Introducing Fly...

Introducing the newest member of our family, Fly!

I've looked at collies for the last year, and a few litters just didn't work out and weren't meant to be. I'd just about given up, when I heard about this litter of border collie x whippets. It's a cross I've always fancied, but never saw them come up - it must have been my lucky day.

This of course is Super Jetly's blog though, so Fly has her own blog now:

http://flybe-blue.blogspot.com/

We've also come across a few other whippet x collies that we'll be following for a bit of inspiration. Namely watching the Stretch x Flare litter make their flyballing debuts in the USA (http://www.poetawhippets.com/stretchxflare.cfm) and we'll be eagerly awaiting the arrival of TnGs collie x whippet puppies.

I'm really looking forward to training her, but first and foremost letting her be a crazy puppy.

I have to finally say a huge thanks to everyone who had to hear my whinging and musing whilst looking for puppies, and those who helped me look for "the one". Too many people to mention, literally - thanks guys!

Randoms

Leanne very kindly took some photos of Jetly at training, here she is (pretending she's a pro...)

And I probably shouldn't admit to having bought this...Mum says "the words money and sense come to mind"....but I'm not sure why :D

(It's a towel...with the excuse that it's for in the car I've yet to get)

HnH Photos

A few pictures from over the weekend :)

Jetly and her winnings:

Ominous much?

Here are some photos courtesy of Action Replay Photography (yes, yes copyright but I wanted to post them!)

Showing you her gallop up the dogwalk:

Nutter:

Jetly coming through....

I think personally, she looks in fine form at the moment! :D

Hare & Hounds Day 4

Right, this four-day write up business is killing me...so here goes *briefly*.

She did a cracking agility run but unfortunately got E'd pulling through a gap...or should I say not pulling through a gap and back jumping! Then she had the most amazing jumping round which I'm pretty confident she'd have won (and I don't often say that :O) if she hadn't wrapped the wing right instead of left, two obstacles from the end. It was full Jet speed and neat. Next time!

c1-7 jumping was a nice course by Jacqui Tarn, it wasn't too hard but also wasn't just a blast round. I kind of walked it (but was too excited to hear that High Flyers multi team had just done 16.95s...so was a bit distracted in awe!) and thought we could give it a go. We ran just before the end of the class, she ran it nicely and I left her to do lots of it on her own (lazy handler), but on the homeward straight of five jumps, I was a few jumps behind and she spun to look at me, barked at me and then eventually straightened her up and carried on. She ended up 24th, which was a shock as it was a very botched run!

c3-4 jumping was a very easy, blasty course. I left her in a four jump wait, and she flew along the start, we just wasted lots of time towards the end when I kind of forgot what I was doing. It had been a long 4 days! She came 14th with a time of 19.9s and the winner was 18.something? She'd have been much higher up the placings had it been smooth.

Final run was c1-7 ABC Jumping. There were numerous very speedy beardies, kelpies, aussies, lurchers, labs and crossbreeds that Leanne and I spotted over the weekend - so I didn't really think we had a shot at this. When we saw the course was very simple, no weaves and just a blast around tunnels and jumps I thought we had even less chance. Anyway, she ran the course really well, she was super. The only niggle was at the end when she had to do a rear cross (recurring theme?) and she slowed up a bit for the last jump. Anyway, to my amazement she came 2nd! The winner was a G6 dog that was only 0.4s ahead of her (and I think we wasted that!), and third place was a G5...so the girl was good!

Overall, I was sooo pleased with Jetly. I felt like we could give anything a go at least, and in some cases she did really surprise me. I was super-pleased with her weaves as she got them lovely every time (except once, day one!). She was letting me layer in obstacles and send her on like an absolute pro, plus she was going at a fair speed too. Her contacts were lovely and she was definitely up for it every day. Good girly Jet!

A few well dones! Firstly, well done to Cat and Gypsy on their placings in G3 and their 4th in Juniors. Also well done to Leanne and Dylan who also broke into the top 3, and had numerous other placings along the way! Jet had fun chilling in her caravan with Dyl...clearly they had words with each other whilst there!

Hare & Hounds Day 3

No courses this time, as it's taking too long!

Sunday the classes were thankfully back on and Jet was ready to go, as ever.

First run was 1-3 Agility, well we were out of it from the start as she was sooo wound up on the start line, she flew her seesaw. The rest was lovely though, apart from putting the brakes on for the dogwalk up-plank - but so did every other dog in the class for some reason. It was very odd indeed!

Doc's 1-3 jumping was a nice course, but I have no idea what I was doing. I'd walked it (along with possibly 8 other courses!) and when I lead out for her wait, I had a total mind blank. I got to the wrong side and released Jet, only to realise I didn't know what the hell I was doing. She did the top bit beautifully though, which was a send on for a few jumps and back to the tunnel. Good crossbreed, bad handler.

1-7 agility was very straightforward and I was interested to run it. Unfortunately Jet's only fear in the world (strangely of people with things on their heads that aren't hats?!) surfaced as the scribe had a pair of rabbit ears on. Like it did at Doncaster with the reindeer antlers, she couldn't take her eyes off the scribe and kept turning back to look at him. Strange dog, we have tried getting people to wear all manner of hats and I thought she was fine...back to the drawing board.

