Skye goes for his APD at USDAA in Pueblo

Well we didn't get our APD this weekend, but I am happy with the runs we had.
Skye needs one more gamble Q to get his APD and we had two attempts this passed weekend.

Saturday's gamble really was one we should have had. It was a jump, push out to a tunnel straight ahead, and coming out of the tunnel, turn to the teeter. Skye has a great distance teeter, but I stopped supporting the tunnel too soon and pulled him right off of it.

Sunday's gamble was more challenging, and I was focused on the 'hard part' of turning the dog coming out of a tunnel into another tunnel under the DW, and keeping them off the 2 jumps that were straight ahead of the dog. I focused on that part so much, I didnt give enough pressure to make sure he went into the first tunnel, and he instead climbed the dogwalk. Ah well, we really didnt get an attempt at that gamble.

I only entered Skye in a few other runs this weekend.
We did snooker both days. This was the first time I ran snooker and didnt actually need a Super Q, so in our first snooker, I ran conservative, like a 5+7+3 course, and got a Q with 3rd place (getting through #6 in the closing).
On Sunday's snooker, I thought we could get all 7's in time (teeter + jump combo), so decided to go for it - and we got it and got through the closing for a 1st and another Super Q!

Our other runs were on Saturday - Jumpers to start the day off. The ground was still wet, and Skye took 2 bars, so NQ. The other run was Standard, and we had a very nice run for a Q & 1st.

So, I've debated, with myself mostly, about going for Super Q's in snooker when you dont need them. I know some people will always go for 7's for the challenge it presents, and some will just make a course that flows. I think that if I needed a Super Q, and knew that my competitors didnt try their hardest, and I got the SQ, it wouldnt be worth as much. It's more satisfying to get it when everyone else is giving 100%. Sometimes slower dogs will get a course that is better for them, and the faster dogs will offcourse. So, I think I will still run my future snooker courses trying to get as many points as I can. Now, if someone was to actually ask me to not go for it, would I? Hmmm.