Central Regional...my trialing dawgs :)

After not getting byes on Klink and Lynn, we decided to head to the Regional in Blue Springs, Missouri. I had entered it "in case" and I am very VERY glad I did :)

So...Klink, Lynn and Gator (and of course the husband and Crackers) headed out Friday! We didn't enter team, just GP and Steeplechase to limit time away.

Such a pretty group of kids right?? Yes?? :) I think so.  For me running 3 dogs is a LOT...and getting 8 total byes is even MORE tough...

But the kids are good pups...Crackers won both Steeplechase and Grand Prix Finals. Good boy. I wish there were more small dogs, however...after seeing the 12" and 16" combined for semi finals byes...and some dogs that ran great not getting them...I can understand the frustration :-( It's tough on the 12" dogs...wish USDAA would think about that a bit more. Lucky for us, Crackers is fast enough to compete with the 16" dogs...but many are not :-/

Typical Crackers startline...little devil :)

Sadly...no video :-( Our camera is apparently possessed by the devil. A lazy devil at that...it's spitting pea soup and refusing to tape...frukkin' camera. So...if you watched the live stream...you saw Team Crackheads runs :) If no...imagine them in your head. Blame the devil camera.

Crackers ended up with 4 semi-byes...over achiever. Little terriers...they are always such smarty-pants dogs :)

It was fun watching Team Crackhead really pushing though ;) They are a very well meshed team! Great job kids!

Klinker :) She was very naughty the previous weekend--based on the fact that she had NO TRAINING for 4 weeks before due to a sore wrist...we had a few practice sessions to get back on the same wavelength after the NC Regional, and it really made a HUGE difference :) I felt connected to her again. She was handling well. In Round 1 of Steeplechase she knocked one bar and I did verbally mark it, she understood and that was the only bar of the weekend :) She still got into the Finals...She needs that marker...Lynn or Gator no, not even Crackers, but Klink, she thinks if one bar comes down, then the rest can too! Sooo...that mark helped :) Grand Prix Round 1 had a bit of a bobble (rusty Klinker!) but still ended up 5th. So she moved into both Finals. That was my goal...get Klink Bye'd up. Fingers were crossed :)

Finals came and I didn't push her...just needed to run clean and get the byes if we could.

Steeplechase Finals---nice run, 6th place for the Semi-Bye!!!

Way to Go Stink!

Grand Prix Finals--6th as well and the other Bye we needed :) All done for Nationals!!!!! GOOD GIRL KLINK!!!

The best part...I felt we were a team, she ran great, she felt great, no soreness, and I had my teammate back. It is so nice stepping to the line together. Last weekend we were just on different wavelengths or something...this weekend. It all came together like it normally does :)

Gator--he got his Byes in both at the North Central Regional in Chicago the previous weekend. Running flawlessly...the dog didn't put one foot wrong. This weekend he was right there again. Just trucking away. Not one single wrong step. So he got to run for the fun of it :)

And boy did he :) Grand Prix Round 1 (he had a bye into the Finals) 3rd place. Finals--7th place. Good kid!

I feel like I am in the "close talker" episode of Seinfeld...space bubble INVASION!!!! Geesh!

But look at my boy driving down to his contact :) Yay Salad!

Steeplechase Round 1 he ended up in 4th place.  Round 2 I had a blast running and apparently so did he! 2nd place! Whatta boy!! Very pleased with him!!! VERY! I need to work on his tightness through a rear cross...that was a weakness that was brought out! Perfect!

Miss Lynn :) She had a bit of a silly time last weekend...but, she was a super start this weekend as far as I was concerned :)

Grand Prix Round 1, GORGEOUS STOP that I asked for....GORGEOUS RUN, and I messed her up. Seriously...(insert cuss word---ok many words here)...%T&%U%*$*$JJRI(F)D**%&#&#&$!!!! 

Good dog...shame on the handling...damn damn damn damn. YAY LYNN!

Steeplechase Round 1 was great, except we had to go back to fix the 1/2 of the broad jump she did :) We will be working on that! LOL Still got us into the Finals...she ran well, kept her brain engaged, I was a happy camper!

She ran very well in Steeplechase Finals! I was darn proud of her! No mistakes, I didn't try pushing her, just let her truck along :) And she ended up 7th with a Semi Finals Bye! YAY GIRLIE!

Maturity is coming :) Little by little. I am pushing her more at home and she is doing well with that. But at a trial, she is still blowing up, so we continue the forward goal :)

All in all a great weekend, 7 out of 8 Byes acquired...great runs by all the dogs :) Life is good...

I am really enjoying my 3 dogs...traveling and trialing.

Got my steady eddy back :)

And my "not so sure WHAT I am gonna have" to keep me on my toes...

And my diaper dog (ya know...covers your ass)...he is just an amazing athlete...blows me away. Seriously. A very talented boy. Gotta love me a boy dog :) He has so much heart...and I swear he can read my mind...even if it is screaming at him in some sort of ancient hieroglyphs...good lord he's smart. 

Who will Lynn turn out to be more like?? Not sure? She reminds me a lot of Klink...but yet...

Is as honest as the day is long like Gator :) We shall see? That's the beauty of dog training...we just really don't KNOW.

All I know is I am really enjoying these three kids...

Which one is the best?? 

Gator can tell you ;-)

Good pups, good friends, meeting goals, going home with things to work on...that's what this is all about...

But...it really comes back down to the dogs :) We all think our dogs are the most amazing...I am no different. Mine are super heros :)