Last week it was another trip, another big event for the two red girls and I. This time it was down to Perry, Georgia for the USDAA South East Regional. I love this venue, air conditioned dirty footing, just great.

Encore got her first entire weekend at a 22″ jump height in a very long time. She loved it and excelled. Winning 4 classes, coming second in 2 others and having only 1 bar down in eight classes. There was only bobble for Encore and I as a team and that was in round one of Steepelchase, other than that she was just awesome.

Feature on the other hand, reminded me she is a very young dog and to go from a World Championship to an Ontario Regional to a USDAA Regional doesn’t work well without work in between. She handled amazing, tight turns, driving lines, following my cues all the away. However she had an uncharacteristic bar in every class. She also ran off a couple of dogwalks, one she went back on earning a elimination. She ran a bit like a sports car with new Pirelli tires:). She also didn’t adjust as well to the higher height A Frame having just spent last weekend at the lower AAC 5′ 6″ A Frame and not seeing a 5′ 9″ A Frame in between events:). To me, she lacked rhythm on her frame all weekend, but wow, she ran great other than that. Loads of fun for both of us (okay maybe a bit too much for her:)).

At the end of the event last night I jumped on a plane and flew 6 hours to the west coast. Now Feature and I are Seattle, Washington. Encore went home with Lynda. As much as it breaks my heart to break to go somewhere without Miss E, Encore needs some time off. Although she looks amazing, her times are just a tad off what she normally runs. Could be she is still not 100%, but I think it is just having those 5 months off with no activity and then bang, bang, bang “big” agility events. Either way, I know this is what is best for my dog, another two weeks on the road “working” while I teach (as the dog’s do not rest) will not do anything for her. She will take it easy at home with John for the next two weeks, doing nothing but swimming every other day. She will love it. And Feature will love the special time with da mama.

It will give me a chance to put some work into my young dog before and after my teaching (I teach 9 of the next 10 days). My plan with her is to work both skills stuff and handling exercises (provided I have the energy to train while teaching — good nutrition should do it for me:). Here are a few videos from the weekend. I will post more later in the week.

Today I am grateful for the life of iconic basketball coach John Wooden. He was an amazing man, who had a major influence on my life, John passed away on the weekend 4 months shy of his 100th birthday.