# AKC Agility Nationals



## lily cd re

I am with you in spirit! I hope you all have nothing but clean runs.


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## Carolinek

Wishing you both much success!


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## sidewinder

Go sugarfoot!!


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## Mfmst

All the best Quossom and Sugarfoot!


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## itzmeigh

Hazel said to hug her cousin for her! She's sorry she couldn't go too!

Good luck Sugarfoot!!! And good luck to you too Bigs and Grampa! And Gimble!! Don't forget Gimble! Good luck to her too! (But just a tiny bit less luck to her! Wink wink.)


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## Quossum

Thanks, all! We should have quite an adventure. I'm getting the photo and video package (which definitely cuts down on the stress of trying to film each other, what with six rings going on and all of us in different ones!) so footage will definitely follow.

We have a stall in the FlashPaws "neighborhood" with our Agility buddy and her Doberman, and even our IG Pixie is coming along. Sugarfoot did really well the past couple of weekends (earning double Qs 15 and 16) and even in practice last night, so I don't know if that bodes well for the actual competition or not! 

At least he'll look pretty while doing it! Freshly groomed and ready to rock:



















--Q


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## itzmeigh

What a handsome guy! That fro is killer! All the ladies will be swooning over him!


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## sidewinder

Sugarfoot Fancypants! Love the goatee.


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## MollyMuiMa

GO TEAM SUGARFOOT! That boy makes it look so easy I'm confident he'll come back with more than one ribbon!

Oh My! he looks sooooo purty!!!!! He's gonna dazzle everyone with just his looks! 
Can't wait to see your pics and videos when you get back!


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## lily cd re

Great groom. That's the look I envision for a Javvy cut (minus the beard LOL).


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## Minnie

Enjoy every moment Q - Sugarfoot is one handsome poodle!


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## AngelAviary

Good luck and best wishes for clear runs! He is rocking that groom!!!! No way anyone can say that Standards cant do it all and look FANTASTIC while doing it!!!! 
Stella says she would like to speak with him privately about "things" when he has the time!


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## StormeeK

Good luck Q and Sugarfoot!!! We almost missed this post. I knew you were going at the end of spring break and had been thinking of you. Good luck to Gimble and your doberman friend, Karma, I think??. We will be thinking of you tomorrow.
Dewey says, " Good luck big bro'! Jump high on that last jump . You look awesome in the pics. "
I can't wait to see the videos and will be checking online to for the live feed.


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## Quossum

Sugarfoot says THANK YOU to his brother!

Here we are at Nationals!










Two runs tomorrow, two Saturday, one Sunday. And it's COLD here!

--Q


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## sidewinder

I just wanted to say how much I love Sugarfoot's groom! I love the long goatee on him. I love the way you've blended that big topknot into his ears, it gives him such a unique look. And also the high shoulders and hips...it's a look all his own. So appropriate for a special dog!


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## Quossum

Well, Day One was less than stellar. On our warm-up run we had a wrong course and took the last bar (the triple, Sugar's nemesis). Then in Premier, it was just a mess! Ran by an "obvious" jump, took a bar, nailed a very popular wrong course--it was downright embarrassing! And to add insult to injury, I was running this hellish course at the exact time that the official "Poodle Picture" was being taken, including virtually all the Poodles at Nationals. Except for Sugarfoot, who was busy making multiple mistakes in the ring, and at least one other Standard Poodle who was there running also. If anyone sees it, please post it here--I'd love to see it, at least. I think several people were going to post it on Facebook.

There were a LOT of poodles, of all sizes! So much fun to see all the running styles.

Well, hopefully today we got the kinks out. Sugarfoot has been absolutely *crazy* since we got here, very hyped up. Maybe today he got all the kinks out!

Our stall: Home away from home:









Rings 1, 2, and 3. 










Rings 4 and 5 are in another building, and then Ring 6 is in yet another building. It's a pretty big show!

--Q


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## itzmeigh

We watched your second run. It didn't help that there were a bijillion dogs in your class! The ring started at a bit after 3 and you didn't run until almost 4:30 and you weren't even the last dog!

I'm excited for tomorrow's runs!

Wishing you even more good luck!!


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## lily cd re

Sorry you were frustrated today. Let go of it and think fresh start tomorrow. Get a good night's sleep.

Your "camp" looks splendid. We had much closer quarters in Harrisburg in 2014.


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## sarahebeth

Are you in Tulsa, OK? My aunt and uncle are there this weekend with their Springers. Good luck!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk


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## StormeeK

Thanks so much for taking the time to update us, even if it was a frustrating day! I watched several hours ( it is just so addicting to watch but mainly saw border collies and goldens). A good majority of them had problems too.
GOOD LUCK tomorrow!


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## TeamPoodle

Good luck tomorrow! I'm hoping I'll be able to watch him!


