Carolina Piedmont Agility USDAA Trial Recap

We've just wrapped up the trial weekend in Raleigh at CPA's USDAA trial. The venue was great! Hunt Horse Arena is a superb location for an agility trial. It fits 3 rings in the indoor heated arena, albeit it's a tight squeeze. A two ring show would be more comfortable, but with the amount of entries, 3 rings were really needed.


I'm really impressed with CPA. They are just starting out in the world of trialing, and they are getting everything right. We learned on Sunday that this was the largest USDAA trial EVER held in NC. This was only their 2nd trial, and there looks to be many more to come. Kudos to Greg Fontaine, Carolina Piedmont Agility, and everyone involved.


Now to Harley's performance!


Day 1

P3 Snooker (Kristen) - Not too tough of a course. Kristen and Harley were doing VERY well and looked like they were headed for a sure Q. Unfortunately, the practice jump was right next to the weave poles. In the closing, Harley got distracted by something that direction and popped out of the poles. Snooker requires 37 points to qualify, and we ended with 33 points. Had we gotten through the weave poles, it would've been worth 5 points and our Q. Oh well...



P3 Pairs (James) - This is a class Harley traditionally does very well at, and this was not an exception. We had a great partner who did their half flawlessly. Despite an awkward baton exchange area that got the best of a lot of pairs, it went very smoothly. Harley was on-target and fast, but unfortunately she missed her weave pole entry. I think it was probably that she had too much speed going in, and just overshot it. Regardless, it was a 5 point fault. Great thing about pairs is that Qing is time+faults so as long as you're still under course time, you're good. We Q'd, and just barely missed 3rd place. 0.05 seconds sooner and we could've had it!

P3 Gamblers (James) - Harley's string of Non-Q's continued, highlighting our need to keep working on our distance work. James had a nice send over a jump to a far tunnel, but unfortunately stepped over the gamble line. Our opening would've had plenty of points, but the closing is always the challenge. Even had I not stepped over the line, Harley took the wrong jump after the tunnel. C'est la vie.


P3 Standard (Kristen) -  This was our most important class this weekend, as our last P2 title was on the line! Harley was running a little slow, but ran clean. We were concerned that she might not make the course time, but our worries were unfounded as we ended up placing 1st and Q!


Performance Speed Jumping Round 1 (Kristen) - The Steeplechase/PSJ course was very challenging for many dogs that entered. Since Harley was running pretty slow in her P3 Standard run, Kristen tried jazzing Harley up before her run with her favorite toy: a racquetball. Her strategy proved to be a successful one as Harley was noticeably faster. But it's not just speed that counts....it's accuracy. Harley was dead on! She earned a Q, and advanced to the next round on Day 2.


Day 2

P3 Gamblers (Kristen) - Harley's first run of the day. This run started out FANTASTIC....until the timer realized that they hadn't started the timer (very important in Gamblers). D'oh! So Kristen had to start over. Graciously, the judge said that as long as she did the same course, she'd give us the points even if we faulted. The restart did not go as well as the first run, but she did do the complete gamble, but missed the A-Frame contact. Despite not Qing, we were very happy with this, since she's starting to "get" distance work and not be velcroed to our side for the entire run. It's a process of learning, and she's showing signs of great improvement!

Performance National Qualifier (James) - This course was fast and fun! James had the pressure on to Q since Kristen already Q'd on Saturday in Performance Speed Jumping. These two tournament classes are important since Q's in these count towards qualifying for the Cynosport World Games. Harley did beautifully and Q'd with ease. She didn't place, but Q's are what counts. The only place that counts is 1st since that gives you a first-round bye at regionals (we earned one of these last year).

Performance Speed Jumping Round 2 (Kristen) - With our Round 1 Q in hand, this run is for the money! PSJ round 2 placements determine prize money for places 1st-3rd in each height class, with 1st obviously getting the most. Harley did well, but with so many good dogs and the fact that Harley was getting tired, she just wasn't fast enough to place. We ended up in 6th.


