The Columbia Cup is an award earned by the team that has the cleanest, fastest runs in the four Regular Classes and it is given to the small and large dogs in Elite, Open, and Novice. This trial is my favorite CAT trial; the beautiful display of trophies is a complete contrast to the pressure that puts on me.
Echo was entered in all 12 runs, Kant had 9 runs, and Hershey was only entered in the 4 Regular classes. The week before the trial was a short work week because of Labor Day and I was busy at home and work and did not prepare any of the normal paperwork that I do for trials so Saturday morning I was feeling a bit disorganized and took a quick look at the running order. Ring 1 started with Elite Regular, perfect, so what special skills class would start in Ring 2; to my surprise Ring 2 started with Open Regular. Not so perfect, I had 2 12” dogs in Open Regular and 1 12” dog in Elite Regular and not enough caffeine to start the day that way. The Elite class was so big and running tall to small that I got both runs in Open done by 9am and before Kant had her first run. Echo was running so nice and fast and with great distance that she took an off-course jump but the rest of the run was beautiful and the pressure of the Columbia Cup was gone. Hershey knocked a bar in round one so again took the pressure off but he also was running very nice. Kant wanting to also take the pressure off and knocked a bar. Echo wanted to make sure not to win the Columbia Cup and got only 1 Regular Q but she did finish her Novice Weavers Superior Title,
Open Jumpers, and Open Tunnelers. We did not have a very good Q rate but there were pieces of each run I loved and the runs that came together were great and her weave poles are the best!
Kant went on to Q in the next 3 Regulars and ended up qualifying in 7 of the 9 runs including both Jumpers.
Kant only needs 1 more Jumpers to complete her Triple, Triple Superior Award and is four Jumpers away from NATCH-2. We were running as a very nice team and she had some of her fastest yards per second, I am hoping this weekend was a prelude to Champs. Hershey also went on to qualify in the next 3 Regulars because he is in the Skilled class he ended up with Qs in all four Regulars and added 35 points to his lifetime points.
This was Hershey’s last regular trial; after NADAC Championships he is retired from agility. So he ended his last agility trial with a huge bang winning the Open Small Dog Columbia Cup!!
That was a wonderful surprise for my favorite 10 ½ year young Sable Sheltie!! Kant also got 3rd Place in the Elite Small Dogs, that dang bar. Another wonderful agility weekend spent with great judges that brought great courses, wonderful friends, and my incredible dogs. Time to start packing for NADAC Championships; we leave Sunday, September 19th.
Thank you Joe Camp for the agility pictures!
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