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## Quossum

Well, I guess it just goes to show, bad dress rehearsal means a great opening night!

Sugarfoot got Round 1, Jumpers, despite a turn in the wrong direction after a jump which slowed down his time.










At that point, I had met my goal for Nationals with one clear round. But then, in Standard, Sugarfoot pulled out another amazing run, for our second clear round! That put us in 20th place for the evening--not bad out of 120+ 24" dogs!










Tomorrow morning, early, we'll be running the Hybrid round, Round 3, which will determine the semi-finals and challengers rounds. I don't have high hopes, but we'll just get out there and do our best. We're the 16th dog in the ring, so I won't have the opportunity to watch as many dogs before our run, but on the other hand, the suspense will be over sooner!

It's definitely been a roller coaster! Lots of great shopping, too...whether it's consolation or celebration shopping, it works!

One more day to go!

--Q


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## gr8pdls

WAY TO GO!!! Awesome to have clean runs in such a high energy venue. You're the second place 24" jumping Poodle at Nationals! Very cool! Good Luck Sunday.


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## StormeeK

*Congratulations!!! * All I know is that I have LOVED watching the Nationals online! Thank you for adding the link here because I really wouldn't have known about it. Yes, I have become an addict and have watched more than several hours each day.
It was SO exciting today when I checked online and saw you and Sugarfoot within 15 minutes of watching! This was a little after 2:30 pm and I thought y'all looked awesome!!
I seriously did not take a breath until you were done. 
Thank you so much again for keeping us updated even though you so many things going on!!!
GOOD LUCK tomorrow and have fun your last day


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## Mfmst

Awesome results! Best of luck tomorrow! You are our fav!!!


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## lily cd re

Congratulations! I know how hectic the atmosphere must be. I am truly impressed by how fabulous a team you two are.


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## KrisB

Hey, I just saw Sugarfoot on the Paco Collars Facebook page!! Hope the rest of the weekend has been good!


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## Quossum

Hey, everyone! Just a quick check in, since we're on the road and the Internet is accordingly finicky.

We started the day Sunday with two clear rounds on Saturday and in an impressive 20th place in the 24" class. It all depended on the Hybrid round, Sunday morning.

I was dog number 16 in the ring. Previously, my earliest in the ring had been #57, so I'd always had plenty of dogs to watch. Not this time! With it all on the line, I would only be able to watch a few dogs before my run.

If I had a third clear round, making finals was a *possibility.* Not a for sure, but a distinct "maybe," depending on our time. We had been 54th place in Jumpers, 36th place in Standard...but any number of dogs could crash and burn here! 

This course is called "Hybrid" because it's mostly like a Jumpers course, with a couple of contacts thrown in. The opening: diabolical. Right in front of the dog's eyes, after jump 1 loomed a tempting off course, but the *real* jump was a harshly angled backside jump. I started Sugarfoot at an angle to get the off course out of his line of sight. I led out. I called him! And BOOM! He leapt and crashed down on the very first bar! I called him to my side and got the reverse, but he wasn't back on stride and took down that bar, too. It was over for us as far as finals aspirations, but we downright *attacked* the rest of the course! It was pure magic. The box at the end that claimed dog after dog was perfectly executed, and we finished strong!

I was incredibly proud of his performance this weekend, especially after the discouraging practice runs on Friday. I think Sugarfoot just had to settle in and get used to the venue, get his head in the game. The rest of the time, he ran like himself. 

Once I get back at home, I'll post more pictures and such. I already have the videos of our runs, and I'll have to put those together, too--looking forward to that. The photographers got some amazing shots, and I can't wait to download those, too.

The best part was hanging out with our traveling / hotel buddy, Annmarie and her Dobe, Karma, and just generally having a great time with our many other friends and training buddies we saw there in Tulsa. It was all pretty incredible!

Oh, and yes, we did indulge in something I've always wanted, a Paco collar! They had a booth, and the two people manning it were utterly charmed by Sugarfoot and took many pictures. I'll see if I can get one on here before my luck runs out on connectivity on the road.

Won't get home until late tonight, and I have a feeling I'll be a bit of a dud at school tomorrow, but it was all worth it to experience a great Nationals!

Thanks so much for all the good wishes from my friends here at Poodle Forum! I'm sure your thoughts helped us soar!

--Q


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## Quossum

A new collar for a good boy!


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## StormeeK

He definitely deserves that beautiful collar!! I am so glad you had a good experience and hope you had a good trip home. ( Just tell all the stories of your weekend tomorrow and I'm sure your students will be enthralled! ) A great end to spring break!!


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## AngelAviary

Oh how totally exciting! I feel like I was there with you! and what a beautiful collar on a stunning boy! He sure earned it! Did you get something special for yourself too? Cant wait to see the pictures and videos you put together.


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