly, well done Jo for your excellent results with your Doggies and, Of course, to Jan and Lisa.

We had a lovely (but long!) day at the BSD Breed show yesterday. Reno's class was first in the ring. I was really nervous but the Judge was lovely. She helped us with everything when she realised it was our first show and was very kind with Reno. He was a little worried about her going over him but not as bad as I'd thought he'd be and no worse then the other Puppies. Much to my surprise he won his class so he then had to go against the other Dog winners for Best Dog in Breed and the Bitch Puppy for Best Puppy in Breed.

Obviously he was no match for the the other Dogs in Best Dog in Breed but he did win Best Puppy in Breed and then had to wait to go into Best Puppy in Show at the end of the day.

Jan had entered us in a team of four for the Breeders Stakes so after lunch we were back into the ring for that. Reno was a bit unsettled in this class as he was confused running around so close to the other dogs.

Many a time we have sat and watched the Group being judged at Crufts and a dog has bounced into the ring on the end of it's lead, not running properly and not letting the judge look at them and we've asked "How did that Dog even get though?". Well that was Reno in Best Puppy in Show!

It all happened to quickly for me. I couldn't get him settled and the other two Dogs, that were obviously more mature with more experienced handlers, total overshadowed him.

Oh well, still a very good result for our first Breed show and I'm so proud of my little man. Better get some practice done before Crufts!