We drove up on Thursday getting into Chattanooga early Thursday evening. For the first time we rented a house vs. staying at the La Quinta. It was a duplex and the other side of it was being rented by fellow disc doggers. It turned out to be a really nice place and a good deal. Our side was 2 bedroom 1 bath and we split it with the Riglers. We had 4 people and 8 dogs and it worked out just fine. There was a small fenced in yard and all the basic amenities you could need. For $149 a night split 2 ways it really couldn't be beat!
Friday was the LCQ and we got up early and headed over to Camp Jordan to set up. The highlight of my day was getting to see Ziggy's litter-mate Charlotte and her mom Cor Brewer. I hadn't seen Charlotte since we were in Texas getting Ziggy. She's a great little dog. Not as outgoing as Ziggy but she wasn't as a puppy either but so very devoted to her mom and already showing a ton of interest in the disc. Cor is a lucky gal!
It was a fun day overall. Spice did pretty good in her round of FS. Tali did very well and ended up placing 1st in Master Freestyle! Gooo Tali! :) Ziggy had a fun day meeting all kinds of people and dogs. His highlight was getting to chase Charlotte around the soccer fields mid day! :)
Friday night we were invited over to our friends cabin for dinner. We had a great time hanging out with the Heygis, Susan Markham, the Williams, Rick R., Angela, the Hoots, Mike Dillon and more. The food was awesome!! The cabin was cool too - we might have to look at renting a cabin next year!
Saturday was a relaxing day for Jack and I since his big stuff was on Sunday. We had a great time socializing with friends, rooting for J and Dre to do their best and congratulating Pennie Mahon on her World Championship! The banquet was lovely as usual. The folks at Skyhoundz really do a great job of making the event feel first class. We haven't missed a Skyhoundz Worlds since the first year we qualified (2006) and we hope to not ever miss one. It is well worth the trip! They really make the competitors feel special.
Sunday was the "big" day for us. For some reason Spice was up first which rattled me more than it rattled Jack. It sucks being first at a World Finals because everyone is still settling in and unpacking, etc. None of the spectators are there yet, etc. Spice and Jack did pretty well but I can't help but feel that she would have done better with more energy and excitement in the air. I think they were in 8th after round 1. Then came D&A and typically Spice can get 12-14 points on just a decent round. Unfortunately the round did not go well and she only got 10.5. I thought for sure we were done after that and was pretty bummed. We weren't even really paying attention to the other microdog D&A rounds and so were shocked when the results after round 2 came out and she was tied for 3rd with several other dogs (I think there were a total of 6 or 7 dogs in the top 3 spots).
Meanwhile Jack had to focus on pairs as well. He and Jason decided to go with the Party Rock song and costumes again this year and it was a hit with the crowd. Several folks came up to us and said they thought for sure that their round 1 was a top 5 finish but alas... the judges did not agree. Rd 2 was better according to the judges but only by 1/2 a point. Now granted... Kai's catch ratio was only a 6 and a 6.5 so it's not like they expected to win but finishing 3rd from last and below dogs with lower catch ratios was disappointing. It's pretty clear the judges don't "get" the guys routine. It's not at all "lets lay on top of each other and throw a disc together" like most pairs routines so that's likely why. Not sure if they'll adjust to meet the judges expectations or keep doing what they are doing (controlled chaos that covers the entire field) in hopes of altering the judges view of what pairs can be. Time will tell!
So back to Spice and microdog... her final round was nearing. I was a nervous wreck but I hid it from Jack. I kept my mouth shut and just kept breathing in my Peace and Calm essential oil. He decided to go out with more energy but a safer game and see what would happen. They did really well in round 2 but we didn't think it was well enough to snag 3rd place from all the other dogs vying for it. When we were packing up though I wouldn't let Jack put Spice in the car *just in case*! He wouldn't bring her out on the field though because he really didn't think they had gotten it and I agreed. Well turns out he needed her out on the field! We were shocked but thrilled when they called her name. I took pics of Jack taking the stand (in between my tears) while Andrea ran and got Spice from her crate. It was awesome and I think Jack is most proud that it was on the merits of his freestyle that he snagged the spot. Their rd 2 score was 3.5 points higher than round 1. The video is on the last blog post. Still so much room for improvement in their game but we'll take the placement! Hopefully in a year or two Spice can find herself qualified for both Saturday and Sunday and with a little luck find herself on both podiums! It's been done before by Al and George... maybe Spice and Jack can do it too!
It was an awesome weekend and we can't wait to do it again next year! In the mean time Jack and Spice are getting ready for USDDN finals... and actually Spice and I are as well since I'm qualified with her in D&A! :)
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| Jack, Jason and Kai Party Rockin' in Pairs |
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| Jack and Spice - 3rd place micrdog |
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| Future Skyhoundz Qualifiers! :) |
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