My 2nd A1 Entry at the V.E.A. Borken, September 2003
The alarm rang at 4.45 am that morning. Mistress pushed the snooze button. Looking at the clock at 5.44 am woke her instantly. We were supposed to be at our trainers at 6.15 am ... Mistress splashed some water in her face and the escentials in her basket and we were off. Point 6.15 am we arrived at our trainers house.
This time we were not dragged to an unwanted city tour by our trainer´s husband and arrived timely in Borken. It was drizzling and soon other friends from our club arrived. Everybody erected their tents and we settled down to wait ...
The jumping was hard and we only made it to obstacle number 3 or 4 before Mistress stood so awkward that I took the wrong jump. When I realized that that was the wrong way I lost control and jumped over everything standing in my view ... Since we would have been allowed to run the course to its end even after being disqualified Mistress tried to salvage the situation and showed me the right way. I did not pay attention to her at all. That made her roar "tack!". Mistress signaled the judge that we would leave the course and told me "heel". I wound around her ready to jump some more at the slightest hint. Mistress changed from "heel" to "stay here ... no!" and we left the course rapidly ...
When Mistress´s hectic that began with the early morning shock had subsided I calmed down too.
Just before it was our turn again we did some "hand and heel" exercises. Mistress put me in front of the first obstacle and went to the tunnel opening. That were two paces to far and I pulled down the first pole and went over the second jump. Mistress stood rooted to the spot and turned around her self. I understood I should turn right. She called me to her to direct me on the dog walk and the thundering "eeeehhhhhyyyy ... tack" followed. I only feigned to lie down since the tunnel was calling me. Mistress ran after me.
When I emerged from the tunnel I saw a wonderful stretch consisting of the long jump and to normal jumps in a row. Mistress did not have to tell me anything. I flew over the long jump and the normal jump until I wondered where Mistress was?! She wanted to slow me down by staying behind me?! I wound around myself not knowing what she wanted from me.
The next two jumps stood very close in a half circle around the dog walk. My winding around cost some strength in my hindhand and so I pulled down a pole again. On to the a-frame it went and I heard her "eeeehhhhhyyyy ... tack" again. I did not heed it because the weave poles beckoned. I entered and wove through quickly and correctly. Next were two obstacles standing in a 90-degree angle. Then I took the loop and vanished into the soft tunnel. I did not have to take the next jump since the pole had fallen. That left the bend tunnel and two more jumps.
We managed once more to get to the finish without being disqualified. Mistress was very happy even though two poles had fallen. In the following game nothing went right and we heard the judge whistle ...