Bad runs out of the way - phewww!

We did have some good runs on Sunday, honest. We watched June Burrow setting up her Grade 3 Jumping course, and she explained to us that she was improvising because of the ground conditions. She ran her young dog over it a few times and we got to walk it just before lunch. It was an interesting course, with only jumps and tunnels but the opportunity for lots of poles. Jet ran it beautifully, she was running full Jet speed and was so tight around everything. I was sooo pleased with this run. When we'd done, June shouted over "that was absolutely lovely". At presentations I had no idea, where she'd come and eventually they read out 2nd place and it was us!! June remembered my "little black dog" and said she thought we'd won it. It turned out she was only 0.06s behind the winner...close or what!

The second semi-successful run of the day was another agility (g1-3? I'm not sure!). Anyway, this was immediately after the terrifying c1-7 run, so I was paranoid Jet was worried and I was feeling a bit on edge. We wound Jet up and she was a happy bunny again. She set off nicely but I really pushed her dogwalk and she missed the contact...oops (I didn't put her back on, as I didn't want to flatten her after said previous run!). I carried on, but was very wide with a pull through as I layered in a few more obstacles than anticipated. I held her aframe and seesaw too. I was shocked that she placed 24th with 5F, and would have been 4th, even with the holding of the aframe/seesaw/wideness. Not bad Jetly...

Will add Monday asap!

Hare & Hounds Day 1 & 2

With so much choice over Easter shows-wise, and no flyball, we eventually chose to make the trip up to Barnard Castle. The class choice was huge, Jet had 5/6 runs each day, plus juniors with Cat.

Her first run of the show was junior agility. I was a bit iffy as to whether I should inflict her on Cat for this run, as first run she can be a bit crazy. After watching a few dogs run, I decided they should just go for it and went and got Jetly. They were both ace, it was an elimination but only really because I hadn’t walked it with them! She was a speedy girl and was running on ahead brilliantly.

Next run was 1-3 jumping (I’ve put the courses up on here). It wasn’t my ideal first course of the weekend for us, as it involved tunnel discrimination and I was adamant we’d mess up. Anyway, she set off brilliantly and skipped the last pole of the weaves(!!!). I’m not quite sure why, but the rest of the run was beautiful and she was so smooth – it was the best I’d seen any dog handle the tunnel entries.

We followed it up with 1-4 jumping, which was an easy course but I didn’t leave her in a wait long enough. It was a jump, straight tunnel start, and I wanted to cross in front of her. She set off faster than I expected and there was no way I could do what I wanted to. We kind of wrote that run off a bit as I handled it in a kind of improvised manner!

Doc’s Graded1-4 Agility was next up. It was a nice course, and I thought we could give it a good go. She set off nicely and did a beautiful dogwalk and lined herself up nicely for the seesaw. I was a bit over cautious with her weaves but she was fine. I handled 12-15 more or less from the end of the weaves and then ran to meet her at the Aframe. She was a little bit wide around 19 but she had done it clear. She then proceeded to jump up at me in joy and whack my tooth, so she had a good play of tuggy with Leanne whilst I stood in pain going “ooowwhh”. That was the first run in a long time where I went out really wanting to push her for the win; usually I go and just want a nice clear and some consistency. I’m not quite sure what came over me lol! Anyway, she came 3^rd (30.14s) and the winner was in 29.96s, so it was very close. I was also shocked to see she’d have placed 2^nd in the grade 4 part, and the winner was in 29.95s.

Our last run of the day was Rosie Pearson’s c1-3 agility. The classes were running through really quickly, and I must admit I missed walking the course. I stood and watched the class for a while, watching to see how people with similar dogs to Jet handled it. My first concern was 4-6, as I wanted to be on the left of the dogwalk and I wasn’t sure if I’d have time to cross. In the end I did manage it between 5 and 6 with a front cross. I did however nearly fall over 6 – not that Jet noticed. My next concern was 9-15. I wanted to be on the right of the weaves as firstly her reading of rear crosses needs a lot of work and secondly on the other side I thought she might think I wanted her to go into the tunnel after the weaves. I was very brave, and as soon as I know she’d clocked the tunnel, I ran to the dogwalk side of 12 and kept my arm up to ensure she went over 11. She hit the weaves and did the rest cracking! She maybe hesitated a bit on the aframe and I know the dogwalk could have been faster, but she ended up 5^th! Not too bad as the classes were huge.

Last run was juniors with Cat, this time jumping. She was a good girly again, but kept looking at me on the line. However as soon as Cat lead out in front of the jump and told her to wait, she was focussed and was fixated on her. She did some lovely weaves and a nice run with a couple of little mistakes!

Saturday was a total washout! We woke up and looked out of the caravan window and thought noooo. The show organisers said they’d wait until lunchtime to see what happened, but unfortunately by about 9am it wasn’t getting any better and they called the whole day off. A few people left, but the majority did stick it out I think.

tbc....