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LOCHLAN GRAND PRIX SEMI-FINALS 6TH PLACE 26" DIV.
The above video is the Grand Prix Semi-Final. Lochlan and I had a bye into the semi-finals for the World Games due to qualifying in the finals at a Regional Event. I would have to say, for me, the semi-finals are the most stressful of all qualifying rounds. They only take 10 dogs in the 26" division which is an extremely tight window in order to qualify for the finals. I know going into this run that I need to push myself to be in time for Lochlan to do his job. If I am late, he is going to be cued late and thus have a mistake or have a wide turn. Lochlan doesn't turn tight very often so late cues lose fractions of seconds off our time. The run starts well, lead out pivot to front cross. Loch is a bit late picking up the front cross but drives nicely to the seesaw. I then front cross the poles which I rarely do because it feels awkward to me turning the lead early, but I don't have much of a choice considering the next sequence. I stay with him in his poles because he sometimes leaves early when he's in high drive so I'm late for the next cross which makes him lead change late over the jump. On to the dog walk, Lochlan is famous for missing the up contact and it's my nemesis, but he hits it. Then as he's coming down the plank, he looks at the tunnel to the right and almost takes it. If he did, we would have been asked to leave the run since it was an off course. The turn over the jump was very wide, but I needed to hesitate in order to get him to not commit to the tunnel. The rest of the run went as planned. We ended up in 6th place. Fractions of seconds are the difference between the dogs and I was very happy to have made the finals considering Lochlan was almost 7 years old. LOCHLAN - GRAND PRIX FINAL 26" DIVISION
The Day of the Grand Prix final was in the 90's, but it's dry heat so it's definitely more tolerable than the humidity we have on the East Coast. The pressure is definitely off being in the final event. I always feel less pressure than the semi's. It's a huge honor being there and I always enjoy the moment and the accomplishment I have just made. Lochlan seemed to me a bit tired from the long week of events but was ready to go nonetheless. The course had it's challenges, however, I felt very comfortable with my handling plan. My biggest concern was precisely where I mishandled Lochlan. Never feeling comfortable front crossing on the back side of the chute, I knew it was my only chance to get him over the jump since he always blasts out of the chute and usually takes 2 strides which for him is about 15 feet before he makes an adjustment. The spacing was very tight for a large strided dog, but it was really my only option for him. If I serpentined or rear crossed the sequence, he most likely would have missed the jump and gone past the plan. So, my plan was set, get in front of him fast enough to execute the cross and call his name. I did precisely what I planned, but then I turned my back on him and he missed the jump. This was a costly mistake on my part adding 4 seconds on to our time. The rest of the run was flawless. Lochlan did his job, even hitting both up and down contacts on the dog walk which gave several dogs trouble. I couldn't have been more proud of him, he never ceases to amaze me for his tireless loyalty. LOCHLAN - TEAM STANDARD 26" DIVISION
The team runs are some of my favorite classes to run. Participating on a Master's Team allows me a little less pressure than an individual event because your results are not just based on your performance. Lochlan's team this year was called, "The Order of the Phoenix". He was teamed with my sister's Border Collie, Phoenix and Terri Arnold's Border Collie, Sonic. At this event, a few minor mistakes might get you into the final event depending on how the other teams perform, but any runs that earn an "E" which is an elimination will not garner enough points to make the final event. The final is a 3-dog relay course where you and your team mates perform a relay run with a baton exchange. The relay is very exciting and it's fun to be on the same course with your team mates. Unfortunately, we didn't make the finals this year. Lochlan had great team runs with no eliminations. The above run is his Team Standard run. He did have some wide turns in the jump section especially where he almost goes behind my back on a front cross turn, but that's typical of Lochlan; he just doesn't want to go into a collected stride when he's pumped, otherwise he ran clean. LOCHLAN - TEAM JUMPERS 26" DIVISION
This was an extremely challenging Jumpers course and teams went down on it really fast. Our group was the first to run it and you are always at the disadvantage being first. War ran 4th and was eliminated on the serpentine to the poles. He came so fast out of the tunnel to the poles that he didn't take the serpentine jump . War locks onto weave poles like a heat seeking missile and there was no stopping him. Lochlan ran 10th and I knew I had to change my handling plan so I did double rear crosses to the weave poles. I almost never rear cross Lochlan, but I was hoping I would get enough collection from him that I would handle the poles correctly. Luckily, he managed the sequence.
LOCHLAN TEAM
GAMBLERS 26" DIV. LOCHLAN - STEEPLECHASE CLASSIC 3RD PLACE 26" DIVISION
LOCHLAN -STEEPLECHASE SEMI-FINALS 26" DIVISION
Both Lochlan and War went down in the Steeplechase Semi-Finals. Lochlan had a bye into the Semi's so this was his one chance to make the Steeplechase Finals. Everything was going as planned until Lochlan went wide on a serpentine cue and then strided wrong of the broad jump. He just didn't make the correct adjustment and landed right in the middle of the jump. At 26" the broad jump is 60" long and there is no room for error. Unfortunately, we were done at the broad jump. Jumping is Lochlan's event and I love Steeplechase courses, but it wasn't meant to be. LOCHLAN - TEAM SNOOKER 26" DIVISION
Team Snooker, you either love it or hate it and I would probably have to say the latter for me is true. It's a rather challenging strategy game with many different nuances when you play. Elimination is virtually around every corner on the course. I wouldn't consider myself a great snooker player even though I have 3 Snooker Champion Dogs, however, this team snooker run, Lochlan was disqualified right at the start of the closing sequence. I cued him to go back into the tunnel and he didn't and I cued him again and he still didn't take it. This got me a whistle and I only got my opening points.
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