To be completely sure that we went up to Grade 3 we won both of our agility classes at the Southdowns show!
Our first run of the day was the Agility Club Starters Challenge Combined Grades 1-2, a qualifyer for a final that is held at the Agility Club show every year. There were 35 dogs entered and the course was quite nice with one tricky bit near the beginning. I was lucky enough to be able to walk the course with my friend Sally who helped to reassure me that I had chosen the best way to handle that section with Pepper so I could set off without any doubts that I knew what I was doing. I was really nervous! I so wanted to win and qualify for the final! Pepper challenged me in the tricky section - I thought she was going to back jump - but I managed to keep her on track and the rest of the course ran smoothly. We'd done all we could and gone clear so we just had to wait and watch the rest of the class run. I couldn't believe it when Sally went to check the results and confirmed that Pepper and I had won! Wow, we'd made it into Grade 3 and qualified for the final - I couldn't believe it!
Our next run was the Graded 1-3 Jumping - another nice course with some twiddly handling but nothing to worry about! That was until we came to run it! It started OK but I completely got in Pepper's way so she couldn't see the weave entry and she went in the wrong side. Further on I mis-timed a rear cross and she span round on the spot. After that we had a good speedy finish, but I had completely lost my head which was still spinning from our win in the morning.
Our final run was a Graded 1-3 Agility which I again got to walk with Sally who gave my some great advice how best to handle one of the sections. Pepper challenged me again by nearly missing a tunnel entry - I'm not sure if I had started to move away before she was committed, but I managed to get her back on track without being faulted. The rest ran nicely and she got all of her contacts - another nice clear and another first place.
Checking the results we were the fastest clear round of all three grades so if it had been a combined class we would still have won! Hopefully this bodes well for our first Grade 3 show!
It was a really nice show in a lovely venue and was great to have my Mum with us for the day. My friend Jo won the Grade 2 Jumping with her gorgeous dog Dexter and Sally had a great run with Kofi in the Olympia qualifyer finishing 6th.
Our first run of the day was the Agility Club Starters Challenge Combined Grades 1-2, a qualifyer for a final that is held at the Agility Club show every year. There were 35 dogs entered and the course was quite nice with one tricky bit near the beginning. I was lucky enough to be able to walk the course with my friend Sally who helped to reassure me that I had chosen the best way to handle that section with Pepper so I could set off without any doubts that I knew what I was doing. I was really nervous! I so wanted to win and qualify for the final! Pepper challenged me in the tricky section - I thought she was going to back jump - but I managed to keep her on track and the rest of the course ran smoothly. We'd done all we could and gone clear so we just had to wait and watch the rest of the class run. I couldn't believe it when Sally went to check the results and confirmed that Pepper and I had won! Wow, we'd made it into Grade 3 and qualified for the final - I couldn't believe it!
Our next run was the Graded 1-3 Jumping - another nice course with some twiddly handling but nothing to worry about! That was until we came to run it! It started OK but I completely got in Pepper's way so she couldn't see the weave entry and she went in the wrong side. Further on I mis-timed a rear cross and she span round on the spot. After that we had a good speedy finish, but I had completely lost my head which was still spinning from our win in the morning.
Our final run was a Graded 1-3 Agility which I again got to walk with Sally who gave my some great advice how best to handle one of the sections. Pepper challenged me again by nearly missing a tunnel entry - I'm not sure if I had started to move away before she was committed, but I managed to get her back on track without being faulted. The rest ran nicely and she got all of her contacts - another nice clear and another first place.
Checking the results we were the fastest clear round of all three grades so if it had been a combined class we would still have won! Hopefully this bodes well for our first Grade 3 show!
It was a really nice show in a lovely venue and was great to have my Mum with us for the day. My friend Jo won the Grade 2 Jumping with her gorgeous dog Dexter and Sally had a great run with Kofi in the Olympia qualifyer finishing 6th.
 The results sheet of the Agility Club Starters Challenge  Pepper with both of her first place rosettes and trophies |  Presentation from John Coppin  Our first place rosette and trophy after winning into Grade 3 |
Pictures from the official photographer:
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