EO 2010 was our fourth year
on the USA team and that is going
some for a mature pair like JIB and me!
It was a pleasure to be part of the group gathered in the Czech Republic
and gave my husband Michael and me another European trip with the Poodle.
First stop leaving the Frankfurt airport was the city of Pilsen in the Czech Republic. Home of Pilsner beer, Pilsen was charming and the brewery tour was just fantastic. Team members Lisa Jarvis and Stacy Bols shared the good times and a fine dinner.
The competition venue in Liberac was very impressive and we enjoyed the opening parade on an artificial turf track. By the next morning all bets were off, with pouring rain and wind. The rings were decidedly soggy and the big dogs ran in deep mud by afternoon. Handlers and dogs were slipping. All organization slid into a more relaxed mud wrestling approach. To say we struggled to run clean, took a whole new meaning!
The international judges laid down the usual extremely challenging courses and I believe the Q rate was listed at 9.125%. We did what we could, but did not make the finals this year. My favorite successful moments of the event were two standard courses including the DOG WALK TO NO WHERE. Michael has put together video featuring this anomaly and it is fun to watch. In each case there is no other obstacle in view when the dog hits the down side of the DW. The individual midi size course rolled back to the dogs left and over a jump before taking the tunnel under the DW. The team standard class on Sunday required the dog to wrap hard right after the DW to take a tunnel under the DW. Both courses kept handlers from assisting the down contact. Something to think about.
Michael and I toured after the trial in Northern Bohemia hiking with JIB on a 12 mile route including moutains, sidewalk cafe beer garden lunch, and a short river boat ride. Then a couple days hiking all over the great European city of Prague, where the Poodle was welcome on public transportation as well as in resturants. So civilized. Southern Bohemia was also beautiful and we climbed the highest Czech peak with JIB leading the way through the forest trail. |
