Overview of the trial this weekend.

Ace and I haven't done much agility at all since USDAA Nationals and we haven't trialed since then. I figured Ace and I would be a little rusty but he ran great for me! We run Jumpers in the morning. I really liked the course and it consisted of four front crosses (Wahoo). I could really run on this course and stride out which I LOVE to do. Ace was an awesome boy threw all the course and I said "Ace come, come weave" there for knocking the single (booo, bad mom). He was so happy with himself. Get got his leash out of the bucket and handed it to me with a huge smile on his face, which is weird cause Ace doesn't tug after runs.

Then comes Standard. Standard is my favorite and Ace's favorite. I didnt really like the course cause it had a lot of potential bars all threw the course and it was weird but it really did end up being fun. The course started with a double (eww) then the panel with a tight line to the chute. Ace went a little wide after the chute cause I need him to keep the bar up. We had a really nice run going and ace lost his footing going over and hit the top bar with his chest but he tried so hard. We do need to work on me saying stuff on a jump on a turn and more jump chutes but im not giving up on 26 just yet! Im loving him more and more at 26.

Good red dog!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AVW1aDdbQU

Running contacts or 2o2o?

I have had a few people ask me if my next dog was going to be running or 2o2o with both AF and DW. As sat on this for a few days thinking if running was right for me (okay I have been sitting on this for about a year ;)). Yes, I'm athletic, I can run fast and I am slim. I can keep up with Ace and can always be where I need to be. But am I ready to jump to the next level of agility? When I got Ace when I was 16, at first Ace had running contacts (don't think many people knew). Yes, they were super fun and exhilarating but at the time they were not for me nor at the time, didnt I have a full sized DW and didn't really have the time to work it. This was my first fast dog, much less Border Collie. So back to 2o2o we went. Now, I'm super happy with Ace's contacts and I still wouldn't go back to that day and not switch to running cause I was totally not ready for that at all. I really enjoy training contacts, It's my favorite thing to train. I still go back and fourth on what I want to do with my next dog. But right now I'm hooked on a running DW and AF. I always look at those dogs with amazing DWs and just say to myself "I want that kinda of rush".

My favorite runs with Ace are the runs where I push his contacts. There is nothing I love more that I love is to just push around the course (contacts being my favorite). I have found that when I push his contacts we Q and most importantly I get that rush, adrenalin and joy out of the runs were I push his contacts. I think having a dog that I could get let lose on contacts would always give me that rush, that extra push, adrenalin and me looking at Ace at the end of a run saying "Wow. That was awesome, that I love so much. That's what keeps me doing agility. Now, I'm not saying that the runs where I hold Ace's contacts for 4 secs each that I don't get that adrenalin and me looking at Ace and saying "Wow. That was awesome". I do all the time but I get more of it when I just push those contacts.

I can't help but look at those people with amazing running contacts and be like "I want that". I'm in college now and I have more time then when I did in High School, I have more knowledge of agility and running contacts then back when I had Ace. I will also have a DW when that puppy is ready for a DW. I still go back and think "Yes, I want that rush but are my skills there? Can I handle RC's yet?" I have never even run a dog with running contacts before but what drives me in this sport is that rush and drive. Not that I'm bored with agility, I just wanna train something new and exciting that I have never done before. I know its a lot of hard work and dedication to RC's but I'm willing to take that time cause I know it will be worth it in the end. So the question still remains. Will I or will I not doing running contacts? The answer is that it really depends on where I am in life, If I have the time and If I really feel ready to take on the challenge :).

Guess who got a blog?

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