Summer Shows... Done!

And just like that, it was all over! Our Summer Shows came and went in a blur. The wind certainly helped to get our tents up quicker on the first Friday, then came sunshine, rain and finally peace and calm descended on the field once more!
We had an absolute blast and it sounds like you all did too! Here are some lovely photos and comments from a few who attended. Without you guys, smiling & laughing, the shows wouldn't be as awesome as they are!

Mild March: Winter Series Show

March is upon us and spring is definitely in the air! I thought I was late when it was light and I was still at home but no, thankfully the sun is starting to peek its head out for longer each day!

Lou had staggered out of hospital and right into the show on Sunday, looking a little green around the gills, but stubbornly Judged for half of the morning. We were all pleased to see her up and about although also pleased to see her go home to rest at lunch time.

Three rings were running once more with FAB and On Track Agility Clubs taking charge of a ring each. The Show ran quickly and smoothly, although the exercise arena was a little stretched at times with some of the little dogs being run over by 100mph collies.

Avril championed the day by doing the triple with her youngster Dodger! Agility, Jumping and Steeplechase Win! Adele and her newbie Luna also performed really well and Rachel and Daisy got 3rd place with Daisy's first show on Standard height in Beginners Jumping. Wowie. It's so heart-warming to see dogs that have come through Puppy and Bronze Obedience at Dig It now starting to find their confidence and produce results at Agility Shows.

One of the comedy moments was Christina running Echo for Rachel! Poor Echo did a lovely stop contact on the dog walk, and Christina, not expecting it, was looking all around thinking she'd lost him! Her fellow Advanced competitors were very... supportive?! (We're laughing with you honest!).

Quickly we were finishing up and the scorers were struggling to keep up! With the night still light we had packed up and gone home for a reasonable finish time!

Only one more show left to do and at the end of March our Club Competitions start outside. Winter shows are brilliant for training and keeping our dogs fit, but we're all itching to start getting out onto the grass!

Dazzling December : Winter Series Show

We welcomed December in with another Winter Series Show. As the sun rose on a new day the burger van was a welcoming sight for some of us who had arrived before breakfast!  Entries were limited to keep the show to two rings and it was much smoother to organise and manage. We had plenty of help and everyone had more space and room to relax.

The competition soon heated up with many Dig It Members taking home prizes! Rachel & Daisy had an amazing first show getting placed in every class and even taking home the 1^st in Steeplechase. Bex’s dog Gemma didn't let age stop her as she took home two 1^st and a 2^nd, despite being 11 years old! When the results were announced Bex reached a pitch of squealing that only dogs could hear! Avril & Adele brought out their "pups" for their first show and Luna took home a 6^th and Dodger a 3^rd! Also Dianne had a lovely run with Jess for a 2^nd place and Ella and Woody had two 1^st in Intermediate! Advanced is not far away for them!

Our Judges were fantastic and it was great to welcome some Kennel Club Judges who are fairly new to the position. Our shows don’t just cater for newbie dogs. We also had first time Judge Matt who thoroughly enjoyed himself and has promised to come back again. I guess we aren’t so scary after all. I particularly enjoyed his Steeplechase course (but that may be because we won it)!

Greyhound Gap brought along their fabulous cake stall which caused a lot of Christmas diets to be broken, or temporally put on hold, and the Agilitywear stall was busy handing out and taking orders (I am looking forward to getting my new Dig It hoody at the next show!). Oscars were there with some great dog goodies as well as Monkey Dog Wear with their amazing leads and collars. All of this shopping almost left no time for agility.

It was a long day and people were flagging a little as we reached the final Steeplechase classes. Well done to all of you hardy guys that stuck it out to the end! The atmosphere was friendly throughout and there were a lot of people supporting each other while course walking and competing, with the occasional friendly banter here and there.

With the second show now done winter is truly into the swing of things! Entries are filling up fast so get your butt moving if you haven’t yet entered our 2014 shows! The future is bright.

Remember November : Winter Series Show

The first show in November marks the start of Winter and it was a tad chillier than anticipated! We had a busy show and due to someone not being able to count (Lydia) we ended up with more entries than planned so opened up a third ring for Steeplechase.

