Diggin' West Challenge
September 27, 2009
Madera, CA
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My primary reason to go to this show was to attend the Course A Lure part of the show. It is a combination of lure coursing and agility. I was really looking forward to that.
When I got to the show I found out that the Course A Lure group cancelled. Luckily the club was able to get a person to do lure coursing.
They also let me put Dot into the straight races, but she didn't have any competition in her size, so she ran by herself. Dot didn't care. She still ran super fast the whole way.
Temperatures were very high, definitely into the 90's.
Terrier Races:
Day #1:
She ran in the Outlaw class, which is for the ones over 15 inches. She was the only dog running in her class. In the past she has had a problem going through the hole at the end. She tends to jump the fencing along the end. Well, on her races on Saturday, first she hit the metal pole to the right of the hole and bounced back, then jumped the fence and ran toward the water pool. The second run, she just jumped the fencing and ran to the water pool, never finishing the course.
Day #2:
She ran much better this day and rocketed through the hole at the end without any hesitation. I was trying to visualize with her about going through the hole. I guess it worked.
She actually got two blue ribbons for completing her runs and coming in first place.
Lure Coursing
Day #1:
I ran both of them through the lure coursing, which was in a covered arena. It was small and tight and in dirt. I was kind of nervous about running them there because there were poles and trees on the course, but they seemed to figure a way around them.
It was nice to get both dogs out and running around since Dino had been in the crate in the car until that.
Day #2:
On day two, the lure coursing was outside on grass, which was much better. It was still hot, so they couldn't run too much, but they still managed to loop the course a few times each run before petering out. Well, at least Dino did. Dot never peters. She just gets hot, which she did.
Barn Hunt:
I had never seen this sport before. I happen to see it while walking to lure coursing. It was set inside a real barn on the fairgrounds and they set aside two barn stalls. They set up tree limbs and other brush and obstacles and then hide a real rat inside a cage into some of the brush. They also hide two fake rats with just smell. They want you to indicate when the dog has found the rat and stop the clock. You have to tell them when the dog has found it.
Day #1:
Since the barn hunt was directly next to lure coursing, Dot had a hard time focusing, but after about a minute, she ran into the stall and found the rat very shortly. I was hooked.
Day #2:
I tried this again, but Dot had a hard time finding the rat because the hid it in some brush up on top of a big stack of hay, instead of down under the brush like yesterday. I was able to show her where it was so she could get rewarded. Darn, I will try in Nov for the SCJRTC if they have it.
Photos:
http://www.photostockplus.com/home.php?tmpl=52&user_id=44703&event=335179
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