We Was Robbed!

Well, not literally. But Cosi and I were robbed of a Q in Open FAST on Saturday.

The trial on Saturday was a very busy one. They were running two rings, and I was to be in both at the same time. We ran in Open FAST first and were the only 16" dog of the 5 entered to make the Send/Bonus. It was a tunnel to the A-frame to a jump. I was elated when we Q'd, or so I thought. Every dog (even the Excellent dogs who basically had the same Send in the earlier class) were coming out of the tunnel and missing the A-frame. They'd come to the handler, but by that time it was too late to take the A-frame.

This trial did not have yellow copy sheets for the exhibitors. I *hate* that. By the time I saw the results posted (two classes later), they had Cosi as NQ with a score of 45. I added the points of the equipment he correctly completed: 57. And that's not even with the 20 points of the Bonus. I went to the trial secretary. On our sheet was someone else's score. The judge happened to come to the trial secretary's area at that time, and I pleaded my case. She didn't remember our run, so it was the scribe sheet against me. I, of course, lost. This is not the first time that a clerical error cost us a run. It happened with Brisco in Excellent A way back when; but it was the same thing: The scribe sheets got off by one because dogs moved. My only hope was that the person who "Q'd" would come forward. I didn't recognize the dog or the person's name on the result sheet, or I would have asked them about their run. No one came forward, so the results stand. *sigh* The Agility Fates giveth, and they taketh away. This weekend was a taketh away weekend.

On the Plus Side
Cos and I really ran as a team this weekend. He was focused and did 6 sets of perfect weaves this weekend in various classes. For the first time I felt that we belong in Excellent. Earlier in the year he wasn't holding his focus through 20 obstacles. He'd get so giddy and high around #12 that the rest of the course was a train wreck. Plus today he hit a wicked weave entry. It was a thing of beauty. He held his contacts and listened to my body and verbal cues. I was very proud of our runs. We have no Q ribbons to show for great runs (due to dropped bars), but we are definitely coming together as a team. It feels great!