USDAA Western Regional, Day 3 Reportage-Carnage pile driver pile up.

Carlos and Kooza

We didn't make it into the Steeplechase Final. That was very sad. This is always our favorite part of Regionals. But we did get to watch most of our friends run. This made me happy. Some of them did great, some of them had shit happen. All of them were running to win, so shit happening is disappointing to everyone.


Wendy and Zuma (who won 12")

Me and Gustavo had a pretty bad day. He did have a nice Grand Prix run, in the first round. He did this just for fun, since he already had a bye to the Final. It was a ok run actually, except he selected a tunnel over the teeter totter and I couldn't even get him near me to do his little pre-teeter trick. So much for that idea.

Not  a good sign when his best run is a non qualifying run with no teeter totter.


Jim and Sweep

Our masters challenge runs were a disaster. This made me very sad, because I love masters challenge and usually, so does Gustavo.  The carnage was due not so much to poor handling as just Gustavo being Gustavo, which I guess is due to poor training. And Gustavo being Gustavo. I'm not sure if there's a line between the 2. I know I can train Gustavo better, there's always more to do, but he is who he is.


Laura and one of her dogs but not sure which one. Also her left arm isn't really a stump.

And I did exhibit some poor handling once the run went to hell in a hairball when Gustavo freaked out in the weave poles. It's humbling to be around so many good dog trainers and handlers. I am sure they've all had dogs that confound them the way Gustavo confounds me. The difference is, they somehow figure out how to make it work, and I have Gustavo out there doing donuts. still. After all these years.


Denice and Rumor

Or running out of the ring to eat a poodle lady's meat. At jump 3 on one course, which was located right near her meat feeding spot. That was a low point of the day.


Kathleen and JB, with a smile on her face even though some bars went flying. She always has a smile when she runs.

Day 3 of this show is where everyone starts to get weary. Well, at least where I started to get weary. So much garbage to take out, dogs are cooped up and want some walking, and I had some weariness. There wasn't a lot of the buoyancy of brilliance to keep me afloat. I was just trying to not sink.


Stacy and Roo

Monday is one more day. A few more runs, that might go better, might go worse. I sure am going to try to get them to go better, and I hope Gustavo does too. I have a thick skin now, so at least I don't have to worry about what anyone thinks when I take him out there and we have a complete disaster of a run. I'm trying my best. My best just happens to come in irregular size, with some flaws and a couple of holes. Wearing thin on one side. Stuck at the very bottom of the best bin. With an expiration date. That expired sometime last year.