P2 Standard (James) - Since we earned our PS2 title the previous day, this run was just for fun since it won't count towards anything. Despite being late in the day and both of us being tired, Harley had a nearly clean run. Her only fault? She jumped off the pause table. While I'm very happy this didn't count, it was frustrating since we've worked very hard the last couple months to "fix" her table. All weekend she was doing a beautiful automatic down. For some reason or another, she hopped on the table and hopped right off. When she got back on, the down was automatic. Despite not Qing, Harley placed 1st (nobody else Q'd in our height class either). That's what I love about USDAA: You don't have to Q to place!


P3 Snooker (James) - Last run of a very long day! I took a very risky snooker plan and hoped it worked. Since it's the last class of the day, I knew Harley wouldn't be as energetic, so I wanted to avoid the weave poles (the #6 obstacle was a combo jump to weave poles). So I did all 7 point obstacles. Problem is that the 7 point obstacle was not very close to the required red jumps! Harley and I sprinted all over the field and made up some impressive ground (I actually had to warn the judge at the start that my path was coming right towards her! She thanked me for telling her, and moved to a better position so I wouldn't barrel right into her..). The strategy worked, and we got all three 7-point obstacles and made it through obstacle 6 in the closing for a total of 44 points (need 37 to Q). We were hoping for a "SuperQ" but were bested by 2 other dogs that managed to get 48 points. We ended with a 3rd place and a Q.

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Summarized Results:
Saturday
 - PII Standard - 1st & Q
 - PIII Pairs - Q (Did not place)
 - PIII Gamblers - Did not place
 - Perfomance Speed Jumping Round 1 - Q (Did not place)
 - PIII Snooker - Did not place

Sunday
 - PII Standard - 1st
 - PIII Gamblers - Did not place
 - Performance National Qualifier - Q (Did not place)
 - Perfomance Speed Jumping Round 2 - 6th
 - PIII Snooker - 3rd & Q


NEW TITLES:
PS2 - Performance II Standard
PD2 - Performance Dog II

Major AKC & USDAA Announcements

Just about to leave for our trial in Raleigh and got some VERY good news!

1. USDAA just announced the venue for the 2010 Cynosport World Games. This year it will be held at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY October 13-17!

From USDAA:

We are pleased to announce that we have received a Letter of Commitment from the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville to host the Cynosport World Games on October 13 - 17, 2010.  Options are also being offered for 2011 and/or 2012.

The facility is home to the Kentucky State Fair and the Kentuckiana Cluster of Dog Shows and has ample RV and general parking, and includes both indoor and outdoor areas for competition and other use.  Much of the competition and the finals will be held in the Broadbent Arena on packed dirt and will be streamed live via the Internet. 

We are working diligently with the facility, local sports commission and hotels to secure room blocks at favorable rates.

The City of Louisville has undergone a great transformation as a destination of choice, and we are certain competitors and guests alike will enjoy their time in Louisville.

Further details will be annouced as they become available.

2. AKC just made a major announcement about changes to their Mixed Breed program!

• They have decided that Mixed Breeds may compete in any agility, rally, or obedience event. Initially, Mixed Breed classes were only available at events that were not also holding an all-breed event (Conformation).
• Mixed Breeds will now compete with their Purebreds friends instead of in a separately. 
• Mixed Breed titles shall be the same as their Purebred friends. There will NOT be separate titles for Mixed Breeds.

Both news items are very important, but I am especially happy about the AKC changes. I'm glad to see that they acted so quickly to feedback from the community, and, in my opinion, made changes for the better.

This Weekend: Carolina Piedmont Agility Trial (Raleigh NC)

Wish us luck this weekend as we travel to Raleigh to compete in Carolina Piedmont Agility's USDAA trial! Given the recent cold weather, our host had the wisdom to hold this trial in a heated horse arena, so we will be very comfortable!

Looks like Harley has 2 titles she can earn this weekend: Performance Standard II (PS2) and, by extension, Performance Dog II (PD2). PD2 is an accumulative title that's earned when you have 3 Q's in each of the 3 non-standard Performance II  classes (Snooker, Gamblers, and Jumpers), and your PS2 title. We have all the non-standard Q's required already, so by earning a Q in PII Standard, we can obtain both titles at once! Let's hope I didn't just jinx our chances...

Hopefully we can also pick up a couple tournament Q's so we can qualify for nationals again this year! Expect updates via our Facebook, and a full recap post when we get back.

