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<\/a>Checking out a tree on the way to Orlando!<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>We rented an agility field on Thursday for practice.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Arrival at the Orange Country Convention Center!<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Sue and I all set up in our shared crating space early Friday morning.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Catching some rays out front of the West building at the OCCC<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Nina’s slide at the banquet for 2015 Top Agility Vallhund, so proud of her! Picture courtesy of Wendi Pencille<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Here it her certificate!<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>The Royal Canin fairies came in the night bearing gifts!<\/p><\/div>\n
Zhora and Nina both qualified in Time 2 Beat<\/a> on the Friday (Nina coming in 9th, Zhora 19th<\/a>), and Zhora went on to run clean through three rounds, holding on to 19th place out of 139 dogs<\/a> before I made a stupid mistake in an otherwise perfect Round 4, which I elected not to go back and fix, thus earning us a zero (we needed to go clean to win the breed medallion or be in contention for the finals). Since 11 8″ dogs go to the finals, we were genuinely in contention for the finals, and it was just amazing to have people come up and comment on how well she was running and ask if we’d made the finals after round 4.<\/p>\n One of the talking points read over the loudspeaker for another dog really touched me, the handler said that every time she and her dog ran they won, they either qualified, or they learned something. I am trying to take that to heart going forward.<\/p>\n “Official” videos to follow, Zhora’s Round 1 didn’t get taped on my camera.<\/p>\n