The agility thread

Ditchjumper2 said:
What a relief BC you must be feeling much happier x
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I am but I am also due to abandon her at home for the next two weeks 🫣

Imagine the list of instructions poor OH will receive tomorrow!

MurphysMinder said:
Great news. Big N has regular physio now, J finds it a great way of flagging up possible issues before they become a problem. Its a bit far for you to Whitchurch I expect but the ones we use are fabulous and treat loads of sport dogs.
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I briefly considered going back to her breeder to get mate's rates so an hour is nothing really 😂 Just waiting for my first opinion vet to clap eyes on the report before we come up with a plan. Surprisingly because of the bit she's done (not tendon of insertion) acupuncture might be on the cards, as well as laser.
 
blackcob said:
I am but I am also due to abandon her at home for the next two weeks 🫣

Imagine the list of instructions poor OH will receive tomorrow!



I briefly considered going back to her breeder to get mate's rates so an hour is nothing really 😂 Just waiting for my first opinion vet to clap eyes on the report before we come up with a plan. Surprisingly because of the bit she's done (not tendon of insertion) acupuncture might be on the cards, as well as laser.
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Let me know if you want details . Should be covered under insurance shouldn’t it ?
 
I see that on Agronet one is no longer able to comment on the matrix 🙄 I know it's a contentious subject but it's hardly in the spirit of things to prevent discussion.

I think I will struggle but until I compete can't say. Certainly won't use DINAS to check either and will wait for a normal show. It unfortunately it looks like yet again it's going to be hot 🥵
 
Ditchjumper2 said:
I see that on Agronet one is no longer able to comment on the matrix 🙄 I know it's a contentious subject but it's hardly in the spirit of things to prevent discussion.

I think I will struggle but until I compete can't say. Certainly won't use DINAS to check either and will wait for a normal show. It unfortunately it looks like yet again it's going to be hot 🥵
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I saw that. Also yet another post discussing micro , where people are now arguing that 30 cm and under is too high. One person stating that its ridiculous, their dog is just under 30 cm but has no problem jumping small at KC. I was so tempted to ask why they entered 250 classes at A4A then ! ;)
 
Naylors have a micro measure out here at KCI, I did try it but it’s swinging off him 😂

So far he’s been between 7 and 14 seconds below matrix times despite the heat, with one exception - he fell in love with the borderpap ahead of him in the queue and when released, bitched over her path for the first seven obstacles. 🙄 Walking the first third of the course frothing at the mouth netted him 3 secs of faults.

Thankfully we haven’t seen her again and he ran a double clear in the Crufts singles Qs.

ETA: Overall 12th place combined 6-7 Crufts singles, of 239 dogs!
 
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So off we went today to a very hot 🥵 Dogs in Need show. Large show loads of rings and the day parking a real trek. Daz up first in her jumping. Worked really well and at a distance which we've been working on in training. Was fast and ahead of me and I was dead chuffed for a clear only to find we had 1.3 time pens for an unplaced 4th. She didn't deserve that 😢 The next jumping she was abit distracted at the start then on fence 4 instead of going round she back jumped but that was my fault . Rest she did really well! Shame about the E as would have liked to see my time. In the agility again went well got all her contacts 🥰 but a 5 in the weave entry because I was absolutely knackered and I think she was concerned about the wheezing lump behind her 😂. Pebs only did 1 agility and absolutely flew so pleased especially as been in car pretty much all day. Unfortunately I eliminated her in the weaves 🙄

Currently sat with a large G&T contemplating doing it all again tomorrow. I don't care but have put the dog buggy in as they are both in same classes and I can't face the hike back to the car. Supposed to be cooler tomorrow 🤞🤞
 
Day 2 at Dogs in Need. Much cooler almost cold but I felt quite rough, too much sun I think. In the jumping Daz acted like she'd never jumped in her life for an E. 🙄 Maybe she felt rough too? In the agility G3/4 I wheeled dogs in buggy and parked them in a tradestand! Much easier as day parking miles away. 😆 Pebs was speedy did a fab clear but yep time pens. Seriously pissed off. Daz was better nailed the contacts drifted past a few jumps again though so we had another E. Withdraw from last class and came home. Lots of unhappy people with smalls that are not cockers / paps not happy with their time pens either. Becoming disillusioned tbh.
 
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JBM said:
I’d want to see the horse in the school if your planning to do that
Some of them absolutely hate it after just hunting
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Poing said:
Daughter has just taken showtime novice cup with her cocker Nala. This is her 1st year competing, just reached grade 5 and is also in Crufts qualifier semi finals at Olympia in December. She is beyond pleased. 😌
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Wow well done.
 
My absolute favourite summer venue has just announced they are running KC winter shows in their training barn. One ring only, different weekends for different grades, and the heights will be split morning or afternoon so you’re not there all day. I am so very happy about this - it is about an hour and a quarter from home but will be a world away from my normal winter competition venue.
 
Spotherisk said:
My absolute favourite summer venue has just announced they are running KC winter shows in their training barn. One ring only, different weekends for different grades, and the heights will be split morning or afternoon so you’re not there all day. I am so very happy about this - it is about an hour and a quarter from home but will be a world away from my normal winter competition venue.
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I love the sound of this!
 
A facebook group has been started for those with concerns about the new matrix. Some videos on there of lovely runs that have picked up time faults, it is so sad. A petition has been started too.

