I'm back!!

2 years older but still going strong!

I can't believe that it has been more than 2 years since I have last posted! So many things have happened since I nearly killed myself on the tire jump :)

With both my border collie housemates competing in agility my mom and I (well really my mom) decided that I would go into semi-retirement. To be honest, I really am too good for the boring weekend shows and just prefer the 'big' trials like Regional and National Championships. As you can see by my picture, not only do I like those 'big' trials, I am also successful at them!

I have had some great successes in the past 2 years, I completed my Bronze Award Titles in both Jumpers and Snooker with the AAC. I completed my Intermediate Agility Title and my Excellence Jumper Title with the CKC. I have qualified for the Canadian Nationals for the past 3 years.

One of the most exciting things was that I made the podium at this years AAC Canadian Nationals coming in 9th overall! My mom was absolutely thrilled, she says that it is pretty awesome for a 9 year old Wire Fox in such a competitive division (there were lots of previous World Team dogs in my division!) I even came in 2nd place in the Jumpers 1 class - very impressive if I do say so myself :)

Here is a video that mom made of me, hope you enjoy it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gNQnikTlK8

Not only have I been busy with agility trials, I have now also earned my first Dock Dogs title! My furthest jump is 6'3" to date but I keep getting better. The season is over for this year but we are looking forward to next year :)

Busy little terrier (and bloopers)...

So I have been one VERY busy terrier these days which has kept me from the computer and my blog. I have spent the winter training and working on my new jump height. The Ontario Regional Championships are in 2 weeks from now and I am hoping to do well and qualify for my 4th Nationals. I will keep you updated.

Ok...so you might ask what the "bloopers" was about. Well let me tell you! Last weekend we were at an AAC agility trial for the weekend. Mom had me signed up for Masters Gamble to get me ready for Regionals. The weather was so gross and the footing was mucky and slippery (can you imagine little me having to run through that?!) Anyway, Mom asked me to do a mini gamble which was the tire jump to a tunnel. I guess thru the rain I didn't realize that I could run over the orange tape of the gamble line and took off a bit too early :( Dad was taking pics and actually got my blooper! Both Mom and Dad laughed when they saw it on Sat night when we got home but Mom says that's only because I am all right...

Here I am taking off a bit too early (ok maybe a lot too early) because of the gamble tape.

Totally misjudging and not making the distance.

And then me swinging on the tire by my neck!!!! The next frame which Dad failed to get was of me going right onto my back. Good thing the ground was soft to cushon my fall :( I was however fine (this happened in miliseconds) and actually came back and jumped it proper!

Well here's hoping that there is no rain for Regionals and that I don't make this mistake again!

I will let you know how I do in Ottawa...till then.
Abbey

Happy Howl-a-days!!

My doggie siblings and I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Howl-a-days! We were lucky enough to get to see Santa a few weeks ago (I got to tell him what I wanted for Christmas...hope he understood dog-talk)

Abbey, Owen, Baxter and Ripley

Have a safe and happy Holiday Season! See you all in the new year. Licks, Abbey!

2008 ends with a great run!

Friday morning Mom packed Baxter and I up in the car and we headed to Acton Agility's AAC trial. This was our last trial of the season (and probably the last time I jump 10" too!) I had a rough start in the morning, Mom pissed me off in the Masters Gamble and I just refused to do the contacts. You should have seen me jump from above the yellow! :) Ok, I know that isn't good but I have to keep her in her place.

We then went on to do 2 Masters Standard courses. The first one I was still in a mood (I am a wire fox terrier you know...) and I jumped off the contact of the frame and missed my weave entry. Mom made me go back and do the contact again, I hate that!

Our next run was going quite well. Mom was being really nice to me and wasn't screwing up on the handling so I was running nice and fast. We had done almost the whole course when Mom said frame and I just wasn't listening and went into the tunnel instead :( Mom said she was sad because it was a beautiful run up to that point and we only had 3 more obstacles to go. Oh well, I tried! :)

Here is a video of that run:


The final run of the day was Masters Jumpers. Mom was in a rush to get out of there because a snowstorm was happening outside so we both ran fast and didn't make any mistakes. I came out with my 5th Q, half way to Bronze :)

Here is my Masters Jumper Q run:

Rules are made to be broken (or changed as it worked out)

The Agility Association of Canada (AAC) put through a bunch of changes to be implemented in Jan 2009. The most exciting change for me is that I can move from Specials where I jump 10" back to Regulars where I will be able to jump 16" We had no idea that this was going to happen but after training these past months at the 16" height and doing so well, I am VERY excited about it. Look out Regulars, here I come. There are also a few new titles and I am kind of close to a couple, so look out...I might have a few new letters behind my name soon.

Exciting news, I am heading to the final agility trial of the year next weekend! I get to do 2 standard runs and 1 jumpers run. I will let you know how that goes :)

Spot On Fun Match

So we ended up going to Spot On's fun match today to work on my 16" jumping. I was a good girl in the jumpers run going perfect. Mom thought about adding in the 12 weaves after my run so she went back after and we re-ran that part and I was a very good girl in the weaves. In the standard runs I was a very good girl, maintaining my start line, getting my contacts and weaves (I missed it once when my mom put her leg out and pushed me off the line...how rude!) My dad was nice enough to take some video of us so here are some better ones of me:

This is me doing the jumpers course:


This is me doing the standard courses:

Jumping machine :)

So I have been on the new 16" jump height training for less than a month now and I am rocking! My mom is so proud of me, she says I am jumping great. We have been training pretty hard recently and mom is now talking about even re-training my weaves using 2x2's. She says that if they can help B to get his entry every time that maybe I can learn too. I have done just one day so far and was a bit confused but mom says she's not giving up on it. I will let you know how it goes. Aunt Andrea was so nice enough to take some video of me last night for everyone to see. The lighting isn't great in the arena but at least you can see how good I jump :)







On Sunday mom is taking Baxter and I to McCann's for a fun match :) I can't wait to play at the higher height in a more charged up environment. I will see if someone can video tape me and then I will post it...(the lighting there is much better!)