There was cheer and laughter in the air (very loud laughter from Avril) and a number of instructor misfortunes contributed to the enjoyment. Sue never made it to the show due to her house mate leaving for Birmingham with her car keys! Then I covered myself in hot chocolate while doing the drinks run and had to lose my jumper (brr). Lastly Katie's Springer, Milo, jumped up at her and ripped a big hole in her jeans and she had to wrap a jacket around herself apron-style to hide it!

There were plenty of mishaps in the ring too! Rob and Buddy (famous from previous posts) had a cracking run until Buddy somehow mistook a jump and got stuck with his front legs on one side and back legs behind, with the pole under his armpits! He eventually managed to scramble over and didn't even knock the pole down. Lou's dog Twiggy somehow got in between the timer and the jump wing (no one quite knows how) and then her other dog Poppy had a wild run; firstly self-releasing off the seesaw and then running off the dog walk and over the finish jump, leaving Lou stood at the second to last jump waving goodbye!

However it wasn't all bad. Intermediate was definitely the busiest class this time and it's pleasing to see that a lot of dogs have moved up the grades during summer. The show still had its beginner appeal and Deb had her first run in a new place with her youngster Beanie and they did really well. Bex and Gemma got placed in every run. Katie and "baby" Milo got a 2nd on his 2nd Birthday! Sue, Avril, Lou and Sheli all got placemets with their dogs and Adele and Oliver beat Lou to 1st place for once!

We had some great judges putting together lovely courses and we all really enjoyed running Emma's Steeplechase. Rachel ran Emma's dog Tess, but half way around she realised her mum was in the ring and had to run over to say hello! Poor Steve our website designer then got bullied into scribing for Judge Emma, who happens to be his daughter.

Away from the agility everyone couldn't help but notice the new added muscle to the show in the form of a tall welshman! It was a great help having two guys at the show and Nick (Mr. New Guy) and Ash are always a welcome sight when it comes to packing away time. Even if Ash was wearing a very bright, pink hat. It clashed a bit with his ginger hair!

It was a late finish but the spirits and atmosphere were high as usual (although I think it's safe to say we all collapsed once we finally got home at 8pm)! December will be back to the plan of 2 rings and away before 6pm!

Spooky Halloween Show

Mwhahaha. This weekend we took our masks off and let the inner-scare show for our Halloween Agility Show!

The weather blessed us and we were able to have our Fancy Dress Agility outside. This was a lot of fun, you had to collect a pair of devil horns from Jump 2 and then wear or carry them for the rest of the run. Scary Sally was the Agility Judge and it was her first Judging appointment! She did a great job and said she'd enjoyed herself.

The aim of Dig It Shows, as always, is to encourage new dogs and owners to enjoy their first show in a relaxed environment and in theme to our last post, we were so pleased to see a lot of baby dogs coming along for their first show! Big up to Bowie, the blue merle Australian Shepherd, (named after David Bowie) who got his first clear round and won the class! Well done them.

We had cakes for breakfast and lunch and finished the day nice and early. Every level ran the same course which is a nice little change for beginner and advanced handlers alike, and the atmosphere was extremely happy. Lydia pulled out all of the stops and made some fabulous rosettes which everyone found very special.
A themed show really boosts the fun and friendly atmosphere and it was a day filled with laughter.... albeit slightly evil laughter!!

Dancing Dig It Instructors at Shrewsbury & Oswestry

With the agility season coming to a close and Oswestry being a local show there were many Dig It Instructors, Members and friends competing.

Small Grade 7 handlers were spotted dancing while walking one of their courses on Saturday. It all started with Adele demonstrating Oliver's "dance" seesaw moves, Amanda Hampson showing off her new handling system of stick your leg out and butt spins and Brian insisting that everyone should have a go at ketchup turns. One thing just led to another and they quickly got out of hand!  I tell you what, it was very amusing from my viewpoint.

The small pairs was a great competition with Lou & Deb taking 1st, Adele & Avril 3rd and Sarah & Hannah 4th!

Lou only had Twiggy to run as Poppy is recovering from an injury and they had two more wins throughout the day! Poor Poppy will not be happy.

Deb & Bert had a great weekend with a couple of placements and some clear rounds.

