who competes at agility/ in training??

[Rosie]

  I am one of "those" who trawls up and down the country with our caravan competing on weekends.

We love agility and the weekend away with the "agility community" having a laugh and meeting up with old and new friends.  It is not fiercly competitive - yes some people are but there are also a lot of us that are there to have some fun and have our own achievements.

At the moment we have:

Charlie - medium novice (taken into novice by Ellie) - he has a whale of a time and listens when he is in the mood - has had had 5 top 5 places this year and I am really proud of him but on another day the burger van is just tooooo exciting

Ellie - novice - small (12") who won me out of starters - little star - and got half way senior before the new grading system -  not the fatest over the ground but so neat and tight and responsive with weaves to die for - she is a very special little girl.

Dylan - senior!?! medium - Martin's dog who is noisy and bouncy and quite mad

Miah - large (honorary spaniel - would be devastated if you told her she was actually a kelpie!)  novice

Baby Spice - will start grade 3 next year and is 100% borderline small medium - due to be measured last month - toally mad, crazy and my first working spaniel

I am lucky that as I am a club member we have had priority on waiting lists and I know that it appears unfair to others but please bear in mind it is these members that usually give up their time to teach, run the club etc.  I know I am training 1 hour 2 nights a week and on committee to run the club.  I know new members will also help to the best of their ability but the sport is growing in popularity so much clubs can not keep up and unless there are people willing to start new ones there is only soo much capacity.

Finally - Penel I am impressed with your weave teaching!!  It took me months to teach Els and Charlie.

With Miah Spice and Dylan we have channell weaved and the advantages are that yes it gives a flowing movement but it should also encourage an independant weave entry from any angle (alledgedly if done properly - Spice is my first dog channel weaving so I will see!!).

I will stop waffling now but just a little brag - I passed my judges seminar with 100% yesterday - not sure if I am brave enough to judge yet but maybe sometime!!

[sportsmonki]

Posted by: anita96 

What is the best way for you find out about agility classes running in your area?

The KC can also give you a list of KC registed clubs in your area.

[crazyspaniels]

also check out www.agilitynet.co.uk for a good list

[Cob-Web]

Oooh, a section for agility bits
So who competes and at what level? and who is in training

ME! ME! ME!

Finally - after spending the day at the show on Saturday, Kathy phoned me to say that her Beginners class had agreed to fit in an extra one (making it up to seven) - so we went to our first class this evening 

We had a brilliant time - Molo got so excited and desperate to have his turn, and when he finally got it, he was a star; up and over the A frame and dog walk, through the tunnel and even did the weaves with a treat in front of his nose 

I've got loads of questions on technique - I'll be starting lots of new threads 

[sportsmonki]

Glad you have a place at a club and that Molo enjoyed it.

Storm went to a YKC training session earlier this month.  She loved it and learnt so fast.  She pulled right away from me to go through the collapsible tunnel as we were leaving the session.  Had never been trough one before, and wasnt phased in the slightest. 

[Ben's mum]

I only just spotted this bit but we do agility.

Ben has been doing it about a year now - and we have just posted off entries to our first competition! 
Ben just loves agility he is sooooo brave and very fast, we just have a slight issue with left and right but we are getting there.
We will be starting in the elementary section wich is for complete beginners - lets hope we don't disgrace our selves too much

Bens mum

[sportsmonki]

Storm got invited to join an agility club!!!  Finally 
 
I moved recently (without my dogs) but I went home on the weekend (to collect Storm...lol), and came back (via LCSS show) to take Storm to an introduction to working trials day near where I now live.  A couple of people at the training day compete in agility (and suggested Storm had a go  )  Their club is not too far from me and they may run a beginners course soon, so I'm going to put my name on the list  .

Hopefully my dogs will have moved down here too by the time the classes start...lol.

[Spangle]

We compete in agility too...

Sophie, my first agility cocker started it all 8 years ago, although now at 10 she's retired from anything but veteran or anysize, although she loves it more now than she ever has done.
Billy won into Novice at in 2005, and he competes at medium height.  He is a really fun dog to run. (except when he's thinking of biscuits!)
Ted competes at small height, and is just getting more confident over the jumps, really need to work on his weave entry though.

Having had measuring issues, which have now been resolved    I did not enter KC shows this year, although have continued to compete at independent shows.  We will be back to some KC shows next year though.
We're off to a show tomorrow, not too far down the road; just t'other side of Mansfield.  Wish us luck!   

PS/ I think I met Rosie at Wye Valley in 2005!

[crazyspaniels]

whooppeee, Bilbo is fit and back at training, after me worrying about him and giving him a month off, took him back and he was a demon, so excited to be back so fingers crossed no more stiffness in his back legs.
Dobbie got a right hand entry into the weave yesterday without guidance in the middle of a small course, week 12 of training - whooppeee

[Bryning]

Sorry, coming in a bit late here  I haven't posted before and we don't actually do agility (well, we do a little but just for fun) but...we DO do flyball!!  I was brought up with CKCS but now breed and show border collies and have been competing at BFA flyball for about 7 years now with them.  5 years ago I took in a rescue english springer pup that I trained and competed with and he was a complete star, sadly he died very unexpectedly last month (absolutely heartbreaking), we also lost our last cavalier earlier this year but, still haing a serious soft spot for spaniels, a few months ago I got my first working cocker...a beautiful blue roan and tan bitch called 'Teal'  ; she is now coming up for 8 months old and has just started her flyball training and is doing really, really well    like a total sucker (I must be mad!!) I have now also got a 4 month old black and tan dog called 'Drake' (groan....Teal and Drake....I know it's sad!! lol) he is also a fab little man but not quite as easy and biddable as Teal (perfect child!!) as he has frequent bouts of selective deafness!!  He is as agile as an alley cat and already retrieving well so hopefully his flyball training won't be too taxing (his problem will be keeping his mind on the job!!).  All my agility buddies are trying to convince me to train the cockers though...I think Teal would really love it but only so many hours in a day!! lol

Sorry went a bit O/T there 

[emms]

Can anyone recomend any agility classes in the Beds/Hearts area?

I have looked on agility net before but find it a little intimidating 

[PennyB]

Can anyone recomend any agility classes in the Beds/Herts area?

I have looked on agility net before but find it a little intimidating 

ask your local dog training club and see if there's a local dog agility club in the area (just look under the clubs section of agility net)

http://www.agilitynet.com/activepages/clubsv2_ed.asp?fldName=TrainVenueCounty

This link should be divided into County --- there are a few for each area you mention (just click on the name of the club and a little screen/popup appears)