With the unofficial end of the tourist season on Cape Cod, Jack and I were able to enter Aiden in the Eastern Eastern Springer Spaniel Club Agility Trial in North Smithfield RI this weekend. It is a 3-day trial but we are only entered for 2 days, Saturday and Sunday. As we have been working weekends through the summer this is the first agility trial for Aiden since June.
We recently decided to try Aiden in the “Preferred” classes and this is the first time that he is competing in the Masters Preferred classes. Aiden does everything at full speed and we are hoping that by dropping him down to 20″ from 24″ jumps it will be a little easier on him. Once we have a done a few trials and are able to study his jumping style in the videos in slow motion we will make a decision whether to stay in Preferred based on what is best for Aiden.
Aiden’s first class of the day was Masters FAST Preferred. He earned 78 points out of a maximum 80 pts, got the bonus and qualified with 1st place.
His next class was Masters Standard Preferred. He knocked one bar down and had an off course which I may have been able to prevent if I had not “let down” after the dropped bar.
Aiden’s final class of the day was Masters Jumpers with Weaves Preferred. Aiden had a super run but at the second to last jump he started to go off course. I was able to call him off for a great “save” and he qualified with 1st place and earned 16 PACH points.
After the trial we went to the Lincoln Woods State Park so Aiden could have a celebratory off-leash run.
Back at the hotel…more agility tomorrow.
