We went to cheer for Trevor at the Agility summer trial at Gateway Agility Club.It was a big AKC event.
Trevor did very good, he won a couple of ribons and won a gift for Taylor, a toy :-)
The main reason I went it was to learn from watching. Taylor will go back to school August 2nd, for refresher obedience three weeks, then starting agility :-)
I was watching the four arenas of competition and the skills of so many dogs of different breeds and their handlers. It is amazing how the dogs can learn to read the handler's body language, and learn also what they are supposed to do: jump over little fences, through tire, go in the tunnel and shute, walk a titer, and dog walk, and do the weave poles (that is the most difficult). All that with enthusiasm and happiness. They don't realize when they miss an obstacle or do a wrong one, but for sure they do realize the changes in voice, body language, and tensions in the handler. I admired especially the ones who missed the obstacle from the first two jumps (in some categories of competition that meant the team was completely out of the game!), but they continued till the end - and sometimes with no other fault!- to show that the team is good, that the dog knows the course.
Of, course I admired the national competition teams who did excellent performance in excellent time. What a wonderful performance!
But also I watched the ones like us, on the benches, cheering, praying, keeping our breath till our favorite team - dog and handler - finish their course. We were chatting and crticizing when we just were watching, when the team was not of our interest, but we were glued to the arena when our team was performing. We were hands up when the team finished and did no mistakes, or sorry that they missed the opportunity in case of a mistake... wish it would be perfect!
I think that is how God watches our actions in this life. Cheering for us, praying, keeping his breath to see if we do well, or being sorry for us when we screw it up.
Congratulations Trevor!
Trevor proudly smiling :-)
