Bikram Agility

We spent Friday and Saturday doing agility at the TRACS USDAA trial in Woodland.  Second trial this year in Woodland, and second Bikram agility experience.  [Wikipedia says 'Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 40 °C (104 °F) with a humidity of 40%.']  Only this time it was only close to 100 degrees both days.  The other difference with this trial were the flies.  Flies flies flies.  Flies everywhere.  Vixen was determined to kill all of them may have put a tiny dent in their numbers.  The Fly Shark.  Other than the heat and the flies, it was terrific!

Friday was Team day.  Jemima & I were teamed with Maddie & Katrina.  Team name:  Mad Blue Missiles.  The story behind that came about in two seconds.  While sharing a room during a trial in Turlock earlier this year, Jemima had the gall to begin to reposition herself on my bed.  Without warning, Maddie silently shot straight across the tiny aisle to reprimand her for moving, and just as fast darted back to Katrina's bed.  No arc.  Straight across.  My dogs didn't have time to react.  Their jaws did drop a bit.  Startled all of us, we shouted and laughed, and from then she was dubbed the Maddie Missile.

Cumulative score just before Relay

Vixen was on a Dog Agility Master (DAM) team with a Border Collie named Scout and and a Kelpie named Gem.  Team name:  Vixen's Scouting for a Gem.  All young dogs.  They did fantastic!  Worked our way up to 1st position going into the final class, Relay.  Had a little bobble and lost that position, but still Q'd - with a 4th place!  Just awesome.  My wild did terrific.

The Mad Blue Missiles stayed in first place all day long, winning Performance Versatility Pairs (PVP)!  Wowza!  It was my first time winning Team, and never like that!

Showtime, baby girl

My friend Tracy was gracious enough to let me and the pups stay at her house Friday night.  Scott was away judging in Utah.  What a pretty home they have.  And comfortable.  We had dinner and visited awhile, I slept well, and we were both up and out by 5:30 this next morning. 

Liza and the Shade Seekers

Jackets required in the mornings, but the heat was intense in the afternoons.  It was comfortable under the canopies and trees, and that's where all the dogs were set up - fans on high.  The humans were out in the heat a lot - building courses, walking courses, setting bars.

The judges stood out in the sun all day long, with short breaks in between classes.  They are true agility warriors.  The dogs were out while being walked around or running a 20-30 second course.  And the effing flies were everywhere.  &%(@%(*&&%(*& flies!!!!

Finally headed home after 6 ... in my AIR-CONDITIONED TRUCK.  That helped revive us all - for about half an hour.  Stopped for a cuppa fuel at Starbucks, looked at my tires because something seemed off, and soon after getting on I-80 the front right tire blew.  CRAP!  Pulled over, called AAA because I could.  I pulled out the 'it's hot and I have dogs in the car' card, and they showed up in about 10 minutes.  We were back on the road in an hour.  Thank you AAA!!!

Book Pillow Bunny sez ... welcome home!

Home always feels so righteous after a trial weekend, but that was especially true this time.
And it's supposed to be near 100 degrees in Boulder Creek today.
Glad we skipped Sunday's trial.  Many happy runs to all!  Be cool!