Westminster Saturday

After our fantastic Friday night, I was very excited to go back to the trial on Saturday.

There was just one thing that I was extremely nervous about - the teeter.  We were going to attempt our second-ever Level 2 course and Tessa's second-ever teeter in competition.  The first attempt didn't go so well!

From Periland last October . . . .



We botched much more than the teeter on that run!  I mishandled a good bit of the course and the run was very halting!

We have worked hard since then, and have especially practiced approaching the teeter at a run, without any pauses from either of us.  I was hoping that things would go better this time.

Things most certainly went better!  Everything in our Level 2 Standard was perfectly smooth!  When she was tipping the teeter, I felt like she stood there thinking for about 10 seconds, but really it was only a split second.

Our Level 2 Standard run from Westminster on Saturday . . . 



It was a Q.  It was a first place.  It was perfect!!

After Standard, we ran Jackpot.  It was a non-traditional and it was . . . interesting!

The opening was a normal opening - so much time to get as many points as possible.  Back to back obstacles allowed (if safe) but nothing could count more than twice.

There was no distance challenge.  The closing was of our choosing.  We were to attempt any three obstacles.  There was a two jump combo at the end that counted as one.  The first obstacle chosen, if completed, was worth three times its normal value!  The second, if completed, was worth twice its normal value.  And the third, if completed, was worth its normal value.

Then, as an optional bonus, in honor of National Puppy Day, if we chose to call out to the judge "I love my puppy!" or some such, then we could get five bonus points!

I thought hard about the opening for this one.  I wanted a particular closing - one tunnel to the other and then through the jump combo.  So, I wanted to be out near the necessary tunnel entrance when the buzzer went off.  I decided to head for the weaves.  Tessa's weaves are so slow, I knew we would get bogged down in them and would probably burn any time we needed to burn to get that tunnel!

It worked perfectly!  She actually popped the last pole after the buzzer, so we didn't get the points for the weaves, but that didn't matter.  We didn't need those points - we just needed to be there!

Jackpot . . . 



And yes - I love my Tessa!  She's got me spoiled rotten about now!!

That was our first Level 2 Jackpot Q, so now we have one Q in all of the Level 2 categories that we have yet to complete - Snooker, Jackpot, and Standard!

Although right at that moment, we had one Level 2 category to finish - Handler Games.  We needed one more Colors Q, and our last run of the day was our opportunity to earn that.

This Colors Q has been a bit of a monkey on my back and I was hoping we would be able to finish it.  And we were!  I have no video, but it was a perfect run!  We got the Q and finished our Level 2 Handler Games title.

And so, congrats to:

Tessa CL1, CL1-H, CL1-F, CRO-1, DCD-Ent, DCD-CF, WFDX-MF, ITD

I have three premiums printed at home and I mean to send them in tomorrow.  More Agility fun coming soon!!  We are All-Level 3-Bound!!!