Tadworth Heelwork to Music Competitions


 

Tadworth Heelwork to Music Competitions

8 August 2022


I have found it really, really difficult to get to many premier (Crufts qualifier) Heelwork to Music competitions this year, due to rarely having a weekend where I am not working. This makes it really difficult when you are hoping for a Crufts qualification under the new rules – highest placed person who hasn’t already qualified goes straight to Crufts. Under the old rules, the top 2 who hadn’t already qualified would then go to the semi final in January to compete for a place in that top 10, and I’d already have my qualifier with Trip if that was the case. We have been able to compete 3 times, and *just* missed out all 3 times. If it’s not meant to be then it’s not meant to be!

Had some great results with my boys over the weekend, with Strike winning his Intermediate Freestyle class on the Saturday (one more and he joins Trip and Foxy in Advanced!), and taking 3rd place on the Sunday. Trip placed 4th in Advanced Freestyle on the Saturday with an uncharacteristically noisy performance and then did much better on the Sunday, with the winning score of the class but unfortunately going down into 2nd place due to barking deductions. This is why I am always such a BORE with my students about barking – learn from my mistakes!!!

My student Lucy Hardisty with Ruby (Springer Spaniel) came along to compete on the Sunday and did a fantastic, beautifully motivated round in Starters Freestyle that earned them a 5th place! One place higher than their first competition! They are Young Kennel Club members so these places they are achieving are earning them points towards qualifying for YKC Crufts!