I think I need a white jacket and a padded cell!

Saturday saw the first Champ show of the year for me. I was really looking forward to it. After all my moans about Jag and I not being "together" I have actually felt a change lately and lo and behold, feel like I can actually work him now! Add to that, touch wood and contacts aside, I haven't lost it with Twix... something good is happening!

Scunny is a flippin long way!! That's all I can say. I had asked Toni and Lee if I could go up with them as Toni has her van back on the road. It seemed to make sense to be able to split the huge cost of the journey! Not to mention I really didn't want to travel that far on my own.

Basically, by Friday evening I was really starting to think I was mad. By the time I got up on Saturday morning, and it was JUST morning, I knew I was mad. I had to get up at 0155 and leave at 0225 to be at Lee's for 0310!! what hell was I doing!!

Any way Andy Brown was the Champ judge and he set some lovely courses. We all said there was something strange about them yet they were challenging and not silly. I think it can only be that there was quite a lot of running past one thing to get to where you were meant to go.

Champ jumping was first and Jag did a lovely. I really thought we had had a pole early on but apparently not! However I was told that we hit the last but one pole and the pole actually came out of the cups but landed back in it. Jag came 4th in this round. Very pleased. Toni was also clear with Kite and Lee clear with both of his.

The agility round I am still kicking myself. I had to do a flick away on a jump. I think I gave the flick away arms before I had done the jump arm and Jag turned away form the jump. Apparently I wasn't given 5R, although I would have given myself 5!! Any way I managed to get Jag round the jump in the best grade 1 style I could muster. Only to carry on and get eliminated. I am kicking myself because I was obviously far to busy thinking about the mistake and not concentrating on the bit of the course I was working! GRRR!

So that was that. Champ class over. Toni and Lee, with both dogs, were in the final. Lee came 3rd with Shy. Bold was doing a great run only to find Lee not quite where he should be and Toni went for it with Kite and had to take a risk (Dave with Dobbie had put in a blinder) and sadly it didn't pay off. But you have to try these things in the final, you won't win otherwise.

As for the rest of the classes, Jag went clear in pairs but partner had a pole. We had a clear in the Crufts class but it wasn't pretty and I knew I had wasted loads of time so ended up training his last contact.

Twix was a good girl. She was e'd in her agility but... dog walk was slightly better. Heres hoping. She came 4th in 4/5 jumping which I was very pleased with and just had a pole in her pairs. I didn't do her other agility course as all I wanted to do by then was go home! I was tired, cold and wet. There was lots of wind and hail during the day. And any way I needed to get home for part 2 of my certifiable mad weekend!

I have to thank Toni for driving though cos it was a huge huge help to me staying awake today.

Well after getting home at 2200 on Saturday (that was some long day) I quickly ran around to get my stuff ready to..... go and judge at Downland!!!

This involved getting up at 0515. I had 1/2 large steeplechase. 345 small jumping, 345 medium jumping, 67 small jumping and 67 medium jumping. Courses below 345 numbers in white and 67 in red.




On the way I drove through sleet and not long after getting there it started to snow and snow..... and snow....... and snow!!! Now madness has been mentioned a lot in this post but now I am seriously concerned! I had had sod all sleep in the last 36 hours and now I was (ok inside) but judging while snow was falling heavily wearing two ski jackets and huge gloves.

However the courses ran well. My ring party were great and we finished nice and quickly, due I would guess to sensible people remaining at home.

So now I am home. Got in at around 1900. Am sitting her typing this whilst drinking cider brandy. Not something I usually do but hey I don't care. I am very tired and off to bed very soon.

I have a weird kind of half day at work tomorrow. Was meant to be a morning off but I have a meeting I can't miss so am going in at 1045 and coming home at 1430 so that will be nice. A lay in and then an early day.

So since 0000 hrs on Saturday to now, some 40 hours later, I have had 7 hours and 35mins sleep ish.


BED!!