In Agility, there is a first time for everything.

* Warning, contains Agility Content, and this is a long ass post, I have broken it down into sections (Chapters ...) of the FIRSTS ....

1. Jane had to stay home this weekend, I pulled her from the Trial, a first.

She has a had a limp off and on, and was stiff in her back. I didn't feel she was 100%, as she approaches 10, recovery takes longer and longer, so I want to make sure she is 100%. Jane wasn't left out however ... she is the first to investigate the "Dog Bag" when I get home and help herself to one of the prizes the OTHER dogs won ...

2. Gyp gets hurt on course. A first.

Ok, maybe I added that in for dramatic effect, but I figured it would keep you interested in reading more ... Gyp ran good to great this weekend. It would have been all great had my handling been a little more on the ball. In one run Gyp FLEW off the end dogwalk to dive into the weave poles 30 feet ahead, leaving me in the dust in one run, it was pretty funny, and Gyp was oh so proud of herself. I was laughing the whole run which caused me to lose focus, so we made the best of it. I like when EVIL Gyppie appears once in a while - I love this dog.

Gyp needs one more Standard run for her Bronze Award of Merit - we didn't get it this weekend. We had three chances (see above why we didn't get it one run), the second Standard we had an off course - I stood there looking at my pretty dog dive into the wrong tunnel entrance, UGH. 

The third standard run is where she got hurt. On the fourth last obstacle she knocked a bar with her knee, and came off the course holding her leg up, waayyyy up. I thought she was going to die - or she tore her cruciate - you know I always think the best. Did I mention I freak out about these things? I had a couple people go over her and check her flexion etc., and with time she put her leg back down to normal with all weight on it. It was like someone smacked her in the knee (like Tanya Harding did to Nancy Kerrigan), but Gyp got over it with some nice massage and rest.

Luckily I was able to run her for her last two runs - I brought her out of her crate a couple times to see if she was stiff on it after rest, and each time she was OK, and other people thought she was OK to keep going too. I was more than willing to pull her for the rest of the day if I had too, the Q's are not worth my dogs health, thank you very much. 

She brought home 4Qs and 4 - 1st Placements in those runs: Masters Gamblers (90 points), Masters Jumpers (not a stellar run, but I am too hard on myself), Masters Team (the Tri-coloured Beeotches strike again!), and my proudest run was Master Snooker. I've never had a dog fast enough to go for broke - and try for 4 sevens - and try to finish the closing sequence. Another first for us .... 

3. We went for 4 "7"s in Snooker. A first.

 I can't take credit for the planning the opening sequence, Seanna helped me with it, it was nice of her to take the time. What a rush! the "7"s were Weave Poles (Gyps Fav), I am proud to say we got all the way to the 8th Pole in the closing sequence! In Snooker you need 40 Points to Qualify in Masters, we got 52! And a perfect run is 59 Points - we were just 4 poles short - since the time was up in the  8th pole!

4. Kaleb Qs 7 clean runs out of 8! You read that right ...

I don't really need to write more than that HAHA!! He literally got STUCK in the weave poles in one run and ended up popped out in the run he didn't Q in.

He Q'd in Gamblers and got his "Bronze Gamble" Title - for his 10th Master Gamblers Q. And Q'd in Standard 1 & 3, Jumpers, Steeplechase, Team (with our partners Lynda and Cavall), and Snooker!!

He ran great all weekend, and his energy, speed and enthusiasm was the same the first day as it was the second day. For my boy that just turned 7, I was really happy about that. He had some good placements with those 7 Qs,  I was really proud of his one Standard he placed 1st out of 12 dogs in his class.

5. I ran the whole 2nd day in my Chuck Taylor Converse shoes, not my cleats. 

And the best part, I didn't fall on my ass! Sometimes, I like to kick it old school.