Well, yesterday I packed up Dally and all her gear into my truck, and we headed up to Milford, Ohio, for our first-ever agility trial. This was a CPE (Canine Performance Events: www.k9cpe.com) trial, which was a little more laid back than AKC trials, and offers different "games" classes. However, we entered only the Standard, which is much like the Standard in AKC, but we were in Level 1, which does not have the teeter-totter or the weave poles. After a long wait, I started getting nervous because I wondered if Dally would refuse the A-frame, due to a problem at our last classes because the texture was so slick, she'd slide down once she got to the top.

I shouldn't have worried, because the course was easy--mostly a swirl with no front or rear crosses. And, of course, Dally was a pro! The first round we went clean (which meant a "Q"= Qualifying Score, aka "leg") and finished 2nd in the 8 inch Level 1 to a Jack Russell Terrier (the Jack beat her by 12 seconds...but how you can beat that with 4 inch legs??). The second round we went faster, earned a second Q, and won that round, due to the Jack taking the tire as an extra jump, eating up some time and accumulating faults. With the two Qs, Dally immediately earned her first title (which means her name can be written Frontiers Honkytonkbadonkadonk CLR-1...could it be any longer?? Actually, yes, it can, with more titles) and moved up to Level 2. No one believe it was both of our first trial because my handling skills were so on, and Dally was so quick and precise with her jumps. I couldn't have been any happier, and Dally was just excited to do the jumps, run through the tunnels (one of our favorite things), and play with the new toy she got for entering the trial.

With that trial under our collar....err....I mean, belt.....we prepare for our first AKC trial in Louisville, Ky., in two weeks. We still have a lot to work on with the weave poles (we have our good days and our bad) because we're entered in the Standard and Jumpers With Weaves on Saturday, and just the Standard on Sunday (Novice A, of course). The CPE trial gave me a big boost of confidence and helped Dally get used ot being in a different facility with a lot of arking dogs, and she still paid attention to me wonderfully! (No Corgi attitude yesterday!) We'll work on the weave poles every night, like always, and get some practise in next weekend (here's hoping for decent weather).

I got a great picture of Dally going over a bar jump, but no scanner, so the photo will have to wait until I visit family for Easter and use Dad's scanner. I'm going to borrow a friend's digital camcorder for Louisville so I hopefully will get video on here. I'll keep everyone up-to-date on our road for agility greatness!