As it went dark on Saturday a very bright, tall, pink thing was seen floating around the caravans. It turned out to be Sarah in a onsie! I said I'd give her £10 if she wore it all day on Sunday.

Oswestry Sunday and the heavens opened. Sue and Rosie appeared for the day and just missed out on a placement after a cracking Agility run. They finished off early and made it home for lunch!

Lou judged all day and her boots were still soggy the following Friday! However amazing Mandy cheered her and the ring party up with some "seriously yummy millionaire shortbread chocolate things with orange buttons on".

Sarah got a 2nd in G1-7 Jumping despite nearly loosing her hat half way round.

Avril's Ellie had a few unplaced clears and Adele & Oliver got 4th and 7th.

As for me.. Well Guinness managed 7 out of 7 Eliminations, but we did a nice handling Jumping course on Saturday and a storming agility round on Sunday morning, with only the weaves letting us down.

A lovely weekend with some great friends.

~ Ruth ~

G1-4 Combined Jumping
Inaccurate diagram from memory

September Summer Show

Autumn is creeping in and the first weekend of September sees the last of our Summer Shows.

The sun was shining on us and everything trundled along as usual. This Show welcomed some shiny upgrades with a new, loud PA system and two new scribe tents (which could also be described as toilet tents but we have discovered their true calling)!

We had a treat of burger vans across both days and Lydia pulled a funny face while running around the Agility course a couple of times after eating a big bacon bap!

We were blessed with some lovely judges who provided nice and interesting courses, and there was a warm welcome back for Susie who has been hiding in the woodwork for too long while studying hard for her Masters degree.

Beginner Agility, Can You Dig It

The UKA games class this year has been Power and Speed and we have decided for next year's Summer Shows to change to a different game, perhaps Snooker or Gamblers! Watch this space.

It was nice to see the usual stalls there with Oscars and Sandbach Interactive Dog Toys, who have officially started selling kids toys! People were oddly attracted to the flashing pens and the show started to resemble a rave, with lots of people waving their different coloured flashing pens. I tell you what, these agility people are a little odd!

There was a storm of Dig It Instructors success this weekend, with many of them winning their classes or being placed. Sue and Rosie did especially well on Sunday, winning every class, but that may be because they were the only ones in Advanced! It must be lonely at the top!

Sadly Summer must come to an end but it went out with a friendly smile and a fun, relaxing show. Onward to our Winter Series now! We'll see you in November.

Poppy's WAO Adventure - The Final Instalment

Okay so here it is, the final gripping instalment of my experience in Spain.  Better late than never – my PA (Mum) kept saying she’d write it up for me but I guess you just can’t get the staff. 

Saturday was another early start.  Good job I could stay curled up in my crate to catch up on beauty sleep as I wasn't due to run for ages.  It was really cold and wet too.  Soggy Saturday.  Bit like being back at home in November really.  I may have questioned Mum’s sanity about all the coats and things she’d put in but actually I was really glad she had.  I had to use two waterproof coats and Mum even tucked me up in my pyjamas for a bit.  So much for sunny Spain!  The weather was so bad they had to move the outside rings inside at lunchtime.  This delayed the proceedings and it was 7.30pm before I got anywhere near a ring.  This time it was a class called gamblers.  Never heard of it but I'm sure it was designed just for me!  30 seconds of take your own line with all the different obstacles worth different points.  Once again Mum was muttering all sorts of numbers.  She really should have concentrated more in school because I've never heard counting like it!  After 30 seconds a buzzer was going to sound and then we had to do this gamble thing.  There were two options; one being harder than the other.  Mum reckoned we were going to do the harder one.

I think the rain, mud and cold had made everyone go a bit funny because everyone was very excited and there was a lot of clapping and cheering as dogs were running.  This was more like it!  All that noise actually scared the monsters away and it meant that I could do what a Brown Rat 1 does best and that’s run.  Wahey!  Mum (well Ceri actually) had made up this really fun course that covered all the ring.  We flew round getting lot of points with the crowd cheering us on all the way.  After the weaves the second time Mum slowed down and started faffing round this jump.  No idea what she was playing at!  Turned out that the dozy muppet was waiting for the buzzer to go so we could start the gamble.  It had already gone though!  Not sure whether it was me woofing or the crowd cheering but she hadn't heard it and we missed doing the gamble.  Methinks I need to get her a hearing aid.  Mum was gutted but at the same time really proud of me for running so well.  Once we got back to the hotel we found that had actually come 4^th!  If Mum had heard the buzzer …… well, who knows?

