Ridgeback Rodeo - Day 2

Today started out a little rougher than planned. I had set my phone to go off at 8 am... and the phone died somewhere in the middle of the night. Luckily I woke up on my own around 8:30 and was able to be ready in time for my 9 am shift in the agility ring.

As it turned out, no one showed up during the actual shift. Just as I was about to wander off, Magic the puppy came over. He had a total blast, especially with the tunnel, which he ran loops through once we showed him what it was about!

As well as Magic, there were six or seven other Ridgebacks, a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, a Cane Corso and a Jack Russell (the other breeds all live with Ridgies and were getting bored hanging out). What was really interesting was that a lot of the Ridgebacks loved the aframe. We could hardly get Logan off it. A few of them didn't like the tunnels, but we got everyone to do the teeter in a calm fashion.

Queezle's main activity for the day was having a herding lesson. No big surprise - I'm the one who needs the most work. So we have a list of things to work on with that.

Tonight's dinner was fried perch with french fries and pasta salad. Someone was handing out glowsticks, so Queezle has been practicing her hold with an orange glowstick. Now she's crashed under the table. Two more days!

Ridgeback Rodeo - Day 1

Yeah yeah yeah, I'm way behind. We can do catch-ups next week. For now: The Rodeo.

From working with Flag, I was asked to be the agility event manager at the annual Ridgeback Rodeo in Pennsylvania. If you have and/or love Ridgebacks, it is the place to be at the end of July. It is held on a game farm and offers all kinds of hunt tests, lure coursing, agility, rally, tracking, etc. Plus really awesome food (I just had a salmon dinner, the salmon having come straight from Alaska. Talk about winning).

Today I just worked two and a half hours, during which time I had two Ridgeback customers and a couple of the other instructors' dogs. Ridgie #1 was Elke (pronounced Elka, but it is the Dutch version of the name). She has taken a beginner class and was really hot, but ran the entire course and did the teeter for the first time ever! Later her brother Chance came by. He is almost ready to trial, and ran the whole course great except he really loves contact obstacles. His handler is working on making the other obstacles high-value as well. They are aiming to enter the Ridgeback National in September.

When we were off duty, Queezle and I wandered the grounds, socialized and worked some. We ran the rally course, and then after picking up rocks got to try lure coursing. It was love at first sight. One look at those plastic "bunnies" running across the field, and she was off like a feral fuzzy bullet. She ran the whole course the first try, and would have gone again if I had let her, but it was pretty hot and muggy out. We will be looking for a test sometime soon!

Right now she is passed out on the couch in the AC with me. Hopefully tomorrow I will get some pictures...