WAG Agility Trial - Ouch! I think I pulled a muscle...

Ruby's first QQ!!! On Friday she had a great Jumpers run, followed by another great Standard run, taking 4th place in both classes. She went wide on a lot of turns and I need to tighten her up a bit but she also seemed rather slow to me. In reviewing her videos it looks almost like she's over-jumping; clearing the jumps by almost a foot. So with her not jumping efficiently she's eating up time on the clock when she's in the air. Silly girl. I guess it could be worse and she'd be knocking bars, right?

Saturday was a different story. Jumpers was a really nice course and we did well on it but she popped her weaves at the tenth pole. I had my friend Shawna who is a trainer look at the video and she said that nothing in my body position changed to cause the pop. Ruby hasn't popped in a LONG time. The only thing I can figure is the photographer sitting 5 feet away from the end of the weave poles and Ruby heard the 'click.' It happened to some other dogs and, unfortunately, the photographer was only sitting there for the 24" class. Standard was a bit of a disaster because Ruby didn't hold her 2o/2o position on the DW - not even a slight pause - and I couldn't get where I wanted to be for the weave pole entry, so I walked her off the course. My fault, I'm thinking later, as I told her touch on the way up the DW instead of the way down like I usually do. Oh well...still pissed about that photographer...

Alissa = 2
Ruby = 0

Sunday was another good day however as she QQ'd again. A lovely jumpers course and Ruby was a very good girl and she knew it! After her Standard run she barked to let everyone know how great she did and dragged me back to her crate to get her special treats!

42 MACH points for the weekend even with my three-day migraine. Oh yeah and I think I pulled a groin muscle. At least the dog is healthy & fit. =)

I do have to say how amazing it is that I had such a great weekend since there was no negative influence on us. Agility is such a mental game and my poor dog has been suffering because I've been an emotional wreck. No more of that however as we're making a push to qualify for Nationals. We have six trials in as many weekends. Go Ruby Roo!