The need for higher goals...

 Every time I go to a trial and make the mistake of saying "if I only get XYZ, I'll be happy", then that's exactly what I get.  Nothing less.  Nothing more.  If it's that easy to orchestrate the outcome, I just need to up the ante a bit because that can mean a trial with very few Q's if you only ask for a couple of things to happen.  

Last weekend was a CKC trial.  I hate them.  However, the club is great, the people are great, and I like those little titles showing up at the end of the dogs' registered names.  I just don't get why CKC wants to discourage our older dogs by not lowering the jumps like other organizations do for veterans.  Since I'd decided that meant that Erin would have to stop running in CKC after this trial, I decided to only enter her in what she could potentially finish this weekend and that was Intermediate Jumpers with Weaves.  She was such a doll.  She ran her heart out even though she clipped a bar on the spread jumps in the two first runs (proof to me that my decision to have her stop jumping this high is correct).  The next day, she tried even harder and cleared everything.  So I can proudly say she's earned that title and will now be known as:

Ch. Rokeena Downunder Delite, AgN, AgNS, AgIJS, VADC, VSGDC, OAC, O-NJC-V, NCC, TG-N-V

This may or may not be a retirement though as she can continue to run NADAC trials at 8" lower than at CKC and that should be sufficient to keep her enjoying the game for longer.

My other goal for the weekend was to finish Ticket's novice standard title and she also came through for me.  She was having some trouble focussing this weekend though so I basically kissed the other runs goodbye and just had fun with them.  That meant we missed some obstacles that would have taken a lot of control and precision and just ran 'where the spirit moved'.  I think it was the right decision because she was spinning and twirling at the end of the runs in happiness.  That should stand us in good stead for future runs even if this weekend's Q's were sacrificed.  In spite of that, though, she now adds on a new title and can hang this plaque over her kennel:

Drumdaroch SuresHot, AgNS, AgNJS, NAC, NAJ