Biathlon Agility

The last day seemed to come round very quickly.  I only had one run but there were lots of other England team members and medals to be decided.  Exciting stuff!  No sign of those pesky monsters; I think all the shouting and cheering the day before had sent them packing.  Mum said she liked the agility course because it wasn't too twiddly.  She’s always harping on about how wide I turn.  That’s because I am rear wheel drive and turbo driven.  I slow down for nothing!  She compares my ‘turning circle’ to the QEII.  At least it’s classy and not a barge I suppose.  We set off at a rate of knots (in keeping with the QEII), had one hairy moment when I spotted a tunnel and run fell pelt at it causing Mum to shriek like a fishwife.  She wanted me to weave instead.  Ha!  Just keeping her on her toes.  I managed to control my excitement on the seesaw and didn't launch into space off it but the pull of the aforementioned tunnel after the dog walk was just too much AND I might have got my feet burnt for touching the contact so I decided to play safe and not touch it.  Pretty good run with 5f, even if I do say so myself!

So that was it.  Competing over for me.  Nothing to show for it but we came very close in Gamblers.  Once the monsters had gone I ran my socks off (not that I've ever worn any) and showed everyone how amazing I really am.  Several members of the Team England had some amazing results and it was an absolute privilege to be part of it.  Those that ran in the team competition took silver.  We also had a new World Champion in our midst as Shaun and Phix had won a gold medal.  Wow!

All that was left was to return home.  Whereas Kita and I had been allowed in the same cabin as Mum and Sarah on the way out, we had to go in kennels on the way back.  The indignity!  I'm an international superstar!  It actually wasn't that bad.  It was nice and warm in in there and I had my own comfy bed.  My neighbour was a bit noisy but I ignored him.  Oh and I met this cute Papillon who, to tell the truth, was a bit handsome and a real flirt!  Poor lad got in quite a spin!

Mum was very excited about seeing dolphins on the Tuesday morning.  Wish I’d seen them too.  We got home at about 8.30pm on Tuesday.  My 10 days of being an only child were over and now I have to cope with all the rabble again.  Mum’s got loads of new friends, all as mental as she is and we regularly see them round the shows here.  A few of them are competing this weekend at the European Open in Belgium.  I'm sure they’ll all be as amazing as they were in Spain.

Have to say I did enjoy this foreign agility lark – hope Mum does that selection show again.  Apparently it’s Italy next year.  Surely it’s sunny there?

July Summer Show

Wow it was hot hot hot this weekend for our UKA and Can You Dig It Show! We certainly like extremes; heavy rain in May and a heatwave this time. Snow in September?!

Everyone made sure their dogs stayed happy and cool and we were kindly donated a kiddies paddling pool by Instructor Katie which was a great relief for the dogs to have a dip in. We also got our big shelter up to provide more shade for people and their dogs.

Rode Heath Scout Group came with their fabulous cake stall and had sold out by early afternoon and on Sunday we had the delicious Burger Van Man who we love. There were also a number of different stalls including Oscars Dog Food and Eddie the Toy Man.

The biggest success story was Jill Francome and Harry who competed at their first show and got 1st, 2nd and 3rd across the two days! Well done you guys.

Sunday was especially busy and we had to open up an overflow car park! We even had a handsome Policeman come to visit us to check that all the dogs were okay. He left with a big grin after being invited into Lydia's caravan.

Another friendly and enjoyable weekend!

May Summer Show

This weekend we opened our doors for our first of three summer shows, and boy did the heavens open on us! It rained and rained and rained.

Saturday was our UKA Show and the wettest of the two days. I think the poor judges must have shrunk by the time we finished, but everyone wrapped up and battled through. The atmosphere remained positive and very friendly with people cheering and clapping each others runs and laughter could be heard. 

 Entry numbers were fairly low, with a rough head count of about 30 people, making the show generally relaxed and inviting. Rode Heath Scout Group provided a BBQ and Cake Stall and the cakes especially were very popular! Yum yum yum. 

