Epiphanies

I sort of had one at AKC Nationals. The one Jenn Crank has been trying to get out of me for, oh, I don't know, 4 years now? She said I won't get it until I "get it." It was right after her clean Jumpers run. The run was good, I was a little "safe" in my handling choice. Mostly because Moxie was a little wild in warm up standard. I babysit. There... I said it, it's out... I babysit her something terrible. I babysit her weaves because she used to pop out. I babysit her pinwheels because she turns so tight. I babysit the hell out of her aframe because it's hit or miss if she stops or not. I even noticed how much I started rear crossing her. Babysitting... I can "save" a rear cross. Fronts aren't as easy to save. What if she pulls off a jump? I can't save it! Oh the horror.  So after my clean jumper run, which did have some pretty moments after the beginning, I had this long conversation with myself. Do I want to be THAT handler. Who is ALWAYS out for the Q. Always out for the clean run. Has a MACH 50 on her dog because we run clean every round. The thought literally make me sick. Don't get me wrong, Qing is great, and I like it way better than NQing. But Qing for the sake of Qing isn't fun. And always being safe and clean is boring. It's boring to do and it's boring to watch. So my next run was much better. Standard. I did a front cross I wasn't totally sure I could get, but I had it in my head that I was making it happen. I sent her to a jump and left her to do her job. I caused a bar at the end. But it was such a great run. It felt really good. And her hybrid run? Felt even better. She knocked 2 bars, which I totally blame on her shoulder. But I did a nice send to a pinwheel jump and left her to do her job. I had so much to think about after those runs. I wanted to be better. To run harder from place to place. To push her boundaries a little. To run her "more like Sally." I run Sally pretty aggressively now. We have no goals. Just run, be bad ass, have fun. And oddly enough, Sally has a higher Q rate now than in her entire life. She's a bad ass. We can look like a bad ass team when I set my mind to it. I want Moxie to have a little of that action. I did a 3 day trial in Zanesville. Our Q rate? ABYSMAL! She was 2 for 6. We went off course EVERY day in standard. We never go off course. But I am proud of the off courses. She ran hard. We ended the weekend with a T2B run that was nothing less than BAD ASS. We knocked the last bar. Had the fastest time in the class. I pushed her the entire course, trusted her, let her extend. And it was awesome. It was my real epiphany. I'd rather run like THAT and NQ, than run safe and boring and Q. Don't get me wrong, I need 3 QQs for Nationals, and I may run a little safer than that T2B run, but I am going to try really hard to run more aggressively. I get it. I totally GET IT now. What Jenn tried to tell me, what Karen Holik and Mary Ellen Barry were telling me. How awesome my little dog is, how tight her turns are, how fantastic she is and how she would give me 200% more if I just asked her for it. I have things to work on for sure. Her upcoming running aframe, a faster teeter, a better dogwalk, and more independence at the weaves to start. And myself of course. I want to take running lessons. I want to learn to lengthen my own stride, and be a more efficient runner. It's so exciting, these goals! That T2B run was a win, even if it was technically a loss. She ran faster than some seriously fast dogs. Dogs we have never beaten before. Little Monkey can flat out move. Oh how I love this dog.
 On another note, Sally was a BAD ASS. She got a QQ on saturday, and had some AMAZING NQS! I love hearing the crowd when I run her. She's exciting. At 10 years old, she's still got it. We have such a good thing going. I hope she runs for another 10 years, because running her is a thrill.
 Hustle... Oh Hustle man. So much potential. We are getting there. He has moments of BRILLIANCE. He can and will be thrilling to run. He had great running aframes all weekend, good stops on his dogwalk, nice jumping. The weaves... He just doesn't get it yet. But he will. And he will be moving to 26. He is a powerful dog. His stride is enormous and he has no idea how to use it yet, but when he "thinks" and does his job, he's pretty damn awesome. He did the coolest rear cross wrap ever in T2B (of course, not on tape). Proud of the boy. He will be a force someday :)