For only the second time in my years of going to lure coursing trials, I slept right through the alarms and woke up about 2 hours too late to make the trial on Saturday.  Bummer!  So the morning was spent sitting in front of the computer in my jammies, until Pat Taylor suggested that I ride along with her shopping.  I should know better, but I always spend more money when I go shopping with Pat than when I go to a trial, and today was no exception.  However, I only purchased things that I really needed so it wasn't too bad.

Sunday I woke up about 15 mintues BEFORE the alarm clock!  Got up & it was warmer outside than it was in the house even though it was raining.  Wonderful.  Got on the road at 4:50 am and the farther I drove the colder it got until I crossed into Pennsylvania and started seeing ice on all the trees & bushes, but still just raining.  Arrived at the trial site and there was one van, one pickup and one car (the field trial secretary) in the parking lot - so it was a very very small trial.  Only 8 Open Whippets, but that's a major so I was hopefull.

Well, it rained through the entire trial and it was a COLD rain.  The ice on the picnic tables never melted.  It was miserable.  None of the dogs ran up to their capabilities, and I understand that completely.  I'm sure I wasn't performing up to my capabilities either.

Derby finished 2nd by just one point, missing that second major, but picking up one championship point to bring his total to 14.  So now he just needs a major to finish his AKC field championship.  We'll have to wait until 2008 for another chance to get that.  Avery finished in a three way tie for 5th place, which we forfeited since there were no points involved, and Marseille finished last.

Both Ruby & Zuli were the only ones of their breed entered but Best in Field went to the Rhodesian Ridgeback who did have a very nice run.  Zuli too will have to wait until next year for another chance to finish her LCX-2 also.  The good thing about a trial this small is that we were all finished and I left the trial site at 12:15, getting home well before dark.  The dogs are all sound asleep now but we'll be going to bed early tonight!

~~Joanne