My Week

I made the most of the week leading up lock up.  The news keeps changing about the coronavirus.

I got to see Alan on Wednesday.  I hadn't seen my son since Christmas.  He was in town for a check up.

In the evening we had our AmVets meeting.

Thursday I went to yoga followed by our retro version of Hot Buns.  I dressed like this

We had some hail on Thursday afternoon

Saturday and Sunday I took Amber to Champaign for AKC Rally trials. There was some snow on the way there on Saturday.

Saturday

This is the video of the 3rd leg that awarded our AKC Advanced Rally

As you can see, it snowed and was slushed on Saturday

 Here's to compare our scores and Amber and I are #402.  I was surprised because I put that number over my plastic armband which had our last number of 1402 from the last trial in Caseyville.  This is the score sheet for the closure to her Rally Advanced A Class to get the title. This was purple sheet for the 4xx level entries.  We got a score of 89 which beat the minimum passing score of 70 and the other two entries was an absent and a non-qualifying score.

Here is Amber posing with her Rally A Advanced title on Saturday morning.  I was able to move up in the trial in excellent category after that.  I maintained the same numbered armband.

Then I requested to be bumped up in category to Rally excellent A class and got a red ribbon in the afternoon.  Nothing to snicker at there.

Sunday
Amber achieved her "AKC Rally Excellent A". She's a sniffer in the ring and I think we're in the wrong business. Three qualifying trials make a title. One on Saturday completed an Advanced title so we bumped up the other three trials to earn our Excellent title. We did it.

 This was our second leg AKC Rally Excellent A class trial with a score of 88. A blue ribbon but in all fairness the other in this class was absent. So we got the blue ribbon.

 

The 3rd leg is the final trial for Rally Excellent A title. I felt pretty good about it when it was over. We scored a 90 and a blue but we were the only one in this class. Videos are good because you can notice when the judge is writing in relation to my behavior.

I noticed the worst error for points was the double side step (back by the window) because I only took one step. I was focused on regaining Amber from the sniffing near the wall. 
Judge was writing during the "about turn right about u turn" (#212) sign right after the jump and again at the "left turn -forward" (#34). 

We got a score of 90 on our third leg for Rally Excellent A Title. Entrant Number 402, border terrier, is the only one in Rally Excellent A class so we got the blue by default.  I'll take that.  Qualifying is what will matter in the future as we now enter B classes of rally. 

The congratulatory cake honoring the new title holders was absolutely beautiful.

 Receiving the ribbon for excellent title and the photo brag station.

Now I'm told that the next level is 10 trials with double entry in advanced and excellent signs.  Arr!  No wonder there were so many in those categories. https://www.akc.org/sports/rally/get-started/

The CPE agility for April 4th at fairgrounds, a state run facility, was canceled. A little bit bummed about that because Amber has been through numerous classes in agility and nothing to show for it. I think I'll maker her a special "Amber Connolly deserve it" ribbon.  We will work on some tricks.

Amber is on a waiting list to do nose work in July.  At first I thought her sniffing shouldn't be encouraged by studying nose work but then it was explained that her rewards would be based on finding specific scents like birch, anise or clove.  It might refocus that nose of hers.  I tried Vicks on her nose and that was a disaster as she tried to remove it.

Now we are all quarantined. Everything is cancelled all around me so no reason to go out. My gym classes will be via Facebook live at home.