Creekside Software

When is discretion the better part of valor?

Today was one of those days. Wet soggy ground,cool weather, me with a sprained ankle and an AKC trial.  All right, so maybe it isn't a normal one of those days. Maybe it is closer to a perfect storm. We have yet to qualify in an AKC trial . So do I run or not? Of course I ran. The standard run was nice even though we took the wrong end of a tunnel and I watched another run dissolve before my eyes. We had goals - hit our contacts and make our weave poles and we did both. Plus Bailey was listening. Then came jumpers when she blew her start line, blew my plan and we walked off the course for the first time. She was not listening. In fairness to her, the course she made up was much nicer than the one the judge designed but last I checked you don't get points for that particular talent.

It is pouring now so tomorrow should be dicy. The trial is being held on a former horse pasture that is notorious for sucking shoes off unobservant pedestrians even in a mild drizzle. I have trials every weekend coming up so the choice to run tomorrow could have ramifications for our near future plans. Plus we have been HORRIBLE lately. 0-10 two weeks ago at a USDAA trial. Of course it was all my fault trying to wrangle volunteers in one ring while competing in another but still 0-10.  Really? That is the best we could do? Oh did I mention we have not qualified in a  USDAA trial in a while either.  I try to tell myself we have not been running that long together as a team and I myself have been competing for less than a year but still it is hard knowing how much better Bailey did with Mandy handling her than she is doing with me. It is time for me to step up my game. 

 As for tomorrow, I have no idea whether we will run or not. The smart decision would be to scratch if it rains all night and I will probably do that, especially if my ankle is still swollen. I will have to wait and see.  

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