Off to a BAD Start
Bad AttitudeNADAC Weekend-May 24-26, 1997 in Dixon, CA
Sun May 25 1997
Today was the first day of a combined NADAC/ASCA event hosted by the Redwood Empire Australian Shepherd Club in Dixon, CA. This event lasts for the three days of Memorial Day Weekend with three runs a day rather than the usual four.
Today's star was Sharon Prassa, with her lovely girl Annie, whom many of you have seen in the BDL photo archives as well as in the February Bulletin and BOW calendar. Although only Sharon's second day ever at a NADAC trial, her first being Holy Saturday, she and Annie aced all three runs, with a first in Novice Titling, a qualifying run in Novice Gamblers, and a qualifying second leg in Novice Jumpers, earning Annie's Novice Jumpers Title. Sharon and Annie, we are proud of you! Good luck to you tomorrow and Monday!
Skye also had a wonderful day and was totally focused on Jack in every run!
After a disappointing Open Gambler's run in which he accumulated 42 early points, but did not understand Jack's directions in the Gamble, he went on to the Novice Regular Course, which he negotiated beautifully not missing a single contact. We were really feeling proud. Then, with victory and a title in sight, Jack directed him into the wrong end of the tunnel during the final stretch, which made for a few laughs later in the day. In spite of this, the day ended on a real high. Jack and Skye were awesome in the Elite Jumpers Course, in which he was one of the very few who qualified today, and with a placement at that. Skye is the first Beardie ever to earn an Elite Jumper's leg. Since we will not be returning tomorrow our sights are now fixed on the Madera NADAC trials next Weekend.
A big congratulations to Iris Berry and Spiff (Ch Chantilly Look Before You Leap, HCT, JHD, NA, AD, OAC, OJC, NGC, FDCH, CGC, TT). Spiff was the first Bearded Collie to earn a NADAC title and it looks like he is still taking legs in a fine style. Spiff traveled up from Fresno with Iris Berry and did an outstanding job today earning his first Elite Regular leg.
Some exciting posts from Sharon Prassa were tucked in among the many message on BDL. The first day of the weekend was Sharon's second NADAC day ever, though Annie does have her AKC Open title. Out of 8 attempted runs, Sharon qualified in 5, a triumph in itself and one that NADAC recognizes as a great achievement. As a result of this weekend, Sharon is halfway toward being invited to the Nationals. If memory serves correctly Jerry Bergen had a similar weekend earlier this month and Jack Buhite had one with Skye in January. To be invited to the Nationals one has to accumulate half the available points offered on a weekend twice during a "NADAC year" Each qualifying Jumpers and Gamblers run automatically counts as 10, since all Jumpers and Gamblers runs have to be clean runs to qualify. A Regular run counts as 10, if it is a clean run, and as 5 if it is a qualifying run with faults. (One is only allowed 5 fault points in NADAC.) On an eight run weekend one needs 40 points to qualify; on a nine run weekend, as this was, one needs 45 points.
Sharon does well in herding with Annie, too, having earned a High in Trial earlier this month. Perhaps, if Sharon and Annie hadn't been having a herding lesson on Monday, they could have earned yet a sixth leg this weekend! In her spare moments, Sharon edits the Northern California Bearded Collie Fanciers Newsletter-The Beardie Bounce.
Congratulations, Sharon!
Saturday, May 24th
Novice Jumpers Leg 2 NJC title
Novice B Regular Leg 1 1st Place
Novice Gamblers Leg 1
Sunday, May 25th
Open Jumpers Leg 1
Monday, May 26th
Novice B Regular Leg 2 3rd Place
In her own words:
Saturday, May 24th
<<Life is good. There is a 3-day NADAC Agility trial close to home this weekend, so on day #1 Annie and I went out. NADAC has three classes to title in...Titling (like normal AKC agility), gambling and jumpers. We have one jumpers leg.
But, for the last 6 months or so, Annie just has not been really enthused about agility. This is the Annie whose nickname is "The Flying Carpet." Anyway, for some reason (details later), last Monday night at lessons, she decided to work again. I wanted to cry I was so happy. All I could say is "Annie's Back!!"
Today, we qualified in all three classes...took a 1st place in Titling (novice), qualified in novice gambling!!!!!! (it's hard), and took a 6th place in Novice jumpers, 3 seconds under time.
The qualifying ribbons were nice, I can't deny that. But had we not qualified, it wouldn't have made an ounce of difference. Being able to watch my dog fly over the jumps, listen to me, and smile the entire time was worth everything I own (not Joe nor Amos, of course).
Yes, life is good.
P.S. When I first got Annie, she came to me as my pet. I had no previous experience with dogs, other than pets. I can remember myself saying "I will NOT have my dog stay in one of those CAGES!!!!!:" And for 6 years, she did not. Well, about 3 weeks ago, I began to crate Annie, in desperation, actually. Her herding had become deplorable (and, her agility, also, in hindsight). So, now she rides in the car in a crate and stays in the crate until we are ready to compete or have our lesson. It is safe, secure, and a million other positive things. And, now, when she comes out to compete, she is very focused. At home, she leads her normal "Queen of the House" life. But when we compete and go in the car, she is in a crate. Do I think that has made the difference?? No question.>>
Hi everybody. I thought I'd tell you about the MOST WONDERFUL JUMPERS course I've ever seen in my life. And we got to run it today. Picture this: A big X. At the top of the X will be 3 or 4 tunnels (depending on the level of competition) and a couple of jumps. The course starts at the left hand bottom of the X with 5 or 6 (I can't remember now) jumps, heading right into a 90-degree tunnel (at the top of the X). Through the tunnel, over a jump, call off into another tunnel, around over a jump, back into the tunnel, out and into another tunnel, then back down the X to the bottom right with 5 or 6 more jumps to the finish line. It was the most fun I've ever had in agility. All levels were that basic layout, the difference in difficulty being how many tunnels and jumps there were at the top of the X. When each dog at every single level shot out of the final tunnel and headed down through the jumps toward the finish line, the entire crowd would yell run! run! run! and cheer. It was really great.
Mon May 26 1997
Spiff and Iris Berry earned his first Novice Gamblers leg with a 3rd Place.
Sharon Prassa writes about her day: "Well, today, I did two REALLY STUPID things. After a very nice qualifying score and 3rd place on our titling run (NADAC agility), I got lost on the jumpers course. I've never done this before, but now have total empathy for those who do. Previously I didn't think it was possible to have this happen, but, previously I had never been on a course quite like this one. And, by the way, Annie ran it absolutely great!
Well, afterwards, who knows what prompted me to let her do this, but she found a spot she liked and started to roll around. And...she kept doing it. She was having such a nice time, and I was feeling so guilty for making a mistake on the course, I let her keep it up.
Well, it was a patch of dead grass, but evidently, was killed on purpose, using something with spreader-sticker in it (that means spray-on super glue).
We came home with about 2 lbs. of grass stuck on her...and every piece of hair she owns (she is NOT trimmed down, so it's all really long hair), totally sticky.
Into the bath tub she went. Shampoo didn't phase it. Luckily I remembered my chemistry (like disolves like) and yelled for the corn oil. I "shampooed" her with that, then again with the shampoo. Tomorrow she'll go to the groomer for a final bath. The oil did take out the sticky stuff, but, YUK!
Thus ends a lovely Memorial Day weekend. Back to work tomorrow, everyone!!"
Sharon Prassa, Amos & Annie