Agility at Carson City Nevada

Jordana and I packed up the car with camping supplies, dog supplies, enough food and clothes for 5 days, and 4 dogs and headed to Carson City Nevada. We went Hwy 58 and stopped

at Salt Creek Falls

for photo ops; then on to

Crater Lake

for lots of photo ops.

It was a perfect day at Crater Lake the sky was blue and so was the lake.

We even saw some snow. After leaving Crater Lake Jordana found the drive and scenery to be a bit boring.

We stayed Thursday night in Susanville California at the River Inn Motel; I would recommend this motel if you are traveling with dogs, the people there were very accommodating, the room was nice, the shower was great, the A/C worked, and I would stay there again.

We had an easy uneventful drive to our final destination Fugi Park, Carson City, Nevada for the mdt/Agility Ability 9th Annual Pepper/Sampson Memorial Classic NADAC Agility Trail and Canine Cancer Fund Raiser. We arrived early afternoon and picked a great spot along the tree line to set up our crating area. After we were done with that we went across the street to the Comstock Country RV Resort to set up our tent. We could have tent camped at Fugi Park but I figured with the heat it might be nice to take a shower and Fugi Park did not have showers. The RV Park was right across the street so it took us no time to get back and forth. The RV Park was very nice with a pool, basketball court, lots of trees, and nice bathrooms but NO grass. Dogs were welcome but it was not very inviting for them. I would stay there again but only because Fugi Park is right across the street and is an off-leach dog park with lots of trees and grassy areas to play with your dogs, there is also a creek that runs along it that you can play in. We did not go to the creek because of the bugs and rattlesnake warnings. There were 3 wading pools set up for the dogs with a hose and nozzle at the trail so lots of places to cool our dogs down.

It was warm in the sun at the park but by the time the runs started Friday night the agility ring was in the shade. Kant and Echo ran in both classes of Hoopers Friday night; Jordana did not want to run PITA in Hoopers yet. Kant is really starting to like Hoopers and Qualified in both classes; one more Q to go to finish our Outstanding Open Hoopers. Echo grew up with hoops and understands them. We Qualified in Round 1 but I could not come up with a course I liked for Echo in Round 2 and it showed in our run and caused a little melt down and no Q.

Saturday morning we started with Chances; Kant could not get the out out jump but all the bars stayed up. Then we had Regular Rounds 1 and 2. Kant was perfect and we Qualified in both rounds. Echo was also perfect in both rounds of Novice Regular and Qualified in both rounds. The Q in Round 1 earned Echo her Novice Agility Certificate title. PITA was a bit worried in Round 1 of Novice Regular and ran around several of the jumps which frustrated Jordana and they ended up leaving the ring. After talking about the good and the bad we came up with a new game plan for Jordana and PITA which seemed to help in Round 2 because they got a 5 point Q and 4th place. Then it was on to 2 rounds of Touch’N’Go. Kant Qualified in both rounds, I did not enter Echo in TNG, and PITA was entered in one round. PITA did very good and had great contacts she also had an off-course so no Q for them. The last class of the day was Jumpers, thank goodness the ring was in the shade and a breeze had started because it had been a long day in the heat. Jumpers is Kant and I’s nemesis only finally finishing our Open Superior Jumpers in Moab in May and earning 1 Elite Jumpers in Corvallis at the end of May. Kant ran a perfect Jumpers course with a Qualifying run and a comment from Jeff Lyons, the judge from Newport a couple of weeks ago, that my dog wants to move to Nevada. Hmm I wonder what the job market is like in Nevada. Echo also had a beautiful Qualifying run in Novice Jumpers. PITA and Jordana had a lot of positives in their run but not quite enough to get a Q. Kant ended the day with 5 Qs out of 6, Echo was 3 Qs out of 3, and PITA was 1 Q out of 4.

