You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
this topic so that they can be shared with<br />
readers of the column.<br />
Since the Nationals are fast<br />
approaching, here is another MVA<br />
experience from last year's Nationals, this<br />
time from Kristina Cetrulo.<br />
2004 ASCA N<strong>AT</strong>IONALS<br />
Paso Robles, CA<br />
WCASAputon the BESTNationals! It didn't<br />
hurt that it was heldso close (less than 150<br />
miles) from my house, either. There was so<br />
much going on that I am only going to chat<br />
about a couple incidents in detailand then<br />
just give a quick breakdown ofthe rest. I<br />
will mention however, that I have spent the<br />
last year gearing up Galefor herfirst time<br />
in MVA(Most Versatile Aussie —theyhave<br />
to compete in Stockdog and conformation<br />
and then do a performance event such as<br />
agility, tracking or obedience.) She isn't<br />
evenfour yet so my only goal was to have<br />
her be successful (not necessarily Q) and<br />
be happy competing in so many different<br />
venues at the same time. Basically, I didn't<br />
want her to melt. But—on with the trial!<br />
Tuesdaywas thebeginningofNationals<br />
and I hadfour dogs entered in agility,<br />
Gale had to do the MVA Conformation<br />
Evaluation, and she was also entered in<br />
another Stockdog pre-trial. It ivaj a busy<br />
day. I decided to only work Gale on the<br />
sheep—ducks had been a disaster and I<br />
had this gut feeling that I really needed to<br />
work on something she knew (sheep) and<br />
get some "manners" backon her beforethe<br />
Nationals Stockdog trial. Gale did really<br />
well—listened, kicked out—never quite<br />
balanced up but the sheep were hysterical<br />
(literally—they were panicked), so Gale<br />
just held them to me and we got around<br />
the course. Not her greatest run but better<br />
than a lot of the Started dogs so I was quite<br />
happy.<br />
Now came the big bugaboo: her Elite<br />
Standard run in agility.SheHADtoget her<br />
contact and qualify. I was so worried and<br />
I shouldn't have been—she was awesome.<br />
Whilethe run ivaj not thefastest (it is such<br />
a different mentality running ONLY to Q),<br />
she wasclean—got herA-Frame!—and we<br />
wereon our way.My legs werenot holding<br />
.up well but several people (mainly Elena<br />
Heine and Kristin McNamara) worked on<br />
me and gave me tips and got me through<br />
the rest of the trial—many, many, many<br />
thanks!<br />
Versatility<br />
Patches won Elite Jumpers - Veterans<br />
during the Nationals and she qualified in<br />
Standardas well. I honestly can't remember<br />
how Kali didbutI knowshe hadfiin! Chance<br />
also had a blast —roared through Novice<br />
Jumpers (pulled a bar) and was clean in<br />
his Novice Standard until the second-tolast<br />
obstacle (the dog walk), which for<br />
some reason, he didn't want to do. A little<br />
note about Chance: I have not worked with<br />
this dog since last Feb. since he has been<br />
on the campaign trailfor the breed ring.<br />
He has SO MUCH HEART to try so hard<br />
for me—like he didall Nationals—with no<br />
training. He is quite the guy!<br />
Wednesday was thefinal day ofagility<br />
and Gale picked up another Q for Elite<br />
Standard and MVA, Patches and Kali<br />
also Q'd in Std and the Elite Gamble was<br />
VERYdoable. It was a serpentine out to an<br />
A-Frame. Kali did it (YAY, Kali!) and then<br />
Gale did it...and launched the A-Frame<br />
contact. I could have killed her. But (I kept<br />
telling myself) she got the important Qfor<br />
MVA!<br />
Thursday (Thanksgiving) was<br />
technically my only day off—technically.<br />
Trish and I spent the day in the cattle<br />
pens setting cattle. It was actually a lot of<br />
