Canadian National Agility Championships were a blast!

Well it has been a few months since I have last written but I really had nothing to report. After achieving my Agility Champion title, my mom and I took almost 2 months off from agility trials and just concentrated on skills getting ready for our trip to New Brunswick and the Canadian National Agility Championships.

My human parents decided that if we were going to head to the east coast of Canada that we would make a vacation out of the trip. This was the first time any of us have visited the area.

We left very early on Saturday morning, heading through Quebec which took a very long time!! I am not really sure that my mom remembered that I hate to drive as this was the most driving I have ever had to endure. By the time we entered New Brunswick, mom let me come to the front and sit on her lap! (that never happens!!) We stopped at the welcome centre to get some maps and stuff so we took a picture of the Welcome sign :)

Mom and I in New Brunswick :)

We just stopped for the night in Edmunston then the next morning headed south to Moncton, NB where we stayed for 4 nights. On the way to Moncton, we stopped in Hartland to see the longest covered bridge in the World. I really just wanted to jump in the water below but no swimming for me that day (supposedly it was too cold and rainy!?)

Longest covered bridge in the world - Hartland, NB

Ripley, Baxter, Mom & I at the bridge (see I wanted to jump into the water!)

The next day we headed out early again to go to PEI. In order to get onto the island you either have to cross the Confederation Bridge which is 12.9 km's of the most amazing bridge or else you have to take a ferry. We took the bridge and even I thought it was cool ;)

Confederation Bridge - 12.9 km's long

We spent a nice day in PEI doing lots of walking in Charlottetown before heading north to Cavendish and the home of the novel Anne of Green Gables. My parents did some shopping in a few little towns and then even went in to a restaurant that they raved about (without us I might add!!). They said that if anyone ever went to PEI, they must stop at the Prince Edward Island Preserve Co.'s restaurant as it was just amazing food. (http://www.preservecompany.com)

I noticed on the way back to Moncton that there were lots of signs with these huge looking dogs on them beside a car. My parents were hoping to see these huge animals but I know I speak for Baxter, Rip and I when I say that we are glad we didn't see one!

Look at the size of that dog!!

The next day we headed to our 4th province, Nova Scotia. I was truly getting sick of getting up early each morning and then spend the day in that terrible car! What were my parents thinking?!?! We spend the day in Halifax which was a very nice city. We walked along the pier and again I was denied swimming. My parents ate in a seafood restaurant on the pier but did we get invited?! Nooooo....

Mom and I in Nova Scotia

Wednesday morning we left our nice hotel room in Moncton to head to Sussex and the Nationals. We didn't drive directly there as we went to visit Hopewell Rocks and Fundy National Park. I was the lucky dog to get to go down to the sand and walk around the rocks. My parents thought I might have been able to go swimming but once we were down there they realized that it was too muddy and didn't let me go :( It was however very cool to see and if you ever get to NB, this is a place to visit. (www.thehopewellrocks.ca)

Hopewell Rocks, NB

The cutest wire fox terrier at Hopewell Rocks ;)

After leaving Hopewell my mom said they had to find us a place to swim (isn't she the best?!) While we were driving to visit a lighthouse they spotted a great little place to let us swim. Man was it ever great!! I got to try out my new life jacket that mom bought for this trip, don't I look special?

Swimming in the Bay of Fundy

CANADIAN NATIONAL AGILITY CHAMPIONSHIPS!

We arrived in Sussex, NB and settled into our little townhouse that we rented for the 5 nights with our friends Tiffany, Dave, Kyra, Rio and Piper.

Thursday morning Tiffany, mom, Rio, Piper and I headed to the Nationals site to do the warm up games. We waited for most of the day in line ups trying to get into the ring. We did 3 warm up rounds which I just wasn't in the mood for. What do you expect when I have been driving around Canada the past 5 days and then waiting in the blazing sun all day?! I think mom was worried but I wasn't.

Friday was a GREAT day! We started the morning off with Standard 1. I had a great run making no mistakes earning a 9th place ribbon! Next was Jumpers 1, again having a perfect round coming in 11th place (missing 10th by less than .07 seconds) Our final round of the day was Steeplechase 1. I had a smoking round coming away with my 3rd clean round of the day, 10th place, a Q, my Masters Steeplechase Dog of Canada (MSCDC) Title and the chance to go to the 2nd round!! (a first for me). We went home very happy with our day.

Wasting no time on the teeter in Standard 1

Saturday was not such a great day. Our first round of the day was Standard 2. I was running really nice when we came to the A-frame. I don't know what came into me but I decided to leap from the top of the frame rather than going into the yellow (woops). Mom said that because I had leaped, she couldn't be in the right spot to get me into the weaves so we came away with 15 faults for that round. Our next round was Gamble 1. Mom brought out my squeaky ball to work on my "out" work and I just couldn't help myself but it blew my mind!! I couldn't think of anything but my ball. When we went into the ring I was sure that I could find the ball. I didn't listen to mom at all, just ran around taking jumps to see if the ball would appear. Mom said the only good thing was that I took jumps and tunnels while I totally ignored her. When the final gamble bell went, I tried really hard for her getting the out to the tunnel but when it came to that final jump...I just couldn't do it :( Our final round was Steeplechase 2. Mom said that they only way we could get into the finals is if we run like crazy. I was running such an amazing run, having a beautiful running A-frame, 2 perfect weave entries and fast weaves and we were just in the final stages of the jumps when I just didn't feel good at all. I couldn't help myself and had to go :( We got eliminated...how awful :(( Mom said that she was proud of how I ran before that though and was glad it wasn't in a class that was important.

Weaving machine in Steeplechase 2

Sunday didn't fare much better for us. We started our day with Gamble 2. Mom didn't bring the ball out (she said she learnt her lesson on that one) and we ran an amazing opening. Unfortunately I didn't get the final gamble which kept us out of the placings. Our next round was Jumpers 2. The heat was getting to me and I decided to go under the tire jump (mom was NOT impressed) and then I had another refusal having 10 fault round.

Jumping the Hoop Jump in Gamble 2

Overall we ended up in 14th place overall. Mom said that she was still happy with my performance and that I was a good terrier. We spent 3 days heading home through the USA (making the best stop at Clean Run where we got a bunch of toys!!)

a VERY tired Wire Fox Terrier!!