Derbyshire - Crufts 2018 Qualification - 29/07/2017

Wow, what a day at Derbyshire! We had success in the Crufts qualifier, pairs and normal classes; all in all, an incredible day for us!

The day kickstarted with pairs, which we did with a friend and her dog. We both went clear, and ended up 2nd overall, beaten by a pair of large dogs! Fantastic considering the number of entrants and the fact that it was an all heights combined class.

The next class was the main and most exciting class of the day, the YKC jumping Crufts qualifier! We went clear in a very fast time, and won the class! This means that we'll be off to Crufts 2018 to compete in the final next March! I couldn't be more thrilled with Ethel, this'll be our second time in a row qualifying for and competing at Crufts! Amazing!

Our other runs went well, and considering I used them to push her and train her contacts again, I was very pleased with their outcomes. We went clear in grade 7 agility and ended up 8th overall, which isn't too shabby considering the number, standard and experience of our competitors.

Ethel, you're awesome, and I can't wait to compete at Crufts with you for the second time next year!

Dog Vegas Finals - 23/07/2017

The Dog Vegas Finals show was a huge success for the duo and I. Not in winnings, not in rosettes and not in trophies, but in personal goals achieved, limits tested, boundaries pushed and fun had! In fact, it's the best Ethel and I have ever ran together!

As both Earl and Ethel had a spot in the final (Earl qualified and Ethel was pulled in as a reserve after an unlucky jumped contact in the qualifier last year), I was hoping I'd be able to get them both round clear and compare their times. Pushing them for the fastest times possible gives me a thrill and they enjoy it the more I go for it and run like mad! The time differences between dogs fascinates me as it's always so close between them, especially in the high grades!

Ethel was up first and ran the course perfectly. I was pleased with my handling and her speed was fantastic! To make the experience even more fun, it was live-streamed along with commentary and it was awesome to hear the commentary as we ran! However, she unluckily caught a pole and knocked it down, meaning we gained 5 faults. If it wasn't for the pole, we would've come 2nd overall! I couldn't have been happier with her and she did me proud, especially for her first time in this final!

A few dogs after Ethel's run and it was time to queue up with Earl. He qualified for a ran in last year's final, and went clear with less than a seconds worth of time faults, which was unfortunate, however, he did me proud! I was hoping to beat last year's result this year! We went clear, and he ran really well for him! We ended up 6th, which is where we came last year, too! However, this year, he wasn't even close to having any time faults, showing how much he's sped up in a year! I couldn't have been happier with him, either!

Ethel's other runs, the normal classes at the show, went amazingly, too! I used them all to really push her and see how much I could get out of her, and the agility classes to train her contacts. And boy, did she perform! It's the best we've ever ran together; we were both really going for it and flying round the courses! Going for it and running like mad is so much more fun than playing it safe, and at this stage, we really do need to push to get the most out of ourselves!

All in all, it was one of the most fun and successful shows I've competed at! It's shows like this that excite me for the future with my awesome little dogs. Roll on more shows and more opportunities to run my dogs like I stole them!

EOJ 2017 Luxembourg

The EOJs in Luxembourg, what an incredible experience! I can't quite believe it's been and gone! It's certainly left behind lifelong memories I'll always remember, full of awesome people and dogs in such a beautiful place! And I couldn't be prouder of little Ethel for running her paws off and giving me her all; she truly is awesome!

The excitement of the event kickstarted with our arrival at the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, who kindly sponsor the junior and adult GB team. Even the unfortunate 3 hour delay wasn't enough to dampen the mood!

Sharing a photo with our good friends and fellow Team GB members, Becca and Millie

When we finally arrived in Luxembourg that evening, we were all pretty tired. We checked in at our hotel and hunkered down for the night in our cosy room, in the hope of resting up for another busy day to come.

The following day was the first time the full team had all come together in Luxembourg. After a quick catch up, we all headed down to the competition venue for a vet check and team training. The vet check went smoothly and everyone performed well during training; GB was looking awesome and super promising for the competition days ahead!

The next day was the long-awaited first day of competition and everyone was in good spirits! To celebrate, we took some team photos.

Team GB Royals, made up of small dogs

It was then time for the opening ceremony! We made our grand entrance and proudly stood our ground among the other countries. It was crazy and packed, but certainly fun and a fantastic way to kickstart the competition!

With the opening ceremony done and dusted, it was officially time for the competition to commence. The first run was team jumping, and, despite a small mishap in our run, I couldn't have been happier with it! Our next run was individual jumping, which was another beautiful run despite a crazy moment leading up to the weaves on Ethel's part! All that remained were our two agility runs. First was team agility, and we put in a lovely clear for the team! With only one run left, we knew this final run was one to be treasured; no one wanted the event to end! Our final run, individual agility, was a lovely course, and we went clear! What better way to wrap up the event than with a solid clear round? Overall, I couldn't be happier with our runs!

It was all so much fun! Now to prepare for the EOJ 2018 tryouts! If we make the team again, we'll be off to Holland in the Netherlands! Paws crossed!

Whizz Dogs - 01 & 02/07/2017

What an awesome weekend we've had at Whizz Dogs! It was our first time attending and competing at this show, and it certainly didn't disappoint! It was a small show (compared to what we're used to) with only 3 rings and a pretty relaxed atmosphere, providing us with a nice opportunity to practise in the ring for the EOJs in Luxembourg in just over a weeks time! Ethel was quite the consistent little pup and ran awesomely, putting us in a pretty confident position for them! We enjoyed spending time with fabulous friends and their awesome dogs, and we even did some doggy shopping! Earl came with us and although he didn't compete, he absolutely loved spending the day in his favourite way; spectating, sunbathing and cheering on his friends!

Winning 7 rosettes and looking as cool and casual as ever

I was super happy with how she ran all weekend and it definitely showed in our results! We came 2nd in the triple team qualifier with two of our friends and their pups, meaning we're through and it's off to the final we go in September! We also came 2nd in pairs with another friend and her little dog, 4th, 5th and 6th in agility and 3rd and 4th in jumping! Out of 9 runs, we had an amazing 8 clears, and the only non-clear we had was down to me deciding to train her A-Frame in that run (training contacts in worth it in the end!) She's just so much fun!

As we do after every show, it's time to look forward to the next event. Well, I can't quite believe it, but next up, Luxembourg for the EOJs!