Flying Blind

As part of our agility course run at practice on Tuesday we were presented with this little sequence.

I don't have a course editing software program, so you just have to guess on the spacing. lol. :)

First we were allowed to run the course which ever way we liked.  I lead out slightly past jump one, rear cross on jump 3 and jump 5.  Once you memorized it, it was a fun little course.

Then our instructor threw a wrench in the works.  We were not allowed to run the course using any front or rear crosses.  We had to use all blind crosses.  Because apparently blind crosses are coming back in style in the agility world.  I don't know why. Blind crossing turned out to be extremely hard.  After 6 attempts I finally got the blind cross on the landing side of jump 2, and then I blew it on the landing side of 4.  Trophy was starting to get frustrated because I wasn't doing it right and he was doing his best to do what he thought I wanted.

I really don't see the appeal in a blind cross unless it's with the dog in a tunnel and I naturally lose sight of my dog.

Although maybe I've had front and rear crosses drilled into my head so much this far in class that I just don't see the practicality of it....  I will hold off on judgement until we practice them a bit more I guess.

I didn't get to run this course with blind crosses and Pan, she wasn't as focused as she was last week.  She was back to her Run-First-Think-Later self tonight.

Lastly, our agility class has been split up and dispersed to fit us in better with other classes.  Or, to put both of my kids classes on the same night.  It's a bit bittersweet as the 5 of us started together with our green dogs and we have really built up a camaraderie together of cheering our dogs' little victories and landmark break-through moments of success with problem areas.  Like when the other English Setter, Lindy, had a fear of jumps and the day she finally ran a full hour of class without missing or avoiding a single jump - we ALL cheered.

Just like with adding Blind Crosses to my agility bag, I'm trying to look at this as a new way to gain experience by watching new handlers and their teamwork with their dogs.  At least I will still see them at Trials.... if we ever make it to one!