There were lots of reasons to come to this trial besides supporting a wonderful cause. And one of those reasons was to see Cherie and Joker but it turned out to be a huge Northlight bonus. I found out Teri and Enzo, Echo’s brother, would also be there. It was wonderful meeting Teri and seeing Enzo again. Echo seemed to like Enzo better then he liked her; we wondered if they remembered each other and the way Enzo was acting I think he did remember Echo and did not really care to see her again. I got the pleasure of meeting another Northlight Family member, Mary Ellen and Streak. We had to take advantage of this and get some great group photos.

And of course I had to get a brother sister picture.

There was a BBQ offered after the trial Saturday night that Jordana and I went to. What a great club and a wonderful group of people and really good food! With no grass back at the campgrounds we fed the dogs and let them run around a bit at the park before heading back to the tent. Our tent is mesh fabric from about 5 feet up the side to the top and there is a rain cover that goes over the top and comes about ¾ of the way down the tent since the was NO chance of rain we did not put the top on the tent and slept under the stars both nights. It got cold enough to need a light blanket about half way through the night but EVERYONE slept great.

Sunday we started with Jumpers. I guess Kant is not ready to move to Nevada because she knocked a couple of bars in Elite Jumpers. Echo had another beautiful run in Novice Jumpers getting another Q and her Novice Jumpers title. PITA and Jordana were still having a hard time with the jumps. Then it was on to Chances where Kant did all the difficult distance work but knocked a bar. Elite Regular Round 1 was next and Kant ran a perfect course earning another Q and her 3rd Q in Regular for the weekend. It had been years since we got more than 2 Regular Qs in a weekend. Kant was on a roll and earned another Q with a beautiful run in Regular Round 2. We have never gotten all 4 Regulars in Elite and did it only once in Open in July 2006. Echo had a beautiful run in Round 1 getting her 3rd Regular Q for the weekend but we could not hold it together for Round 2 and had a bit of a puppy melt down. PITA and Jordana finally came together as a team and Qualified in both Novice Regular Rounds!! The next class was Weavers and Kant was the only one entered. She had a very good weavers run with another Q. With Tunnelers the last class of the trial we had asked if we could run our dogs first so we could get on the road. Since the course does not change everyone was happy to let us run all our dogs first. So I ran Echo with a smoking run with a couple of wide turns out of the tunnels and a little redirect back to a tunnel I thought she was committed to but still a great run. Jordana and PITA had a great run. And then I ran Kant, this was a Kant course just run as fast as you can and please listen to me a little bit. Kant had a beautiful run with tight turns out of tunnels and lots of speed. I happened to catch Kant’s time of 20.24 but did not know Echo’s time until we got home and the results were sent to us. I was shocked to see Echo’s time of 22.53, she was just 2 seconds slower than her big sister with the bobbles we had; I know people have said Echo is faster than Kant and I knew it too but to see it in print was very surprising!! Kant ended the day with 4 Qs out of 6 and the weekend 11 Qs out of 14!! Echo ended the day with 3 Qs out of 4 and the weekend 7 Qs out of 9 and two new titles!! PITA ended the day with 3 Qs out of 4 and the weekend 4Qs out of 8 and her first title!!

We had packed up the car during the Weavers classes so right after we ran Tunnelers we said Good Bye to Lin and Cherie and a wonderful trial and were on the road back home. Jordana had to be at work Monday evening so we had to get part of the way home Sunday night. I had hoped to get to Weed but figured that was too far to push it that night. We got to Susanville and thought for a second about staying there but it was still early and I would love to get another hour in. Little did I know that there is NOTHING between Susanville and Weed except deer, campgrounds, deer, and more deer. We made it to Weed, slept great, and got up the next morning for the last trek home after a little stop in Medford Oregon at the greatest scrapbooking store.

What a great weekend!! We are already looking forward to this trial next year!! Actually coming home to 107 degree weather made me want to turn the car around and head back to Nevada or even the coast anywhere but home. Did I mention we do not have A/C at home!?!