Where did that go?........

Sorry this "post" has taken so long to write, I just didn't know how .....or want to write it!

Well 10 years on ......... Red has just done her last full height competition..........From this wee small pup we picked up at 7/8 weeks old, from a sheep farm at the end of the M42 Tamworth, who was destined to fly out to Spain to become a sheep dog, but they never sent the deposit! ....more fools them I'd say, as I truly believe what ever job Red would have done she would have been good at......Thank fully she choose agility with us......Well Ian really.

She was to be Ian's first agility dog and to join Cass and I plodding along in elementary, She was mad from the moment we bought her into our home, she tore down curtains, poo'd and pee'd everywhere, ripped up cushions, bedding, barking (I would now know, how to handle this kind of dog....I think!) ..........a very difficult dog to train, she had her own ideas, a dog that over the years has taught us such a lot about dogs, training and what fun life can be. She screamed at any dog gathering, lunged, snarled and snapped, everything she did she did at 100 mph....we hadn't a clue how to help her (she was only our second collie) after almost a year of various training classes, with various people, she was almost ready to start competing and then the bomb shell........ Ian decided he couldn't cope with her and didn't want to be stood in the middle of a ring with a judge watching him being bitten by her or worse still leaving the ring to charge across and out of the ring to chase another more exciting dog in the next ring! ....Yes she did that with me too! I still have the scares to prove it........on my arms mainly! We have improved!

Her first show was in the year of the foot and mouth - 2001, was meant to be in the March but it was the end of May...can't remember where it was Tumbridge wells may be, something like that (up country) but funny enough I remember the round she got a clear in starters/novice jumping and came 15th out of 200 dogs! her second show was supadogs where she won me out of Elementary by coming second in starters agility, her fifth show she won Starters agility at Golden cap with Sally Jones judging (end of June - ish)

Picture: Starter agility win. Do you recognise anyone else in the background?

She then won her first ever run in an intermediate class, agility with Graham Partridge judging........then there was a blur of wins until she reached Advanced at the grand age of 3! ...She qualified and competed at Olympia in 2004, in the days when it was only senior dogs and you got possible two/three days up there, we where lucky enough to do the pairs and power and speed, as well as the main event, Red qualified I think twice or was it three times for Crufts, but only competed once....... due to lameness.
What a journey.......She took us to many champ finals, our highest place being a third....that was those days when you didn't even get a Rosette/trophy unless you won the class, so we have only our memories........
..........and at 10 + she's still as mad as she was in her younger days, she has calmed down enough now to play with her mates near (ish) the ring, which is lovely to see, her boyfriend list is getting longer, her first love was and is MoJo, Janet and I always laugh when we watch her trying to get him to even acknowledge that she's on this planet! She loves to chase the squirrels in the woods and any ones cat that dare ventures into our garden, she loves to roll on our freshly made bed! her favourite toy is her watering can, which she made her own many many years ago! She now loves to come up on the sofa for a cuddle.

Yes she can still do the height and yes she can still beat some of the youngsters out there, yes she did get a place at the weekend too, on a great course of Mark Laker's (I had seen who was there and decided to hold her "A" frame and Dog walk contacts) she didn't put a foot wrong, I wish Ian had been there to video it, it would have been a lovely run to re-watch. I was glad no one stopped me on the way back to the van after her last run, the tears.........but seeing her suffering in the evenings after an agility day, I feel I need to look after her as she wont look after herself, she has always been one that would rather crash a jump than put in an extra stride etc. I'm sure some of you will wonder, why I don't continue with her until I see her not coping ......I don't ever want to see her struggle or measure a jump, so watch out anysize here she comes.

So it's veteran's and anysize for her next year.......an end of an era.

What a 10 year journey we've had together....Thank you Red. I love you.

She will continue herding the leaves and fluff around the garden! guarding all the fledglings that fall from their nests, she will carry on listening for the mice in the grass. She will still be able to do bits of agility at home on flowy courses, in safe surroundings on medium and small heights. Knowing Red she will want to join in with the others, learning some new tricks over the winter too.........

.......Oh gosh, I had better go and sort her out, she has just chucked all the toys out of the toy box and is running around, with Buzz in tow trying to get the sheep out of her mouth...........no chance Buzz! Chuckle, chuckle.

Wow that went so very fast! Enjoy every moment with them guys, it's over far too soon............