Our first USDAA Trial!

agilityaddict's picture
Submitted by agilityaddict on Mon, 2007-04-16 09:03.

Well we had a really fun weekend in Elma at our first USDAA trial!

Xena did really well and ran clean in everything except Steeplechase - rats! Phoenix really struggled with knocked bars all weekend and only managed a team, gamblers and a Grand Prix Qualifyer. The Grand Prix was so much fun! Phoenix had an awesome run but had one bar down. I stopped her on all of her contacts and she still would have been 3rd fastest of the dogs that ran clean (I think there were two others with faults that also ran faster). But I was thrilled! She also did a spectacular chin slide coming out of the "dog cannon" (straight tunnel) which I don't think was the most efficient way to take the corner, lol! I'm so sad that I didn't get a video of their Grand Prix runs. Xena ran clean but about 4 seconds slower than Phoenix - it was an awesome run for her though!

Anyway, guess we'll be going to the NW Regionals now. Just wish we could run Steeplechase but I don't think we'll get to another trial before then. I managed to put together one team while at the trial but still need another. Anyone?

Wendy

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crissy llora's picture

Re: Our first USDAA Trial!

Submitted by crissy llora on Tue, 2007-04-17 11:11.

That was indeed a nice GP run with Phoenix. Way to go! Didn't get to see Xena's but sounds like it was a very nice run too. Glad you're going to regionals...good times. Crissy

ps. Witnessed some masterful use of *the claw* last weekend. You guys look good out there. 

Olga Chaiko's picture

Re: Our first USDAA Trial!

Submitted by Olga Chaiko on Thu, 2007-04-19 21:36.
Hi Chrissy,

How did you, Flint and Emily do at the USDAA trial in Elma? I'd love to hear about your runs and accomplishments.

Olga.
crissy llora's picture

Re: Our first USDAA Trial!

Submitted by crissy llora on Fri, 2007-04-20 16:02.

Hi Olga,

We had a few accomplishments that weekend. Flint got a standard Q and earned his MAD. He also qualified in Grand Prix and in Jumpers. As Wendy said, Emily did win her class in Performance Speed Jumping.

I was a bit of a mess on the Saturday as one of my other dogs is quite sick so that day was a bunch of mistakes due to lack of concentration. I did pull it together on Sunday altho my GP run with Flint was lack luster and I was just going for a Q. I had a nice PNS run going with Emily but sent her off course, again due to lack of concentration...it was a fun course tho.

I didn't run that Steeplechase with Flint, my partner did, wish she got that claw working like Wendy did with Phoenix as Flint went off course at the same jump as Xena.

Flint is a fun dog to run but he needs me to be completely invested and I sure let him down on Saturday. The little booger ran all his contacts all weekend...sigh. That happens when I'm not invested. He doesn't get called because he hits dw and a frame but I really do want a stop.Double sigh. I know this is a problem that most folks wish they had...but there you go. Will see what he's like this weekend with those. 

Crissy, Em and Flint

Olga Chaiko's picture

Re: Our first USDAA Trial!

Submitted by Olga Chaiko on Sun, 2007-04-22 21:26.
Hi Chrissy,

I hope your sick doggy is doing better. Having a sick dog surely doesn't help with concentration at trials, ;-(..

Huge congrats on Flint's MAD, what a wonderful accomplishment! And the GP and JUmpers Q's are awesome. Way to go! And again, good job Emily on winning her PSJ class. I wish you guys would have a video..

P.S.: If you want Flint to stop on his contacts, then you must make him stop. Wishing he'd stop isn't going to do it..

Olga.
Olga Chaiko's picture

Re: Our first USDAA Trial!

Submitted by Olga Chaiko on Thu, 2007-04-19 21:32.
Wendy,

Congratulations on your Q's in GP, Team and Gamblers! It's too bad you don't have a video, ;-(.. What happened in Steeplechase? And can you elaborate on Phoenix's "struggle with knocked bars" please. Was she too exited? Going too fast?

Olga.
agilityaddict's picture

Re: Our first USDAA Trial!

Submitted by agilityaddict on Thu, 2007-04-19 22:12.

Thanks!  Xena had a gorgeous steeplechase run going and on the 4th to last obstacle, coming out of a tunnel I just didn't pick her up and she took an off course jump!  Phoenix's run was an absolute disaster!  This was the first time she has broken her stay in a trial!  Of course it was one of those courses that started with 4 jumps in a straight line into a 180 degree turn!  I should have bailed from the run after she broke but I don't have that kind of self-discipline and tried to salvage it!  Funny thing is her only fault was running on top of the broadjump (which she has never seen!) but we got all kinds of run bys and never really connected at all during the whole run and at the end she ran by the last jump and I couldn't be bothered to take her back.  She did do the last section of the course (the part where Xena had problems) very well though and stuck a nice aframe contact to finish :).  The bar knocking was partly that she was too excited and I think I may have been out of my element a little with a new venue, new people, new rules, etc..  I'm not really sure.  She also jumped off the table in her standard run - also a first for her and popped the poles once so a lot of unusual stuff. We are playing again this weekend so we'll see how she is.

Crissy and Flint are doing awesome and because she is too modest, she didn't mention that Emily won her division in the Steeplechase finals! It was a great run!

I do have a little bit of video of some of her runs I may post when I have time - I am running a trial this weekend starting tomorrow so too busy!  BTW, how did everyone do at Haute-Tracs?

Wendy

Olga Chaiko's picture

Re: Our first USDAA Trial!

Submitted by Olga Chaiko on Sun, 2007-04-22 21:33.
Hi Wendy,

I can just see Phoenix getting all excited at the USDAA trial. USDAA is a very high energy venue and with all the different games and competitive classes like GP and STP, dogs (and handlers) get really high and that could lead to some spectacular performances... or some boo-boo's and my-dog-never-did-this-before things, ;-)..

I am curious how it went this weekend for you and Phoenix..

P.S.: I didn't go to HauteTracs. Alicia and Eric were representing our school there. Alicia had some really fantastic runs. Go Pickle the Pirate!

Olga.