I haven't written about how the season is going for ages, so here goes. The shows started for us in April, although I am not doing as many competitions as I have done in past years (due to rocketing fuel prices and a frozen salary), and have also been judging rather than competing at some of them. Just as the vet said, it took at least six to nine months for Zazzy's hormones to settle down after her op, but here we are a year later, she is sooooo much happier.
At her first show of the season she had a jumping win and a second in agility at grade 5. She has gone on to get 10 wins and 11 seconds which, along with her other top 10 places, has taken her to the top of her league in the Agility Club points system, despite missing the first 6 months! Clever Zazzy has qualified for both novice Olympia semi final days, and at the Thames show not only won her Olympia qualifier but came second in the CSJ novice qualifier. Unfortunately, due to work committments, we will not be able to make the CSJ final though which is disappointing.
So Zazzy moved up to grade 6, and I thought that would be the end of the trophies, but to my surprise and delight on her first day at g6 she won her agility. On her second day she had another win and a second. On her third day she had a second and a third. Unfortunately I only have a video of that third place (thanks to Lorna for filming) - I had been scriming all day and my timing was late throughout the run (great dog shame about the handler...), in fact towards the end I momentarily forgot my handling plans and made something up.... clever Zazzy for going clear despite me LOL.
At this point the bubble did finally burst. Zazzy went acutely lame for a few hours, however thorough examinations by Dave Munnings (osteopath) and Donna Cordon-Stacy (vet) only found a small mark on her toe, our best guess is that is was a wasp or bee sting! Anyway, I didn't run her at Tuffley and she had a week off agility. The following Sunday we had a day out to Chipping Norton and Zazzy won her third g6 agility. Then she broke a toe nail right down to the quick so that was Rugby out and another week off! The following weekend she broke into my friend's picnic and stole and ate a pack of half a dozen cooked chicken drunsticks. OMG I was so worried, but she was absolutely fine (didn't want to run her for a few days though, to be safe she had another week off!). Last weekend was the Agility Club show, I was judging Sunday and got food poisoning Saturday.... I will try and blog separately about judging, and also the fab holiday we had in the Lake District, but that is the shows up to date, no shows this weekend and oh I really hope that's our run of bad luck over!!
