Tika's Weekend

Well, Tika's doing very nicely, and we're SOOOOO close to getting Qs...

Saturday

• Standard. Beautiful. Except that, when approaching the table, she stopped and turned back towards me. Don't know why. Our only fault. Who'd'a ever thought it would be that, rather than our usual bars or up-contact on the dogwalk?
• Gamblers. Not beautiful. Bobbled almost everything in the opening and so were in the wrong place for the closing but the main issue was that I couldn't get her to "out" during the gamble. I thought she had a good "out"! When I want a *little* out and say "out" during a run, she swerves way out there!
• Pairs Relay. Tika knocked a bar but, since this class is time plus faults (if the combination is less than the standard course time), and our partner was good and Tika was fast, we Qed anyway.
• Snooker. A good fast strong beginning and then, on a tight wrap, I moved too soon and she backjumped.
• Steeplechase Round 1. A lovely, unhurried, faultless run and we took 4th out of 33 dogs for a Q.

  
      1st, Aiko   24.41 (Last year's national champion)
  
      2nd, Hobbes 28.17 (A perennial national finalist)
  
      3rd, Cappuccino 29.01 (One of our former Wed-morning classmates)
  
      4th,  Tika   29.17
  
      ...
  
      7th, Boomer (a current Wed-morning classmate)

Sunday

• Snooker. A good fast strong beginning and then knocked a red and I couldn't get her to turn and come back.
• Jumpers: She didn't wait for release so took her off.
• Steeplechase round 2, A-frame and 2 weaves. A very fast smooth run until 4th from last jump, when she knocked the bar and spun in towards me instead of taking the next jump. Even with the spin, she was the 2nd fastest 26" dog but the knocked bar dropped her to 8th. (1st: Aiko, 28.27; 2nd: Hobbes, 33.27; Tika at 32.79 with the spin. (I think our classmates Cap finished 4th and Boomer 6th?)
• Gamblers: 1 point off the highest opening score. But couldn't get her to turn away from me off a teeter in the gamble.
• Standard: Oh it went all to heck here--knocked bars and off-courses galore. But she had a nice start-line sit, good contacts, good weaves.

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