Bo Gee CPE Trial June 25-26

Last weekend I entered Spot in the Bo Gee CPE trial at the Deerfield Fairgrounds in NH. We entered 2 classes on Friday and 3 classes on Sat.

Friday was planned to start at 4, but got off to a little bit of a slow start. The first class was Jumpers, and Spot was entered in Jumpers level 3. Spot and I really weren't in sync for this run. He ran around 2 jumps, then had an off course, and we were over time, so no Q. Second run was Jackpot. It was a non-traditional Jackpot and you needed to take 3 single jumps for the jackpot. Spot did much better in this run. I tried to keep him running, using the tunnels, and not as many jumps. There was a combo of 2 jumps worth 5 points, but Spot ran around the second jump, so I just kept going. I had planned it so we were in the area where the jumps were when the whistle blew and it turned out to be really good. Spot had just entered a tunnel when the whistle blew, so I was able to call him out, then send him over 3 jumps, then the table. A lot of people either were on the A frame when the whistle blew, or their dog took another obstacle on the way to the jumps,so they didn't Q. But we did!

On Saturday we were entered in Snooker level 2, Wildcard level 2 and Colors level 3. I moved Spot up to Colors level 3 not realizing there would be weaves. Oops! We started out well. My plan for Snooker was not to go for 3 7's in the opening because the flow would be not so good, so instead I went for the 3 tunnel, a 6 jump, and the 7 A frame. This made a little loop, which worked well for us. Spot finished the entire course and the whistle blew just as he jumped onto the table.

Next was Wildcard. This was a pretty easy course, but Spot didn't want to get set at the start, so I ended up running with him instead of leading out as planned. And he took the first two jumps, but then didn't take the tunnel, which was a wildcard. He never misses tunnels, so I wasn't sure what was going on. The rest of the course he did well, except for running around a jump, but I brought him back around and then we finished the course and got a Q.

Last was Colors. The course was super easy except for the poles. He did great with the first 5 obstacles, which were jump, jump, tunnel, jump, tire. But then he just basically ignored the weave poles. I almost got him through, but then he wouldn't do the last one, so I just tried to finish the course, but I guess he was stressed out because he skipped a couple of jumps. Oh well.

So it is becoming imperative that Spot learn weave poles at least at a basic level, or all I will be able to enter him in is Jackpot and Fullhouse and Jumpers!