It's a Long Shot...

just to beat these odds. The chance is we won't make it. But if I don't take it, theres no chance. 'Cause your the best I got. So take a long shot. 


 So much to talk about in this post.

First off.... Leaps First Trial. OMG. I could NOT be prouder!!! The Results?
Novice Standard: Day 1: Q/1st/32 Secs, Day 2: Q/1st/32 secs - Both TOTALLY Clean!!
Novice Jumpers: Day 1: Q/2nd/19.99 Secs (Clean!!) Day 2:NQ/Wrong Course/My Fault!
Novice FAST: Day 1: Q/3rd/66 points Day 2: NQ/BADDDD Handler + Crazy Dog

Skye also rocked it out... Still no Open Jumpers Q's - but he came home with TWO Exc A Standard Q's both with first place (both 44 secs)!! So Proud! 1 more to AX!!!

So this coming weekend... we could have THREE new titles! Leaps NA and NAJ and Skye's AX... Hoping for at least one Open Jumpers Q too!

Which brings me too the next part of my update. Mental Game. 
Since last weekend it has been on my mind a LOT. Something that after thinking about it... SO many people don't think about.

I mean think about it... once you have a small problem in something. It gets in your head. I know that I do it with Skye. ALL THE TIME.

That crazy dog in jumpers, or that one darn refusal, or that one blown contact, or that one bar, not doing the teeter, or any of those "chronic" problems we have! It gets to the point that WE expect it to happen!

We now have almost 2 titles MORE in Standard than in Jumpers. Because I let it get in my head. I find myself DREADING Jumpers. I try to blame it on my dog doing dumb things. If I would just kick it out of my head it would go SO much better. Step to that line like we have never had a problem. BELIEVE we can do it. I try to tell myself I do... but I don't. It is something I need to keep working on. I think after really realizing this though hopefully this weekend will go better.

Leap did so amazing going 3 for 3 her first day all perfectly clean. Why? Because I expected NOTHING. Day 2 I blew her first 2 runs because we had car trouble that had me off in lala land and then I expected her to do good again. When I sat and thought about it and kicked it out for Standard... another perfectly clean run!

I ask of nothing from my baby dog because I just wanted to have fun... so why am I NOT doing that with my older dog? It always seems the funnest/best runs are when you don't TRY.

Skye was in Novice for a good 6-7 trials. Maybe even more. It felt like forever over one dumb thing. It was the same as we are stuck now in jumpers. We got out when I tried having fun. When I just went with what he gave and enjoyed running my dog. When I saw my friend lose her dog way too young and when I decided to just be thankful to run him.  Because really... that is a miracle.  (which reminds me I need to make a post about Skye's journey from start to now... its a doozy!)

So this weekend... my goal? Put everything to the side. Run my dogs for fun and just go with it. Whatever the outcome... it doesn't carry to the next run or the time with them. Because every second of that is precious. Why waste it dwelling on what has been or could be.

I won't sike myself out. I won't let my dog down. I will run for the fun. I mean my dog is so awesome she might have Novice titles in TWO shows!! And my other is in EXCELLENT 1 Q from starting on MACH when people told me he would never even compete. I have some pretty awesome dogs.... and I need to remember that again!