Tuesday, May 12, 2009

NADAC Show in Canton


This past weekend, we attended a NADAC rated show in Canton, GA. Due to scheduling issues and some very important birthday parties, we only went on Sunday.

The weather was beautiful! It had threatened to rain, but we did not see any clouds until after the show was over and we were packing up to leave.

This was a big show for us since we entered almost every class available to us! We did 2 Regular classes, 1 Tunnelers, 1 Hoopers and 1 Jumpers. That made for a REALLY long day for both Reilly and I.

So we started out with the Regular classes. Reilly saw the first class as simply an opportunity to run around the field like an idiot and check everything out. Then he decided to humor me and go through a tunnel. Once he did that, I called him back to me, and we left the field.

Second class - still Regular( BTW, Regular is the class with all available agility obstacles) - a little better although Reilly got fixated on the tunnel. I kept asking him to go up the dog walk and he kept running through the tunnel..... I finally got him to go up the walk( at that point it was a matter of honor) and we finished the course, but got another E for eliminated! :(



Ok, no problem. So we gathered ourselves together for Tunnelers. Tunnelers is what is sounds like, an entire course of tunnels. Reilly LOVES tunnels. A no brainer right? Well maybe for Reilly but not for Mom. It was getting hot, I was getting tired, and I think I gave up on him 1/2 way through the course. I was exhausted..... the sun was beating down on me, and well, I screwed up. I got in his way, and he got mad and off he went. Right up until that point, we were having a beautiful run! It was amazing!!! And I screwed it up. Then he peed. Which is a BIG NO NO on the course! But as the judge commented, at least he peed facing out of the ring and NOT on the equipment.



Next up was jumpers. This was a course with only jumps. Great, easy peasy right? Nope. I screwed up again. When I put him in his sit, I threw his leash too high in the air behind me and he went running after it.( does this dog EVER get tired???) And he was off...... I finally got him back to me and we completed a spectacular jumper course! But got another E for him running off before the class.

Last but not least, the bizarre Hoopers class. It's simply a course of these hula hoops on their sides and you have to do a pattern between them. NONE of us had ever done those before, so we were all wondering how it was going to go. Reilly and I go in there, and he's wondering what the heck we are doing - where are all the jumps?? He kept looking at me like " Ok mom, I don't really *get* it, but I will do it if you want me to". And we got a 3rd place! Not stellar, but a nice way to finish the day.




The pictures that I have posted are from a professional photographer at the show. She and her husband did a great job.

Reilly and I have a big USDAA show this weekend! Wish us luck!


5 comments:

  1. Congrats!! I love the photography of him doing the courses. Don't worry, you'll get used to all these courses and what to & not to do. The good thing is that you're trying.

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  2. Thanks! He was awesome! We'll see how he does this weekend! I was so glad a photographer was there.

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  3. LOVE that first picture!! Good luck this weekend!

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  4. THese are great photos. He looks so darn happy!

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