agility weekend

we started Saturday + Sunday at the MadCo USDAA trial in Ruckersville, VA
It's been wonderful! good weather (not really too hot, but no rain either), nice people, relaxed atmosphere + a few fun runs.

On Saturday it was more kind of practice for us, as Kenzo jumped off the dogwalk AGAIN... this time he definitely came up straight, but didn't even made it up to the top part. don't know what bit him... he usually likes the wooden obstacles, but at trials it seams to be different. then we had some issues with the more narrow weaves + I should have blocked the last tunnel end which was lined up straight to the open ring exit. some things I'm going to think about next time ;-)
in the jumpers course he did better, but we still had a few communication problems. it was fun anyway :)

On Sunday he was less playful + more focused, finally ran the dogwalk (just missed the contact, but still a huge improvement to jumping off somewhere), had a beautiful teeter (big surprise for me), therefore arquard weaves, but I only had to start them once. all in all, very nice!
the jumpers was the last competition this day. maybe he was a bit exhausted from all the impressions over the 2 days + the warm sunny weather, but that helped to maintain his speed I guess. we had a beautiful run, with good crosses + got our first Q !!!! (the victory was just the whip(pet)cream on top)
"did I do good mommy?" - "you did excellent!" "you really can be proud of your achievement!" we came all the way from Austria/Latvia to get our first Q - WOO HOO!

and still, I expect nothing at all! this very first USDAA trial showed us quite some differences to the AKC one and it was OUTSIDE, with the smell of horsers + sheep around + even some deer (Sunday mid-morning on the neighbour's ground, but I think they were hidden by some bushes for Kenzo).
for now it's still more about exposure to different sights, all the stress (even if it is more relaxed), strange obstacles and learning how to tell him where to go/what to do.

Thanks to judge Jelinda Pepper from Texas, Martin, who came with me so early on Saturday morning and Jo Ellen, who I had fun chatting with on Sunday.
that's her Point: