I always feel my blogs need to entertain, to motivate or at least interest the follower or reader. In actual case, I think blogging can be anything, random thoughts, deep emotion or just a diary of your day. Maybe my reappearance today will be the start of blogging again, maybe it will just be a single, random post. Guess time will tell!
In any case, this post has grown from me sitting on the sofa with a certain little merle, thinking about what the future holds. It's been a pretty rubbish agility year. Rain has seen off nearly ever single show that I had entered, I know plently of people are willing to run their dogs in rain and mud, I absolutely respect their choices but personally, I don't think it is worth it for my dogs. That means that the last KC show I ran my dogs at was Vyne... yes MAY bank holiday, absolutely crazy! At Vyne my dogs were fabulous, Hoaxey qualified for the Olympia semis and Detour started the season consistent and happy with some top three places. We were on for a good year. I guess life sometimes throws you a curveball and all you can do is try to not break yourself trying to catch it and embrace the bench if you end up out! My first few KC shows ended up too wet to run my dogs. Vyne washed out after the first few hours of drizzle and I took my lot home before they could slip. Next was Thames- wash out, Tuffley, as before and Rugby didn't even go ahead! However I had to deal with my own dog issues in the meantime.
Without boring you with technicalities and science stuff, Hoaxey has been struggling on and off since pre Olympia 2011 with lameness. I eventually ended up this year with a referal to http://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk/ and an MRI scan which showed some issues with the tissue around one of her discs (spine). I decided to go ahead with an epidural followed by a long period of rest and rehab. This meant pulling her out of all shows and the Olympia Semi Finals. This put us 'out; for the whole of this season, however for the princess- I am willing to do whatever it takes.
Next year I have high hopes for my dogs, Hoaxey should be back competing and I have a whole new view on competing with her. No longer am I hugely bothered about semis, champs and qualifiers. I will just be happy to have my little fluffy grey one back. Detour is starting his competitive career way later than he should be, but I am excited and motivated to get him running, I really feel a bond with him and can't wait to see how that translates at KC shows.
Of course, we can't forget golden balls (Yes Boo)! He is, as always, fabulous! Still working well: as a full height agility dog and still winning at UKA, he is also a brilliant schoolmaster for some of my clients to work and just all round, one of the nicest, sweetest dogs I have ever met. Boo- you are my golden boy :)
Not only has it been a bizarre year for agility but our little boy has started 'proper' school and due to, two of my very good friends encouragement (Neill & Jules) I am reguarly back in the saddle- after over 20 years! Maybe my next post will be about that! For now- I think I have bored you enough. Good night and happy reading!
3 comments:
lovely to hear from you Gemma and yes about time too!!! See you tomorrow x
Welcome back lol (I'm not very good at blogging these days), hope Hoaxey will be ok. I judged at Thames - no rain on me (can't remember what the other day was like lol) x
Ah ha wondered where you were. Good to hear all better for Hoax - you know I know how all that feels because of Pop. Yes this year has been a washout agility wise for me too having qualified with Nellie for the EO team back in April, battled with assorted physical problems related to stress at work (handed in notice) hours of physio and like you rained off shows, only then to have her cut a pad so badly we miss two whole months of the season including the EOs and then have only three shows left to try to rebuild our partnership before the last one is cancelled. Roll on next year!! hx
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