Well, I had high hopes for this trial held at our training center, but it didn't turn out very well. We got 2 Qs out of a possible 8. We came close on 2 more, but Spot showed some behavior I wasn't very happy with.
Saturday was miserable. The temperature was about 82 and sunny, but the humidity was also very high. It really sapped my energy, and I think Spot's too. I definitely didn't plan my courses too well. Plus, I was working every class and it was just too hectic. I didn't really have time to study the course maps.
First class was Fullhouse. If I recall correctly Spot broke his startline say, and then ran around jumps and we were over time. Next was Standard Level 2, which I knew Spot would have trouble with the weaves. He did the course well and I got him through the weaves with some effort, but we were 6 seconds over time, which meant 6 fault points, and you can only have 5 faults to Q. So 1 second faster and we would have made it. Next was Snooker. The 7 point obstacle was the A frame, which Spot likes, so I planned to do that twice, then the 3 tunnel. Spot got through the A frame the second time, took the next red, but then disengaged and was sniffing. When I called him, he back jumped the red, so that was the end of that. Last was Wildcard. We started, took 1 jump, then Spot disengaged and was sniffing and the judge gave us a majot fault, which I still don't really know why. She didn't really give me a chance to get him back in line. So when that happened I just left the ring and Spot followed me.
Sunday the weather was iffy. It was cooler, but it rained and there was a threat of thunderstorms all day. We started with Jackpot, and it rained. By the time we went, it had stopped, but everything was soaked. It was a non-traditional Jackpot where the gamble was a tunnel/A frame combo in any order, then a distance to a jump and table. Spot actually did really well, and was faster than expected so I had to fill time by having him take the A frame and tunnel a few times while I waited for the whistle. Once the whistle blew, I asked him to do the A frame, and then the tunnel, but when I released him from the A frame I didn't come out far enough and he turned around and went back up. I kept going, because I didn't hear a whistle, and we completed the rest of the gamble. Some people thought I got it because they didn't think Spot had actually come off the A frame, only turned around, but in the end we did not Q.
Next was Standard again. We started well, but then got the weaves and Spot didn't do them and we got a major fault, so I kept going, but then he skipped a tunnel, and then the A Frame, so I left the ring. After that was Colors, which we actually Qd in! The course I chose had fewer jumps and more tunnels so we could just keep on running as fast as possible. Spot actually listened and we had a good run. We came in second. The last class of the day was Jumpers level 3. This was a fast course as well, and the first 7 obstacles were the same as the Colors course we had just run, so I had high hopes. The course went well, except for one off course that was my fault. Spot took the near tunnel entrance rather than the out tunnel because I didn't cue fast enough. Really I should have been on the other side for that section. Other than that it went really well and we Qd and got 4th place.
So we were able to end on a high note, which was good. I really need to get Spot learning the weave poles, and also to go ahead and take jumps that are ahead of him.
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