Holiday Mode

The weather is better today, quite pleasant, and sunny even. Our team all assemble for the final qualifier of the year. There are six of us with eight dogs between us, making up two teams of four. There are 21 other teams and only one qualifying spot.

As there is no set order in which teams have to run, we opt to run early, to get it over with. First up it’s our ‘A’ team with Doggo and I running third. I have to say all four dogs and handlers put in excellent, near flawless rounds. Note the ‘near’. Our first dog, after a brilliant round, just went wide on the last jump, missed it and had to go back, so 5 faults. The other three, including us, were all clear but then the last dog finishes the course and then continues on, back over the first jump again. Ooops. Not allowed. That’s elimination or 100 faults. Oh dear. Barring a freak result we are out. So frustrating. I need Copper Ale and I need it now. Oh well, fingers crossed for our ‘B’ team.

To our amazement and delight, our ‘B’ team goes clear and into the lead. They were even smart enough to get the third handler to stand in front of the first jump to stop the fourth dog going round again, just in case.

So now we just have to wait to see if any other team can beat them, including two teams from one of our local rivals who’ve also trekked up north just for this qualifier. They usually get a team to Crufts most years and it’s a surprise they haven’t qualified at an earlier heat. No pressure on them then!

As it happens, neither of their teams beat us and no one else does either. Hurrah. So our club are back at Crufts and this means we have now qualified in all three height categories for 2010, which is quite an achievement. Unfortunately Doggo and I are not one of the four in the team. However we are in the squad and will go as one of the two reserves. They may shuffle the team around... but I’m not going to speculate on the politics involved in that.

After all that excitement, but not necessarily because of it, Doggo appears to be in holiday mode, not seeming to care how long he takes on his other courses. Although he is clear in all four of them but seems to find the freshly cut grass far more interesting that whatever is going on in the competition rings.

At the end of the day I head back to Saltburn where we stay for another night. This time the beach is more pleasant and both dogs get a dip in the sea, and we get back on the Copper Ale before taking a takeaway back to the cottage.