Me & power drills, not a good mix.

Our first show without Rog this weekend. He had to work all weekend on a big project so Fern, Luke Me and the dogs set off for Cornwall Friday morning. I hate it when Rog isn't with me. I am very independent, and no baby, but he is my other half and things don't feel right when he isn't there. Anyway, we had a lovely drive down, no traffic and Rex behaved himself beautifully. Arrived to find we had been saved our fave camping spot by Pat, Claire & Lols and set up for the weekend. Me being the softy that I am, said Fern could drive Rex for the first time and go to Tescos to buy goodies. Her face lit up and she was gone in a flash! Her & Luke doing the shopping so I decided to just make sure the caravan legs were down properly. Rog had made me a tool for attaching to a drill to make life easier so I went round and checked all the legs, a quick flick of the drill and they were fine, until the last one. I bent down to put drill on the leg bolt, pulled the trigger and BANG!!! The drill spun out of my hand and the butt of it hit me at full speed in the eye. I landed on my butt on the floor of the awning, Lily & Olli came over to see what had happened and I could see stars. My eye started to swell and an hour later I had a shiner Frank Bruno would've been proud of!!

I didn't sleep well Friday after that, and Saturday I admit I was slightly off colour, and Lily could sense it. We had 2 runs and although the agility was a pig of a course that most grade 7 handlers would struggle with, we did get eliminated and in her jumping she also took a trap jump because I forgot to pull her through so a bad day. Olli however had a stunning jumping round to finish the day and ended up 14th out of 175 dogs.

Sunday, and after all my so called friends taking the mick as my eye colour matched my shirt, I decided to get a grip, my eye wont fall out, and Lily and me went for it. Grade 4 jumping she was amazing and we finished 2nd with another trophy for the cabinet! Agility, I handled her dog walk wrong so she slowed down before the contact, but we still ended up 4th. Really happy with her consistency. Olli spaniel had 2 fab runs, just taking a pole in the jumping, and forgetting the all important contacts in agility!! Naughty boy but I was thrilled that for 3 weeks now he has totally looked for his weaves from every angle and not missed them once. Contact training all week then!!

Apart from that, Cove had a reunion with his brother and sisters and had a fun time while Pat & I took lots of photos!! Claire won Jumping with Wren again!! and nearly threw up as they did the Agility results as she came 2nd in that too. Lols had a brill clear with Flynn at his 1st KC show and was placed 11th!!!, and finally and deservedly Pat & Mr Dooley won Grade 1 Agility to make the weekend complete.

Whats a black eye when you have such fun and such wonderful dogs around you. I had a fantastic weekend and apart from missing Rog, I had Fern & Luke looking after me and a lot of good friends to take the p%*s, and more rosettes and trophies. Perfect!!

Grade 4 Spaniel now!!!

We had a fantastic weekend at Wallingford show Newbury this weekend. The sun shone non stop, not a cloud in the sky and we had a lovely relaxing weekend, even if we are slightly sunburnt!

Lily was a bit off colour on Saturday. Nothing bad but I think with her thick winter coat and being so hot she was struggling a bit, and although she had 2 lovely runs, she didn't have a clear round which is almost unheard of. Olli however, went clear in his jumping and placed 6th, and then amazed us all with a blinding clear round in Agility to get 3rd place and his 2nd KC trophy in 2 shows!! I wasn't sure about progressing on points but he is becoming so consistent and tries so hard I think he should move up a grade. It could take a year or more for him to finally beat all the collies, if ever in grade 3, but he is tight and accurate so as the courses get harder I think he will beat them on accuracy if not speed. So Olli boy is going into Grade 4, and he endorsed my decision with one of his best ever jumping rounds on Sunday. Only 13th out of 200 dogs, but he didn't put a foot wrong, and I was over the moon.

Lily had a fantastic 4th in Agility on Sunday, and if I hadn't made a ridiculous handling error before the last we almost definitely would've won it. Real stupid mistake, which Lily somehow got me out of to finish clear, but we lost at least a second. There was less than that between Lilys time and the winner. All down to experience I guess.