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I am going to stick my neck on the line a little bit, having spent the past two weeks at big champ shows with a group of club members representing a wide spectrum of grades, heights and handler experience. The only time any of us had time faults was when something went wrong with the run - by which I mean handler sat nav error, dog distracted or going off sniffing, multiple attempts at weaves etc., not just wide turns or non-optimal lines.

Some of the videos on the FB group don't make for quality evidence IMO. I was ready to fight the corner of the chap with the intermediate collie which was a lovely smooth run, on a course I'd ran myself that day. However, on reading the post it turns out the judge had applied the time for a higher grade, whether in error or deliberately. He would have been in the course time had the new matrix been applied correctly.

I seriously admire the lady with the chi and it's such a shame for that wee dog but she is an excellent example of why a micro height is needed, I suspect she'd be in time over appropriate height jumps. I am a big supporter of the non-typical breeds but when you opt to run a really extreme outlier I think you need to accept that there will be certain limitations.

One of the posts is about a dog who is about to retire due to serious illness (I think I recall he has lymphoma?)

I do still have some reservations, there are legitimate examples of people unfairly affected, and I am also still concerned that there's a cohort of judges setting times 10-12 seconds below the matrix in what I can only see as a deliberate attempt to be exclusionary. But honestly having seen a wide range of judges, courses and competitors recently I don't think it's as doom and gloom as we assumed.
 
blackcob said:
I am going to stick my neck on the line a little bit, having spent the past two weeks at big champ shows with a group of club members representing a wide spectrum of grades, heights and handler experience. The only time any of us had time faults was when something went wrong with the run - by which I mean handler sat nav error, dog distracted or going off sniffing, multiple attempts at weaves etc., not just wide turns or non-optimal lines.

Some of the videos on the FB group don't make for quality evidence IMO. I was ready to fight the corner of the chap with the intermediate collie which was a lovely smooth run, on a course I'd ran myself that day. However, on reading the post it turns out the judge had applied the time for a higher grade, whether in error or deliberately. He would have been in the course time had the new matrix been applied correctly.

I seriously admire the lady with the chi and it's such a shame for that wee dog but she is an excellent example of why a micro height is needed, I suspect she'd be in time over appropriate height jumps. I am a big supporter of the non-typical breeds but when you opt to run a really extreme outlier I think you need to accept that there will be certain limitations.

One of the posts is about a dog who is about to retire due to serious illness (I think I recall he has lymphoma?)

I do still have some reservations, there are legitimate examples of people unfairly affected, and I am also still concerned that there's a cohort of judges setting times 10-12 seconds below the matrix in what I can only see as a deliberate attempt to be exclusionary. But honestly having seen a wide range of judges, courses and competitors recently I don't think it's as doom and gloom as we assumed.
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I agree with regard to some of the dogs, but there was a rottie x who whilst not the fastest had a round I would have been happy with if I'd been running her, but got time faults, and she wasnt the only one. It does seem the lower grades are being more affected, I haven't yet done a KC show since the changes, my next one is September so it will be interesting to see how he goes. He's normally around 10 seconds inside the time with a decent run, so could end up borderline. I'm waiting to see what happens with micro, if it doesn't come in or isn't put on at the few local KC shows I do, I am considering not doing anymore KC , if the new times adversely affect us that may shape my decision. I accept Zig does have limitations, not just his shape but also the metalwork in his leg, to date it hasn't been a problem but I'm not going to push him over 30 cm if the time is less achievable.
 
Appreciate your comments BC and I am going to see how my girls fare at a normal show. I still feel that normal handlers with normal dogs stand less chance under the new matrix. However, the times set appear to be completely random in some areas which doesn't build confidence. The great handlers with fast dogs will always win (rightly so) but some of us with steadier dogs pick up our wins / points when those get E'd and the feeling is they don't want this to happen. Mine are Miniature Schauzers so not the speediest and they are G3 and G4. One may measure in Micro the other won't. If normal people like me feel that progression is unattainable then people will give up as what's the point? I am not saying those that plant or walk round or go awol shouldn't get time pens. But if they "canter" round and get time pens then that I feel is wrong. Let's see what the weekend brings and hope its not too hot. It's certainly provoked strong feelings and the only reason the separate FB group was set up was because Agronet banned people discussing it. It's a contentious subject but there is no transparency over the data used, or the method used of calculating "the average".
Time will tell but it's a shame if non typical breeds are penalised unjustly. People esp with smalls are feeling demoralised.
 
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@Ditchjumper2 i don’t have a hope now. My lurcher is obviously insanely fast as a type, but has had to be slowed down massively otherwise we would never get around a course, he’d just go zoomies. He’s four years old now and we had just been creeping into the no time fault zone… I have three runs tomorrow, will let you all know how they go.
 
Spotherisk said:
@Ditchjumper2 i don’t have a hope now. My lurcher is obviously insanely fast as a type, but has had to be slowed down massively otherwise we would never get around a course, he’d just go zoomies. He’s four years old now and we had just been creeping into the no time fault zone… I have three runs tomorrow, will let you all know how they go.
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Good luck
 
Clodagh said:
How can judges not follow the matrix times ? (I’m no agilitiser but surely rules is rules?)
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New matrix rules. To generalise, if a large grade 1 agility course used to have a time limit of say 60 seconds over a certain distance, that’s been reduced by about 9 seconds. In order to go up through the grades you have to go clear within the time limit and win your class. It feels unattainable to some (me).
 
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