CPE Trial This Weekend

SUMMARY: Maybe my only CPE for this year.

There is SO much USDAA available now, and I am trying SO hard to cut back on weekends in agility, that there's not enough room for CPE, too. Which is too bad--means Tika will probably never get her C-ATE and Boost will never get her C-ATCH. If we keep up with just one CPE trial a year, I mean.

But this weekend, it's a Bay Team trial, and it's pretty close to my house; less than half an hour away. Yay! In the covered horse arena in San Martin where Remington and I attended our first-ever agility trial, and where he earned Q ribbons, thereby hooking me, despite the abysmal storm and mud on that first Saturday in January 1996. Fortunately I returned that Sunday and it was a lovely day.

...Our first-ever competition, on film, thanks to Bill Newcomb!  Note the mud-covered Aframe, and the handler's arm sticking stiffly out...

There's been no agility there since, and I've had no reason to go back. It'll be interesting to see whether it brings back memories that I haven't already brought back many times.

...14 and a half years ago! No wonder I felt more spry when I started. Note your basic cross-trainer shoes (no cleats), the handler's stiff arm pointing the way, and the dog-awful mud glistening along the fence--and covering the equipment and my jeans...  Oh, jeez, and our old original wood-frame tire! Wow! 

I'm looking forward to what I hope will be a relaxing weekend, despite probably being overworked at the score table--seems to happen at CPE trials, and despite temps that are supposed to be well into the 90s F (32+ C).

I'm particularly looking forward to Full House--my favorite CPE game, like a free-for-all gathering points. Is it no wonder that this is the only class in which Boost has advanced to Level C (the highest level)?

For the first time ever, Tika and Boost will be competing against each other, in the two Full House classes this weekend, because for the first time in CPE I've moved Tika down to 20" instead of letting her go at 24". And although Boost is eligible straight up for 16", I'll keep her at 20" as long as she has to jump 22" in USDAA.

My hope is to pick up a bunch of ribbons for both dogs, but particularly Hi C-Era Interstellar Propulsion herself, to salve my wounded pride at her usual iffy showing at USDAA trials. CPE is just excellent for bringing home ribbons, although some excellent competition awaits us this weekend; for example, Chaps (same dog who often beats us in USDAA unless we're teamed together) will be there. Don't remember the others, but in looking at the running order, I saw some definitely high-level competitors. So it won't be a cakewalk! But at least it won't be a mudwalk. I hope.

...You can really see how muddy parts of the ring were (and the jeans and the jacket--can you tell my dog put his paws on me?). Also note--the handler's stiff arm pointing the way. And the metal-frame lawn chairs in the background! Everyone had that kind back then! Now almost no one brings chairs like that; they're all the fabric collapsible camp-type chairs.  Ah, technology...