Highlight Reel

Highlight Reel for the European Open

The speech I used is from an old Nike commercial. Personally I just find it really motivating. Made this video specifically for my Ipod, but I just couldn't resist sharing it. Hope you enjoy.

I'm still kind of not realizing how exciting this is. I know I should be over the moon, but it just hasn't hit me yet. I'm so used to watching EO videos online and ordering the DVD when it comes out. This year not only do I get to see it live, but I get to compete. Seems a little too good to be true if you ask me. Like a dream that never really fulfills itself. Yet here we are a week away from traveling into Copenhagen. The final vet work is being processed, our uniforms arrived yesterday, and I have enough USA gear to sink a battleship. After seeing how nicely the Junior European Open team did in Austria, I'm really excited to give it a go at the Regular European Open. Next year I think I'll try for both events... But for now I guess its okay that I'm the only junior going or who has ever been to the EO from the USA. 

My Team USA Jacket!! :)

Demon sporting some patriotic wear.

New shoes I ordered, wont have them for the EO though :( But still love them!

Pieces...

And parts. They are slowly being sorted out and put together. One by one, they are starting to click together. I can see it, that agility dog, it's in there and every weekend, every run I'm starting to see more and more. Whimzy and I got our OAJ Saturday, and are officially free from Open Hell for good! That class is evil. But anywho, the rest of the weekend wasn't what I'd hoped. To be honest, I would have liked us to have held it together for another run or so. But we only had one mistake on each NQ, for a 19month old puppy that is pretty good. I really have to remember that, she is 19 months. So young, and not even my priority. I've spent so much time working on Jenna for her big events, Nationals, World Team Tryouts, and European Open, that Whimzy has really been on the back burner. I can't wait to come back in August and give that poor dog the time she deserves.

Note to self: It's a baby.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrz8dHpAw50&feature=youtu.be

Studying...

With our past few break weeks from trialing, Whimzy and I have been working on our game plan. Re-working, re-watching, re-training, re-running, you know all that good stuff. Honestly though it's been a bit of a challenge getting what we need from each other. I finally am feeling in sync though. Which is good because we have our first show of the Summer season this weekend. Two days, a possible OAJ and AX in the making. Fingers crossed that mommy isn't a complete idiot and that Whimzy keeps her feet up. See I told you we had a good game plan!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PIMjEVWP0M&feature=youtu.be

Be afraid, very afraid...

Are you scared of rejection? Failure? Elimination? Death? Good you should be they are scary things, or can be. It's okay to be scared. It's okay to be nervous, it's actually good. It means you're aware. You are there living it and loving it, if you weren't you wouldn't care enough to be nervous. Every time I go to the line, with any dog, no matter the course, I'm nervous. I'm scared of something. But just because you are scared doesn't mean it should control you. Going to the line shaking because this is a one shot do or die kind of run, good. Going to the line thinking "Don't flub your fronts" or "Watch out for that off course tunnel", bad. You just set yourself up to fail, you think about the bad and all you'll get is bad. I think I've said a million or two "don'ts" and to tell you the honest truth, they didn't help me worth shit. I've started to learn how to catch myself before I start getting negative before my runs and I'll repeat the same thing over and over.  "Let your feet lead the way." It's the one sentence that reminds me exactly how I'm supposed to handle Jenna and it makes me confident that every turn will be tight and every step right on track. Caught myself tonight thinking "don'ts" about the European Open and I figured I'd share.  :) 

Belief Systems...

Some people believe in Religion. Some people believe in science. Some people believe in running contacts, others believe in stuck. Some people believe in me, others don’t. That’s all fine and dandy, I don’t really care which one you pick. The only belief that I really put stock into is the ability to believe in yourself. I know that sounds kind of cliché. But I don’t. Or didn’t or really I’m not sure. I never picture myself at the top of the pack, doing the best, or being the best out of everyone. Not because I don’t think my dogs have the potential, but because I guess I don’t believe I can get there. Jenna and I, in particular, have always been 2^nd class athletes in my mind. Possibly because others rate us there, so I’ve become comfortable with that image. But that’s not right. That is a comfort zone that I simply shouldn’t allow myself to settle.

Diane always raised me to be humble, especially while regarding my accomplishments in agility. But I’m starting to find there is a difference between being proud of you achievements and confident that you can do great and being egotistical and snobby.

“If you think you are beaten, you are

If you think that you dare not, you don’t

If you’d like to win, but you think you can’t,

It’s almost certain you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost

For out in the world you’ll find

Success begins with a fellows will.

It’s all in the state of mind.

Life’s battles don’t always go

To the stronger or faster man;

But sooner or later the man who wins

Is the man who thinks he can.”

~Arnold Palmer

Rigby:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX_19hg0pe4

The secret to a happy, successful agility career...

This, my friends, is a secret as old as agility itself (well not quite). The path to success officially became possible in 2000. Granted this is not a path you will travel on your own. You will need friends, foes, fellow competitors to make it. It’s not a onetime trick either, it can be used every show, sometimes even at practice, if you have really cool friends that is. This will make everything better no matter how you do at an agility show. Quick fix? Perhaps, but it can have some long lasting effects. This is a handler trick, although from personal experience I know it can make a difference in the canine companion’s performance as well.

Now breathe, I know this is awfully exciting, you ready? The secret to success, all the luck you could need in agility, is eat lots of MACH cake. Really it works, and if not at least you got to eat cake. See its good luck cake, and then it’s either a reward for a job well done or comfort food. MACH cake makes everything better.  Who knows maybe eating in celebration of someone else’s 750 points and 20 double Qs actually does rub off on us? Also it is proven that optimistic people achieve their goals and perform better then pessimists. Who can be pessimistic while munching on cake? Really I don’t see how that could be possible.

MACH on! 

:)

EO Practice...

Always SO exciting to train on Monday mornings. I got some really great stuff out of my girlies today. Whimzy started knocking bars towards the end of the session, but I can't really fault her for that considering it was like 83 degrees and two hours into an agility-packed day. Other than that she was spot on, really under control and just right with me the whole day.

Jenna was on fire, we ran a course from an EO Judge. 

This course to be exact. Loads of fun, but what was even more fun was running it backwards. Jenna nailed it that way too. Honestly I feel so in sync with her it's great! Really gives me hope that we won't bomb completely at the European Open. Beyond pumped for Sweden, I just wish we had our team USA uniforms already!  

Super secret raw clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg5E-IjKR5Q&feature=youtu.be

Edited video to music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky3zmaaxOw4&lc=AROPv4_2qXN-HU2eLCDi47g4_1yXDO0tG-Lu9NhBGuU&lch=email&feature=em-comment_received