I want you to know that, just because I have yet to win any prizes or rosettes at Agility, this does not mean that I am not making excellent progress.
Gail entered me into four events at the Ross-shire Dog Agility Competition last Sunday.
In the first event, 'Open Jumping', I tackled all the jumps and the tunnel in the correct order and did not knock any poles down, nor at any point go AWOL from the designated course. The fact that I treated three of the hurdles as an opportunity to show off my limbo dancing skills is surely evidence of impressive versatility.
In the second event, also 'Open Jumping', my slow start enabled me to demonstrate my capacity for rapid acceleration.
Thirdly, came the first 'Agility' class. In this I struggled manfully on to complete the twenty obstacle course, despite the fact that Gail had lost her bearings completely before we were a quarter of the way round. Her excuse was that she had been convinced, based on past competition experience, that I would refuse the second obstacle, the 'dog walk', so she hadn't really bothered to try to remember the rest of the route. Yes you are correct, it is downright insulting.
As is the fact that she didn't ask anyone to photograph my performances for fear, so she claims, of tempting fate.
So you'll have to rely on my word for it that I very nearly achieved a clear round in the final 'Agility' class for medium sized dogs grades 1-7, and was prevented from doing so only by the fact that the judge lady rudely came over to move me on, just as I had paused for a minute or two to catch my breath and admire the splendid view of Ben Wyvis from the fulcrum of the seesaw...
It is not my fault that some folk will fail to recognise star quality when it is staring them in the face.
