Nationals

Last week we went to UKI Nationals.  The weather was great, mostly, warm and sunny!! My kind of weather.  I only had entered Java.  At this point Im still wondering if Java is hurt.

We did have a warm up run this year, that we didnt have last year. So that was nice. It was just a jumpers run. She broke her startline, so that was good and bad. I think she was shocked when I put her back on the startline.  Then I got lost on course.  But thats ok, it was just warm up.
At nationals you walk all 4 courses in the morning and then spend the day running them. It can be hard to remember what your plan was but the time you get there.  Our group ran Biathlon jumping first.

So many weave pole problems this weekend. She never has this many problems. (another worry).
Next was Power and Speed.

I really felt like we would get through this one.  I almost pushed  her off from the teeter but she made it on.  But right at the end, she took  the wrong tunnel entrance. She was going for the correct one and then decided to change course. ???



Now we had 2 rotations off, so I worked both those rotations.  Next up was Masters Heat jumping.

again, we had weave pole problems.  Ugh!!
So I was really tried by this time. I think our last ring didnt start until after 5pm and we had been going since 7am.   I wasnt planning on running this. I went and walked my dogs and did a couple of other things. Then decided to walk by the  ring I was suppose to be in and see how it was going. Well my turned hadnt come up yet, and Java seemed like she wanted to run. So we ran.

Some how we got through it without "Eing", for the first time all day.





Next day was Friday:
 First up for our group was snooker. OMG, I hate snooker. Its not my thing. And for it to be first, didnt  help.

This snooker was harder than last year. We went off course after doing 6b and then 6a in our opening. I wanted her to take the red jump and she went out and took the #4 jump. Ugh. So disappointing.
Next up was Speedstakes. I really wanted this Q so we could go on to the finals in the big ring.

The hardest part on this course was 11-13, at least that is what I thought.  Java missed 4 and 5. I was shocked. She just ran around the jumps. Thats so unlike her. (If you see anything in my handling that caused this, let me know. )



So there go my first 2 runs and the ones I wanted the most.  Then my rotation was off for 2 rounds. This time I only worked one rotation and took the next rotation off. I needed the break and my dogs needed to  have to free time.
  Then next up was round 2 of National agility ( which I made it into).

Going down the line, to the wall jump , I said "right, right, right' and she went right but before the wall. Ugh.  Man, we just couldnt get it together.

The thing I was most worried about was the 14-17 and it didnt seem to be a problem at all.

Saturday I only had 2 runs to do.   The standard run seemed harder then the jumpers run.
I ran standard first. I was so worried about the begining and changed my mind about how I was going to run it multiple times.

And once again, the weave poles got us and I even pushed past the end of the poles, which would leave me behind , trying to hand that next line.  So we "E"ed.



So I got farther through the course than I figured but  the weave poles sure were a downer.

Next up was the jumpers course. Once again, I went back and forth on how to handle the opening.  So many different ways to do the opening and so many  dogs going off course right in the beginning.

She held her startline, which I was shocked. (again worry some).  We got through the opening and now to try to get the backside of that jump after the tunnel. I felt like my best chance was to bring her around the closest wing  but I still didnt make it.  And the weave poles were horrible.




So I was done by 1pm on Saturday. We could still do the Challengers round on Sunday but I was done and ready to go home.  But the wind was crazy, 30mph and huge gust.  Everytime I would think it was getting better, it would start up again. I just felt it was to dangerous to drive the RV. So I waited until the next morning and left a little before 7am.  For some reason I just wanted to get home.

So you may wonder why I would post my runs, since they arent great.  But really I did better than last year. Well, except for in Speedstakes and Snooker. I made the finals in both those last year. Not this year. But I didnt feel like any of the courses were over my head. The last 2 years I remember thinking, "What am I doing here?"  , but I didnt feel that way at all, this time. Also I had Java checked while I was there because she had start line stays except for the first run and she stopped on the teeter and waited to be released (unheard of with her) . She just seemed off to me.  Going by jumps and so many weave pole problems. But they couldnt find anything wrong.   We have one more trial to do and then Ive  pulled all my entries and Im giving her a break.   (So for all the spelling errors, Im to tired to check for them).