Two Rights Do Make A Left

Again, the guy that L brought home last night sneaks out at some unearthly hour, to a dog show again.

At the show, as there was yesterday, there are three easy courses and one that is just so us. Everyone is threatening to do unspeakable things to the judge who set it. We love it when that happens; it means we have a chance. After just a cursory glance at the other three courses, I walk, re-walk and then re-walk again this beautiful swine of a course. I try it from different angles and then when it starts, I sit watching how other handlers do it. Generally badly. Which is good because I am in love with this course.

We find out that our best yesterday was only 8th but no matter, today's another day and this course is just so beautiful. I go off to warm Doggo up on one of the other inferior courses. Again all four events start at 8.30am but I want to run the beautiful one next, so that Doggo's still fresh. Unfortunately it doesn't quite work out like that because they're not ready for us. So we do one of the others, which doesn't go great because Doggo misses out one of the jumps.

Then we get to do the difficult one but on jump number two, it all goes pear shaped and disaster strikes. I stand on Doggo's left and he usually turns towards me, I even call left but the plonker turns right. Of course, I should have just let him go right and picked him up the other side but I make the mistake of calling him back left, running the risk of him jumping number two twice. Two wrongs don't make a right, although in this case two rights would have made a left, if you know what I mean. All the shame, phew, we get away with it. The rest is flawless, legendary stuff, even the twelve weaves. So I'm thoroughly hacked off now, if we hadn't lost those couple of seconds on jump two, we could be nursing another photo frame or a mug and coaster set. Oh, the thrill of the quality prizes on offer.

As it happens, we get second, which is pretty incredible really. Although we're still 2.5 seconds off first, so we might not have won even without the mistake.

They are quicker with the results today, so again I get away early and get to spend some quality time in the afternoon with L.

Later, we even go for a run together, a gentle one, that takes thirty minutes but only feels like five. It’s so different when you're not flogging yourself into the ground. Bliss. Dog free too.

The Olympics are now over but what an amazing games. I've been gripped by the Olympics since Montreal 1976, when I was 9, always in hope of us doing well and sometimes we've done ok but I've never witnessed anything like this one. A truly fantastic two weeks. The BBC's coverage has been ok as well, obviously at times well dumbed down and there's been some bizarre commentary on Radio 5, such as Alison Curbishley (the runner) commentating on the badminton and Steve Backley (Javelin) commentating on the judo. Cost cutting I suppose.

The downside of our successful games is that I can't get tickets for the
World Cup cycling in Manchester in October, it's sold out. Can't ever remember that happening before. Oh well, suppose I should be happy that some new people are showing an interest.