I worked out of the back of my truck again, so no setting up was involved. Exercised the dogs a bit. Picked up the course maps as soon as the judges arrived and put them out. Walked the courses and checked in on the gate sheets. Leashed up the Vixenator and headed over to the practice jump before putting her in the Steeplechase ring. Showtime! Her pupils were fully dilated and she was vibrating on the start line. God help me.
She knocked the first bar, but ran the rest clean, fast and loud. 0 to 60 in point 2. If I was sleepy or cold (it was foggy in the morning), I wasn't after that. Because it was Steeplechase, 5 seconds were added to her time, and she came in 5th. YES!!! That was her second needed Steeplechase Q!! Two down (DAM Team and Steeplechase), three to go (1 Biathalon and 2 Grand Prix)!
Jemima was in Gamblers next, in the other ring. She had a nice opening, and when the buzzer went off, I sent her up the teeter, across the line, over a jump and out to the weaves, which were parallel to an extremely inviting straight tunnel on the inside. She nailed the weaves and the finish jump beyond for a Q! Huckleberry!!! It felt like I was driving into a narrow opening, so closed my eyes and gunned it, and when I opened them she was in the weaves! Ah the adrenaline.
Jemima also got a Super Q in her Snooker class; I think she actually won her class. Our path was 1-7-1-7-1-3-1-3 ... I try to go for smooth and easy - for my dogs. The 7 was the weaves, way over on the other side of the ring. The 3 was a jump, near the closing and the rest of the reds. Attagirl.
I entered both girls in the Biathalon tournament. Jemima did great in both classes. The Fancy Jumpers course had a wicked line consisting of a far back side tunnel entrance/out over two jumps/30* right turn into the weaves. She almost went out over an off course jump, and I let out one of my semi-annual blood-curdling screams to call her off and into the weaves. whew!!! Then I started laughing. Must finish the course! She WON the 16" Pf Biathalon!!! Her last needed tournament Q this year. Huzzah!!!
Vixen was just too fast for me. Again. She had some really good moments, but I blew it in a few places. Next time! Here is her Fancy Standard run. Two bars (first bar again!) and two refusals (my fault), but still a blast! The speed in the straight tunnel - affectionately known as a puppy cannon, or dog particle accelerator (DPA) - caused some dogs to shoot out over an off course jump. Hence my banshee call so she could hear me through the wind in her ears and her barking. Hah!
Left the trial at 5:30, stopped at Starbucks to find a smiling young man holding my vanilla latte out the window as I pulled up, and then gassed up at $1.75/gallon. Stopped at the In n Out in Gustine for dinner on the road. Life is good. Home by 9. Long, fulfilling day! Tired and happy.
Happy Valentine's Day!
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