Trialing Tips: Gear for Home Base

Your first trial, if it's anything like ours, will be nerve-racking, fun, and an overall learning experience. We've bought a lot of gear over the years and I thought  I would share what worked, and what didn't turn out that well.

I'm going to turn this into a somewhat on-going series, so as not to bombard you with all the information in one disorganized post.

Let's focus on what I'll refer to as "Home Base." Home Base is your center of operations at a trial. It's where you obsess over the course maps, take a nap, seek shelter, and eat!

TENTS
We have found that there's only one way to go: Get an "Easy-Up" tent. It doesn't have to be the Easy-Up brand, but any tent where you don't have to connect polls together is a great time saver. Trust me, after spending 7+ hours each day at a trial, you want to spend the least amount of time de-constructing your tent as possible.

We got our 10x10 "Quest" brand tent for a modest $70-80 at Dicks Sporting Goods. We got this after picking up a cheap $40 Coleman shade tent at Target. I love Coleman and think it's a great brand, but there were 23 polls to put together and took at least 20 minutes to setup, with help. Our Quest tent sets up in less than 5 minutes if we're in a hurry. They also sell accessories like shade and wind side panels. These are essential if you're trialing in any kind of hot, sunny weather. Shade is not a luxury, it's a necessity to keep your dogs from overheating.

Make sure you stake your tent to the ground in case of wind. We usually leave our tent at the trial site overnight, but I always take the canopy off and store it (your dog crate makes a great storage place if you're leaving that too). Our first trial with the Quest tent we left the canopy on, and a storm destroyed the tent during the night.

EVERYTHING UNDER THE TENT
What you bring to keep under your tent is important to how comfortable you want to be. Here's what we usually bring:

• Collapsible Soft-Sided Dog Crate - duh!
• Floor mat - great to lie down on and not get dirty!
• Cooler for drinks - save your back and get the one with wheels and a handle!
• Chairs
• Ryobi Battery-powered Fan - expensive, but worth it. These push a lot of air. In hot weather, our sole fan is dedicated to our dog's crates. Humans will get the second fan :-)
• Folding camper table - unbelievably useful

Arrange your tent so you can keep watch on your stuff, mainly the dogs. Also keep in mind that a trial is a great social event, so don't try and isolate yourselves. Talk with your tent neighbors! Answer interested spectator questions!  Most importantly, volunteer to work a ring whenever possible. It's a great learning experience for beginners, it really helps the trial move quickly, and there are some perks: usually there's free food, drinks, volunteer raffles (1 ticket for each class volunteered) and possibly other prizes.

That's it for now.

Puppy Class Nearing an End

Mo has just one week left in his Beginner I agility class at Dog Haven, and he has certainly made the most of his time there. He has learned a lot, and has progressed quickly. We've now been introduced to all the fundamental agility obstacles (jump, tunnel, a-frame, teeter, broad jump, weave polls, dog walk, tire jump, pause table) as well as some good footwork obstacles (agility ladder, booja board) that you don't see in competition. 

However, I think one of the best results of the class is how much WE have learned.

When you run one dog, you get very accustomed to their running style, how they respond to cues, and their interaction with you as you run. I've ran other dogs before, but they've all been somewhat similar to Harley's style of running. Little adjustments, but nothing major.

Mo is a completely different case. Deb, our trainer, says he definitely runs like a border collie does. Where Harley can make hair-pin turns at almost full speed, Mo makes wide arcing turns. These differences highlight an important aspect of class: the dog is not the only one training. Handlers have to train their minds to think of how their dog will run a particular set of obstacles.

This understanding between person and dog takes a while and prospers most when on a regular training schedule. It's the main reason someone can't just run another handler's dog in competition. While some dogs will certainly run with a different handler, if no prior work has been done with the dog and handler, the handler is really just winging it and hoping the run is clean and the dog listens. It gets even more confusing for the dog if the handler isn't briefed on what the owner calls each obstacle. A good example: an agility friend of ours has a very accomplished Doberman whose verbal commands are all Italian! 


Coming full circle, these beginning classes have been hugely beneficial to both Mo and his handlers. The best thing about beginner class coming to an end is that the next class will be arriving shortly!