Yesterday at our 3rd show at G5 we won the Agility which now makes JD a Grade 6 dog. This has come very early and I think the step between 5 & 6 is the biggest in UK Agility grading system.
A G5 dog generally shares courses with 3 & 4, so there tends to be straigther entries on to contacts and weaves and less turn / side changes for the jumps.
Grade 6 however, tends to share with 7 so all the latest sequences can be found on these courses. Additionally, in my experience of running Matty in 6, is that as stand alone classes they seem to feature every trick and twist and are generally harder then Champ (7) individual classes. I don't know why this is?
I am estimating that JD's first G6 class will feature going round the back on no.2 and pulling through to no.3. It always appears to me that is how G6 courses have to start!
This is why I think its such a level change. Although we train these elements, to date we have not really done them is serious competition. So for the next few months we will be competing on courses above our current ability. On the plus side is I now have a full summer season to practice, find out what we are good and not so good at, ready to formulate our autumn / winter training schedule for 2013!
Back to the competition, and here is the course plan:
Combined 4 - 5 Agility
Unfortunately we didn't get a video of the round but here is one from an class earlier in the day. I was really pleased with our contacts and weave entries, allowing Jaidi to run through in extension up to point of being clear. As soon as we incur faults I cue a stop (2O2O). For next few weeks I will revert back to majority being stopped with occasional quick release (or for me not giving any stop command but cueing extension which means to keep moving forward.
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