SWAT Day 1 - I Don't Believe It!!!!!!!!!!!

Jemma:
Combined 1-2 Jumping
She knocked a pole in this on the middle pole of a 3 point star, I then sent her in the wrong end of the tunnel because I wasn't concentrating, however, she did do 12 weaves, first time, after a three point star (with a steady command though), so I was pleased with this round :)

Graded 1-2 Agility
This was the most disappointing round of the day for us - clear apart from the weaves!!!! There were only six but they were at a slight angle from the jump before but quite a big gap, however because of this I had decided not to steady her and maybe she needed it, or maybe I left her to find the weaves by herself too much, it did however take three attempts to do them, and that was only after I sat her down!!!!

Combined 1-7 Jumping
Another beautiful round until we reached the weaves, took two attempts despite there only being 6 and it being bend and me saying steady!!! She then knocked a pole in the rest of the course but it was nice!

Graded 1-2 Jumping
This time it was me that lost us the clear, I pulled away from a jump too early because I was worrying too much about the next long straight line and so Jem also pulled of it and so came round it! I then just ran, really fast and so so did she and she knocked a pole! She did however do 6 weaves first time - they were after a tunnel but at 90 degrees so I was facing her as she came out and then turned her on to them but this slowed her down enough that she could do them!!

Elliot
First Practise Ring Visit
We just did weaves this visit, we did 12 of them and he did them right first time!!!! The only time he didn't do it right was when we did four jumps and then a sit, but he got them right second time :)

Combined 1-2 Jumping
He knocked a pole (can't remember why) but then bless him, he fell over in the tunnel and came out sideways and so completely crashed the jump after it! BUT....he did TWELVE weaves first time!!!!!!!!!!!!! Admitedly with a sit before them but hey it was twelve weaves in a course!!! I was very very pleased with him!!!!

Graded 1-2 Agility
The most AMAZING course of the day!!!!!! - he went CLEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The important bits went: aframe, weaves, dogwalk, seesaw!!! On the a-frame he came down really slowly but I made sure I just walked along side it and said stop really clearly but I was really naughty and said go as soon as his feet hit the floor - I could tell he wasn't going to actually stop and so if I didn't say go he would have anyway and then I would have had to put him back and I didn't want to have to correct him when he had done it so much better than normal!! I then sat him before the weaves again but he did the six of them soooooooo fast it took me a while to realise he had actually done them right!!! The dog walk, again he crept down it but I did make him pause for a bit longer on the bottom, still not as long as I should have!!! The seesaw was the one I held him on least time for because it was only two obstacles from the end and I couldn't believe he was clear so far!!!! He did still go right to the bottom and wait for it to hit the floor before I told him go!! He also never went before I told him go, it was just I was saying go early!!! He finished 8th!!! with a time of 34.246 -7.18 seconds behind the winner, I would have thought most of this time was spent sitting before the weaves!!!! This is why I desperately want Jem to get the win she deserves soon otherwise it will be Elliot that wins us out of Grade 1!!!

Combined 1-7 Jumping
He was a naughty boy in this class and went under the first jump and into the tunnel so we restarted and he went really nicely until the weaves, it took us three attempts this time to do the six - they were right handed and the other two sets had been left! he then proceeded to knock the two poles after the tunnel becuase I was running too fast I think - I was conscious of how long we had been in the ring!!

Graded 1-2 Jumping
Sadly he knocked a pole in this and then took two attempts on the weaves but it was a nice course - lots of running and shouting "go" for me but he loved it!!!

Second Practise Ring Visit
We did contacts this time, he crept down the aframe but then ran off, after a reminder he did some really nice stops, he then also did some lovely dogwalks straight off, he decided though that doing four jumps before the aframe was too much and he ran off it, I just had time to put him back before time was up!! I shall try to go back in here before our class tomorrow!!

So all in all a bit of a frustrating day for Jemma but a really good day for Elliot :) Hopefully Jem will have a better day tomorrow and Elliot will have just as good day!! :)