Page 150 - K9 News - Issue 15 - March2021

I had another dog who, for totally different way up to Grade 7 and therefore qualify to
reasons, was never going to set the world on compete in Championship classes. Riley is
fire but she did me so proud. She won a couple the only Weimaraner in Britain to run in the
of ABC (anything but collie) qualifiers and had Championship classes as Diesel is a little older.
her last run in one of these where she came a
Then along came Coronavirus. 2020 was
credible 6th. Having previously become very
to be the year that Riley and John focus on
focussed when working in the ring her old habits
the Championship classes and the national
of running out, even chasing other dogs, kicked
qualifiers for Olympia and Crufts. There have
back in so she retired at the age of 10 having
been several other dogs who have achieved this
reached grade 4.
success but alas Riley never will now. He will
Because I was running Lucy John decided that be 9 this year and is starting to show his age,
he was fed up of standing at the side of the ring knocking a few poles and generally slowing over
and acting as ‘go-for’, or waiting in the van with courses at training. He absolutely loves agility
the older dogs that he started training with Riley and often barks his enthusiasm as he blasts
(Ansona Celebration AWG). Riley and John round a course. He will miss being quite so
started out as every new partnership should competitive and being restricted to just a couple
start, a novice handler with a baby puppy and of classes per show …..if ever there will be
the fantastic support of a committed trainer. shows as we knew them again.
They learned their craft together, slowly over 18
I was so looking forward to season 2020 too as,
months and put in all the groundwork that I had
having learned my lesson in the past I bought
never done. Little surprise then that they quickly
in a puppy in 2017 and started her off from day
sped ahead, overtaking Lucy and I in their first
one with agility aimed ‘games’. We had done all
season of competition. They reached grade 4 in
the training and preparation and had competed
18 months rather than the 6 years it had taken
during 2019 enough for her to learn the ropes
Lucy and I.
and come out with a vengeance at the start of
I know I am biased but I love watching the two of last year. Gabbi (Braefell Skylark) is everything
them run a course. Riley is a big lad and when my two previous competition dogs weren’t,
standing in a queue waiting their turn in a class fast accurate and totally focussed. I hoped she
he looks like he would plod around the course. would be as awesome as ‘our Riley’, possibly
He surprises many a bystander as he has such more so. We are fortunate, so much more
a turn of speed and covers such a lot of ground fortunate than many over the last 12 months, but
in each stride that he flies round courses. John I still cannot help but feel disappointed to have
is, though it pains me to say it, a much better lost what should have been a fantastic year of
handler than me. He is a man, he has long agility with Gabbi.
legs, a quicker brain and the all-important male
Here’s to 2021 – to good health, much
spatial awareness. I won’t concede that, as just
happiness and hope.
another human being, he is better than me at
agility but I will agree that it’s just a man thing.
I can accept the latter more easily than the
former.

They went on to work their way through the
agility warrant awards and achieved his Agility
warrant gold in year 3 of their partnership.
They also worked their way through the
grades too with Riley becoming only the
second Weimaraner in Britain to reach Grade Riley
7 with Jo Hunters Diesel being the first. To Completing the tunnel
date they are the only two to have won their

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K9 NEWS DIGITAL / MARCH 2021