Saturday's JWW was a really tough course for Enzo. Fast lines with lots of off course opportunities. Basically had to make sure to use a lot of deceleration cues so couldn't let him run all out. It was quite scary to run him on that course and he was turning wide and looking at everything. We made it through clean though! yay! I think he ended up around 25th place. Then I ran Tooney and she did really well but unfortunate I used too much deceleration for her in one part where there was an off course tunnel option and she knocked a bar. Basically I handled her like Enzo. Ergh.
Standard was another kind of icky course. It had a horrible dogwalk exit for running dogwalks. Basically there were 3 jumps next to each other and they had to take the middle jump and not the one straight ahead. For Enzo I decided to do a front cross at the end of the dogwalk and then a rear cross on the next jump. I figured that was the only way to make sure that he didn't take that off course jump. If I pulled him, I figured it would be 50/50 whether that would work or not. He broke his startline so I was a little late on the front cross and he almost flipped into the tunnel next to the dogwalk but other than that we got through that part. Then he was flying towards the teeter so I yelled wait at him as he neared the end and he did! Good boy! I rear crossed the next jump and he didn't read a tight enough turn to the chute and I lost him to an off course jump. I really wish I had that course back again... If I had said something to him sooner I could have easily saved that.
Then Tooney ran the standard course and ran clean. I easily pulled her off the dogwalk and she was with me through the whole course. She ended up around 20th I think.
So Hybrid with Enzo was my last chance to maybe make Challengers round. The course was really a good course for him. One where he could keep a lot of speed. He had an awesome opening and then probably lost around 1 second when he shot off in the wrong direction. He still had a pretty good time so I had to wait and see if it was good enough to make the Challengers round.
Tooney had a really solid Hybrid Round. I didn't have any expectations for Tooney this nationals. I was just really happy that she could run again and didn't want to push her too hard or anything. I was really happy to see that she actually would have made finals if not for that darn bar! We took her shopping after her run which she really loves.
So Enzo ended up 13th in Hybrid so not high enough to make it to challengers. But still a pretty good placement especially considered the lost time. Too bad since that Challenges course looked like it would have been fun to run with him. Finally a dogwalk exit that didn't want to make my head explode. Ha!
Good thing is that Enzo's running contacts really help up well this weekend. They seem to actually be becoming solid! amazing! Over the next year I'll be able to learn more about how to handle his contacts and what works and what doesn't and we should be more prepared for the next Nationals. Maybe if I hadn't been obsessing over the dogwalk in Standard I would have noticed that off course option.
Well one more week and we'll be home with Slayte! Skyhoundz Southeast Regional this weekend. Just for fun since we aren't from the southeast.
3 years ago
2 comments:
Can't wait to see ya'll this weekend! Found out tonight that they aren't holding the time trials at regionals anymore so Jack entered Spice in FS to give her something to do on Saturday - just low baby dog stuff but it'll be fun. You'll get to meet Jam and Groovy too (if she'll come out of her crate - ha ha!)!
See ya'll Saturday! Or maybe tomorrow night at the hotel? You guys staying at the LQ?
Very fun! Can't wait to see you and meet Spice, Jam and Groovy. We aren't driving there until Sat morning and then we're camping with our trailer on site. Jeff's parents are staying at LQ though.
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