Hey, first of all, say Congratulations to Otterpop for earning her Lifetime Achievement Bronze Award. She actually earned it in May, but I hadn't bothered to count up recent Q's. Hooray for Otterpop!
So when we went up to practice this morning, Kathleen had already set up Sunday's Masters Standard course up on her field. I looked at it for a minute and thought, that looks familiar. Where did I see that before? And then both dogs ran it flawlessly through, as fast as they go, no bobbles no weirdnesses, letting me handle it exactly how I wanted. Daring front crosses!
Perfect practice is supposed to make perfect. But perfect practice is all we gots sometimes.
Otterpop's bonus super hard gamble was to handle a loop of stuff on angles around the edge of the course while I stayed behind the dogwalk set up right in the center of the field. A couple gnarly turns, and it meant parts of the gamble were about 50' away. You go, Otterpop. Whoever you are on days like Sunday, I am just glad I you don't show up like that on days like today. The real Otterpop is tremendous, stupdendous and does things like that I couldn't ever imagine doing with any other dog.
Practice with Otterpop has basically turned into, Can she do something harder and can she do it even FASTER? Her answer is always HELL YEAH BRING IT ON MUTHATRUCKAH!
Gustavo gets to do standard with the table and many hard things that I have eliminated from the show ring for him when we practice now. He showed up, ready to go, in one of those do no wrong, work real hard moods and boy does that make us happy. Those running dogwalks we worked so hard on, still important when we practice. Setting tighter lines, staying in the poles while I dash away, super sticky teeters, all of those things we work on hard. Even if we may never use them in a trial again.
Days like this are when I realize I am doing something right. Somehow we got this far. For me, practice, class, running in the show ring, it's all about the same. I'm game for whatever. The team, though, they just wish every day was just like today. That's their story and they're sticking with it.
3 comments:
Have you ever considered doing some VALOR stuff with Gustavo? I bet he'd like it, and it might give you something to aim towards other than live trialing?
Is Valor the online trialing you do at home? I have heard of that, but it doesn't really capture my interest. I think one of the things I like about trialing is the real time competition and the dynamic of all the competitors. I love winning, and trying to be the best amongst my peers that day. The whole group vibe is an interesting social phenomena and fun. I love getting SuperQs and the excitement of big events like the regionals and the nationals. I let go of titling goals with Gustavo long ago, so my goals of trialing him are more esoteric. Less about earning titles and more about can we do it? Somehow I don't think videoing runs to compete online would be very fulfilling to me. And I really suck at videoing. I will admit that I don't know much about Valor so maybe I'm wrong about how it works. But posting stories in my blog and a weekly check into facebook right now feels like more than plenty to do in the internet.
hey team small dogs,
is been quite awhile since my mum visited u guys. all of u are as great as ever
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