I couldn't resist this pic of Brax who fell asleep on my trainers at the hotel on Saturday night after a hard days competing!!

Brodie also had fun at Dog Vegas but didn't get any placings as despite being told by my physio NOT to ride or do agility, I did two runs on Sunday and have been suffering since. I just couldn't get to where I needed to be quickly enough and got poor Brodie eliminated for back jumping. I took the opportunity to practice some movements that we haven't been brave enough to try while out competing. In the jumping, the tunnel was in front of three jumps so I tried layering it by standing in the middle and shouting 'OUT' and hoping for the best!! I'm so proud of my little boy as he did it!! I took a couple of pics of Brodie this week being lazy and the one of him yawning is hilarious and the other one is him in Brackens 'cat' bed.

Bracken had a fun weekend at Dog Vegas!! She was really on form and got placings in 5 out of her 6 classes, including a 2nd, two 3rds and two 4ths. I know its a girly thing to say but the rosettes are really pretty!! Here is a picture of Brax with her girly rosettes

I'm all out of sync this week as I had to work on Monday so I'm very confused!! We actually managed to get to training at Letchworth this week which was great as we got to practice some of the more difficult movements that people were struggling with while competing. The lesson gave me lots of ideas of what to work on over winter, especially flicking the dog away from you round the wing and getting tighter turns. Just don't mention dog walk contacts..!

I'm so excited that Natasha Wise is our trainer on the Sheltie agility training day (run by the ESSC working section). I watched her run with Dizzy that won her the title of World Champion and it was very emotional and fantastic to watch them working together. (Its on agilitynet and well worth a view). I just hope that Brodie behaves himself on the training day!!!

Brax had a good day at Stour Valley and Matthew got a 5th in the jumping with Brodie. Brax and Saturn got 2nd in the pairs and also got 7th in the pairs on the Sunday at Trent park. Bracken managed a very good 9th in the mini agility challenge at Trent park. Brodie did a lovely clear round in the agility and was one out of the placings but we messed up the jumping. The jumping was won by Lian and Saturn who was going like a rocket and won by seconds!!

I clipped Max today as he is getting soooo hairy so I thought I'd pop one last hairy pic on the blog. He is still staying slim and its actually got to the stage where we need some rain!

Brax had a very up and down weekend at Burnham Agility show-literally! The 'ups' included a 2nd in the C4-7 jumping (again just tenths of a second off another G6 win) and a 2nd with Andrew and his small very speedy poodle Ollie in the pairs. The downs came on Sunday as she flew off the see-saw in her agility class without tipping it at all - idiot dog should have had a parachute!! Amazingly she seemed fine afterwards but didn't go clear in her next two classes so she'll be taking it easy this week.

Brodie was a good boy and despite being lumbered with his mum as a handler we managed to win the C1-7 snooker class. I think I needed oxgen after I'd finished!! I was so proud of Brodie though as he had never seen the wishing well and just flew over it three times. I was also really pleased that we were 7th in C1-7 agility (placed to 6th!) out of 57 dogs behind some very fast dogs. Well done to Lisa with Tyler who got 4th in the agility and with her young collie Dillon who won his jumping class!!

Brax had a great weekend at Letchworth show getting another grade 6 agility win!! She also managed to get two 2nds and a 6th in the C1-7 power and speed. Matthew managed really well despite being ring manager for two days and having two dogs to run! (He got two clear rounds with Brodie on the Fri and Sat in jumping.)

Brax and Saturn got a very good 13th in the Euk pairs and a 6th in mini/mixi pairs on Sunday - what a team! Brodie was going to be having his pairs debut with Lians Sing but poor Sing had a sore back after his agility run and Brodie was quite tired after 3 runs so they didn't compete. Brodie did a lovely run in the C3-5 agility but his silly handler didn't push him out enough over a jump so he had a refusal. Shame as he was going really well - totally my fault! He came out the weaves in the C1-4 HS and was clear in the C1-7 power and speed but no placing. I wasn't on form as my left foot was very numb and running wasn't great for it! After a visit to the docs on monday I have sciatica so poor Brodie has a crocked up mummy!!

The dogs had a fun four days at the Summer Open show at Ely. Matthew ran Brodie in the C1-3 jumping on friday and saturday as I was a work and they got clear rounds both days just out of the placings. I'm very proud of my boys!! On the friday Bracken had a cracking day as she won her Grade 6 agility (it was her first weekend in grade 6) and had a placing in the Euk pairs with Lian and her super Saturn. Fingers crossed this means they'll be off to Crufts next March!! :-)

There is a video of their pairs run on Lians blog - http://theknightsmixedbunch.blogspot.com/

I went on the sunday and had two agility and one jumping run with Brodie and again we had two clears but were just out of the placings. On the monday we had a fun day with four fun classes each. Brax did very well with a 4th in tunnel terrors (not bad for a dog that doesn't really like tunnels!) and a 5th in the C5-7 power and speed. She would have got a great placing in the steelpechase but she knocked a brick out of the wall which was the last jump. Her take your own line course was brilliant but against some of the fast G7 dogs she was 0.1 seconds out of the placings!!

Brodie unfortunately had all four of his runs in 30 mins. He went clear in the first three and then I got muddled up in tunnel terrors so not his fault! He got a well deserved 2nd in the power and speed and he ran like a loose cannon but we got round clear. He did a fantastic round in TYOL and ended up in 4th behind three G7 dogs so I was really pleased with him. Well done to our fab trainer Lisa and her super sheltie Tyler who won the TYOL!