Girl's Night!!!

Since I've been taking Dean to all of our Agility trials since fall, Tessa and I haven't had a chance to have a "girls only" trial in a very long time.

It was a tradition for Maddie and I go to the Artful Dodgers trial in Westminster, Maryland every March, and we always went on our own, without Dean.  The Artful Dodgers aren't having their trial in Westminster this year, so I decided to enter Tessa in the Bella Rose Group trial in Lewisberry this past Friday evening.  That was "our Westminster" and our girl's night!

We had a very nice time.  We started off sharing a grilled chicken salad in the car.  Of course, Tessa just had a little of the chicken and a few croutons.  It was an absolutely delicious salad!

We didn't walk very much.  Usually we would go for a nice long walk before her first run and then at one other point, but there was still a lot of snow around, it was chilly, and after we had been there only a short while the water on the driveway began to freeze!!

So, I got her set up in the crating area and it wasn't long before it was time to warm up for our first run.

First up was Level 3 Wildcard.  We were up for the last leg in Level 3 to earn our Level 3 Handler Games title!!

It was a successful run!!  In fact, Tessa was flawless.  She looked askance at the judge as she was coming down the A-Frame (you see the judge moving back quickly when she saw Tessa regard her with a clear question!), but other than that slight hesitation, her run was perfection!  Lovely jumps, no problem on any of the descriminations, and her weave poles were absolutely perfect!!  She even did an independent entry, which made me very happy!!

Here is her run . . .



We had a bit of a wait for our next run, Level 3 Colors.  First they ran Levels 1/2 Wildcard and then Levels 1/2 Colors.  Not sure why they did 1/2 Colors before 3/4/5/C, but that's how it was.  Tessa and I hung out - I tossed meatballs at her from time to time, she enjoyed some dog-watching, and I watched some of the other Agility runs.

Finally it was time.  Another perfectly perfect run!!  Even an independent entry on an off-side weave.  You can't see that in the video because the A-Frame is in the way, but you can see that I'm not babysitting or coaxing her into the correct entry.



That was her 4th Level 4 Colors run, so the next time we run Colors, she will be in Level 5.

This is a very bittersweet thing for me.  One Q in Level 5 Colors was exactly as far as Maddie and I got.  I am a little sad that Tessa and I are about to catch and pass her.

At the same time, Tessa deserves it.  She deserves for our Agility journey to be really ours.  We own it together now.  We aren't running in Maddie's footsteps anymore - we are going to blaze our own path.

And Tessa is the perfect girl for the job!  It is far more bitter than sweet.

Congrats to Tessa, CL1-H!!

Just two more Standard Q's and two more Jackpot and we will finish up Level 3 altogether!!