Ruth one of our instructors had recently passed her UKA Judging course and judged for the first time on Saturday. She did a brilliant job and kindly let us share her courses. Here's Beginners Steeplechase:

On Sunday it was our Can You Dig It? Unaffiliated Show. Again the rain came but we still had a good attendance and saw lots of new faces. It was nice to see people coming for their first time and some for their first ever show. 

The judges put up some lovely, but challenging courses and people commented on how they'd enjoyed running the tricky but interesting Advanced course. One of the funniest moments of the day was reading a tickets that said "Dog - Marley, aka useless. Time - Forever. Free to a good home". It certainly made a couple of us giggle.

An enjoyable weekend for all with nice spotty rosettes for the winners and some generously donated prizes. Let's hope for sunshine next time though!

Agility Show for Windway Trust

Last weekend saw us out in the glorious sunshine for our Agility Show in aid of Windyway Trust.

We are so proud to announce that we raised a grand total of:

£918.35

Windyways Trust is an Animal Sanctuary based in Macclesfield, Cheshire. Their aim is to rescue and responsibly rehome unwanted or abandoned domestic pets. Any animal which is not suitable for rehoming is given sanctuary for life.

The show was well attended, we had lots of people entering on the day which was fantastic as we were worried the show would be low on numbers. Thankfully the sun seemed to bring people out to have fun with their dogs and support the charity. It was so warm & sunny that Lydia's freckles had tripled by 3pm!

The Windyway stall did well and made £80. Sally kindly donated sandwiches and yummy cakes which were greatly appreciated by all, except me as they'd all sold out before I got a look in!

One of the best moment was seeing Millie the Great Dane successfully go through a tunnel and came 3rd in Steeplechase! Hurrah! (It's not often that Millie squeezes through the tiny tunnels). 

Overall a fun, relaxed show and a lovely atmosphere for a Charity Agility Show. Windyway are so pleased with the funds raised which will go towards the care of the animals at the rescue centre. 

Thank you to everyone who came along and supported this fabulous cause.

Winter Series Agility Shows

In August 2012 Dig It decided to take over Tailwagger’s Winter Series Shows. Held in an indoor riding centre, the winter series is a set of 6 unaffiliated shows which run once a month from November to March. The shows are limited to 850 runs and aim solely to provide a relaxed, friendly experience for new dogs and handlers as well as for experienced handlers wanting to maintain their dogs fitness and show training over the quieter winter months.

Who Should Enter?

The shows are specifically designed for new handlers and new dogs who want to get that first show experience as well as those experienced handlers and dogs who want to smooth out the kinks and knots. Our shows encourage training in the ring, with silent toys allowed to be held when running for competition and NFC runs available. These shows are a great time to reinforce your contacts, try new handling skills and crack that start line wait. Have you ever thought “I wish I could try that again?” Well you can! You get 2 runs for Agility and Jumping and the option to run your 2^nd go NFC if the first was for competition. Grade 3 dogs can be entered in Beginner or Intermediate allowing inexperienced Grade 3 dogs the chance to train the basics in a show. Rings are fully fenced with clear entrances and exits and as much queuing space as possible. 
Courses for higher levels present challenges and valuable training opportunities to proof those difficult sections, weave entries and contacts. 

Show Day

Not far from the M6 and there is ample parking. Outside there is a spacious equine exercise area that doesn't get muddy and a burger van for those rumbling tummies. Inside you will find a variety of trade stalls selling cakes, clothes,dog toys & treats. Local charities Greyhound Gap and Rode Heath Scout Group make a regular appearance with a tombola and second hand book stall. There are frequent announcements and the ring managers are clearly found in their high-vis jackets. Ring plans are kept simple and a friendly face is never too far away to help.

 WhyNot?!

Small unaffiliated shows are vitally important to get you and your dog comfortable in the show environment. Limited numbers keep it from being too crowded and the courses are smooth, simple but challenging to match your level.2 runs for Jumping and Agility and training allowed in the ring, plus a brilliant burger van! Why pass at an opportunity to train in the ring?! Once you try one show you’ll be ready to come back for the rest of the series.