Dave was also very well behaved around the rings, not losing his rag at all, and Cove was a very excitable but controllable star too. All in all a great weekend, great company, great weather and the best dogs in the world!

1 mad weekend before agility takes over our lives!!

After 2 weeks of shows to start the season, both amazingly successful, we had 1 weekend without a show because Cove was neutered so we had a weekend home to keep him quiet. Keeping a young, fit lively 7 month old collie quiet is not the easiest thing in the world though, but he has been so good, not bothering with his wound at all and the perfect patient.

As we were home we decided to pop out and see our close mates for a beer on Friday, which led to me opening my big mouth and inviting them all to ours on Saturday for a meal. It was a brilliant evening. We laughed so much my sides hurt, and ate and drunk probably a bit too much but it was so good to be surrounded by old friends and relaxing.

Sunday we had a gentle day (few sore heads) and washed the caravan, finished the new flooring, cut the grass and then did some training with the dogs in the field.

It was a lovely day, and we finished it by having my boss, (also our closest friends) in for an evening Sunday roast and a good giggle with a bottle or 2 of wine. John (my boss) bred Olli and has never seen any of his agility skills so we showed him a quick video of his last weekends runs and he was so impressed!! Funny how you can work with someone for 10 yrs, live next door to them but hardly ever get together socially! Silly really as we were good friends long before I worked for them, but time flies by and we all have different interests which take us down different routes. It was a great weekend though, and makes you realise just how important good friends are.

Off this weekend to a pretty big competition at Newbury so lets hope the dogs and me can get it right and keep up our great start to the season. I am sure of one thing, and that is that Rog, Fern, Luke me and my dogs will have a fun time whatever happens.

Grade 5 dog in 1 show!! and my special Spaniel!

Wow!! What a weekend at our first KC show of the year Kernow K9.

It was bleak and very damp as we drove down Friday evening, and rained on and off all through the night. We awoke to a very soggy garden and mud everywhere but the show went on regardless. Olli had 2 runs first and went clear in both!! Great start to the weekend. Then Lily did her 2 runs and not only went clear in both but ended up 2nd in both. 2 trophies on our first day for Lily in grade 4 and much to my amazement a 3rd place trophy for Olli in G3 jumping!! His first ever KC trophy, and highest place and we were thrilled.

Saturday it rained all day and the rings became swamps. No excuses being made but neither dog managed a clear round Saturday. Lily slipped and took a pole in the jumping, and after managing 2 blinding contacts on seesaw and dogwalk, she slid and missed her A frame, so with mud up to our armpits we ate curry, drank a few beers and listened to the wind & rain batter the caravan all evening. The awning became so swamped we decided the dogs would be better off in the van sleeping in dry comfort for that night too. Such a godsend having Rex now. Would never have managed before.

Sunday we awoke to sunshine! Some rings had to be moved, and mud was still a problem but no more rain made the day a lot more bearable. I messed up by not trusting Lily in the agility and we had 5 faults, much to my annoyance at myself. I bucked up and we ran 2 jumping courses. I then ran Olli in jumping & agility and unbelievably both dogs had clears so I forgot my bad first run of the day with Lily. Even better, Olli was 4th in Agility and 8th in jumping, and Lily won both jumping classes!!!! I was gobsmacked! Rog & Fern were also and we drove home after an eventful Glastonbury like weekend with huge smiles on our faces.

Oh, and being the blonde I am, didn't realise until this morning that Lily has won into Grade 5 as she had her first G4 show at the end of last yr and won the jumping there, which I had completely forgotten, so 3 wins in 2 shows and she is a grade 5 dog! What a start we have had to our year. Champ in her first UKA show and now Grade 5 at her first KC. I am privileged to own 2 such amazing, wonderful dogs, and have such support from my family too. So as they say ......... BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!