fun (most ofthe time) and I learned a lot<br />
more about working cattle. My experience<br />
with them (and ducks) is quite limited so I<br />
learneda bunch and I really think it helped<br />
for my runs with Gale the next day.<br />
Friday was our Stockdog competition<br />
day. I spent a good part of the morning<br />
throwing the ballfor Kali and Gale to tire<br />
Gale out before her stock runs. She was<br />
holding up amazingly well to the pressure<br />
oftrialing—too welt it seemed. Each day<br />
she was more excited andeagerto work. So,<br />
"Operation Tire Gale Out" was in effect.<br />
According to the run order, it seemed like<br />
we would be up on cattle first and we<br />
would befollowing Kathy Warren and her<br />
awesomeyoung dog, Fred. Sigh...oh well.<br />
Fred went out and had a stellar run (to be<br />
expected) and Gale and I walked in—me<br />
worried, her excited. I have to mention<br />
that the cattle were AWESOME. They went<br />
whereyour dog told them to—ifyour dog<br />
didn't harass them, they were wonderful.<br />
So Gale andIpicked up our cattle and, hot<br />
damn—we were in a paralleldrive through<br />
thefirst panel, beautiful crossdriveto the<br />
2"^panel and then Gale lost it. "I HAVE to<br />
go to headMom! They are getting away!"<br />
Wehadabout30seconds (another eternity)<br />
ofme yelling at Gale and trying to call her<br />
off—and then it all settled down again and<br />
we had a lovely re-pen. As I came out of<br />
the arena, Kathy looked at me and said,<br />
"When did we teach that dog to drive?"<br />
"Today apparently," was my reply. Good<br />
girl. Gale.<br />
We had a nice break so she could<br />
wind down from the cattle (and do more<br />
ball throwing) and went in on the sheep.<br />
They were even more panicked than they<br />
had been a couple days previously. Too<br />
many inexperienced handlers and dogs<br />
had been running them around, I guess.<br />
Gale andI made itaround the course but it<br />
wasn'tpretty. Lots ofcircling so she could<br />
hold the sheep to me—they wanted back in<br />
theirpen BADLY. But Gale took all hersits<br />
and was awesome.<br />
Another break—more ballthrowing (I<br />
really wanted her tiredfor ducks) and into<br />
the duck pen we went. I had been watching<br />
and noticed that ifyou could get the ducks<br />
off the back fence, they went along quite<br />
nicely. But getting them off the fence was<br />
tricky. Bless Gale's heart —she went into<br />
her newly discovered parallel drive and<br />
we easily got them off the back fence.<br />
They slipped the first panel but I decided<br />
to just move on (Ifigured that ifI tried to<br />
mess around with a green dog, I wouldjust<br />
lose them to the backfence andfrustrate<br />
my dog)—we slipped the second panel as<br />
well and I decided to fix that. I am glad<br />
I did—Gale ivas awesome—took all her<br />
commands and only had one moment (at<br />
the re-pen) where she got impatient.<br />
Tosum up—Gale qualified in all three<br />
types of stock on Friday—she got an 84<br />
on cattle -and earned her Started Duck<br />
title! But, the big surprise was the MVA<br />
Rankings. Not only did Gale qualify in<br />
MVA, out of 88 dogs who competed, she<br />
came in 11"'! YAY, GALE!!!!! Not badfor<br />
her first time out—andfrom the Started<br />
stock classes. She was only 3 '/i points<br />
from Top Ten - ifwe had doneobedience.<br />
.. well, next time.<br />
Overall, Nationals was an amazing<br />
experience and 1 am so proud of all my<br />
dogs. They didSOwelland triedtheirlittle<br />
hearts outfor me.<br />
But—Baby Gale -11"' Most Versatile<br />
Aussie in the country. I still can't believe<br />
it!<br />
104 AUSSIE TIMES I <strong>July</strong>-<strong>Aug</strong>ust <strong>2005</strong>
Change language