It was one for the record books -- the Merrimac DTC Agility Trial on April 7, 2007, in Gloucester, Va. Who knew that Mother Nature would provide 4 inches of snow on Easter weekend!
Exhibitors looked over the snow covered fields at 7 a.m. Saturday shaking their heads, knowing the trial couldn't possibly go on and would have to be canceled. The decision was made to postpone the trial for two hours, until 10 a.m., to see if conditions would improve. A group of dedicated volunteers (Linda Amrein, Sam Banks, Holly Boyd, Jean Conroy, Laurene Galgano, Eleanor Hawkins, Denise McDonald, Brad Mykins, Candy Stephens, Karen Stewart, John Taylor, Lynn Ward) stormed the field determined to show that a little snow wouldn't stop the trial.
After two solid hours of back-breaking work to remove the snow from the Standard ring, the snow was rolled off the field into huge snow balls and scooped into buckets by hand. As it became apparent that there was hope of a trial, more exhibitors joined in the snow removal effort. The Trial Committee met, approved the conditions as safe to run and brought our judge, Rhonda Crane, out to inspect the fields. Once approved, it was decided that all classes would be held in the Standard ring, and the start time was set for 11 a.m.
Again, volunteers went to work and swarmed the JWW ring, headed up by Jim Smotrel, Tracy Fletcher and Brad Mykins, who worked tirelessly through the EXC STD class. The JWW ring was cleared in time to run Jumpers classes after the Open STD had finished.
Without everyone's help, not only would the Saturday trial been canceled but the trial on Sunday would have been so muddy that it would have been miserable and treacherous for handlers and dogs. Well done.
...and the trial went on! Four-inches of snow was no match for agility aficionados who worked diligently and creatively to clear the courses in time for the trial to proceed.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Agility - I'm really not so crazy....
I found this funny. There are pictures to be found on the web-site, but this is the text. Made me think, I'm really not so crazy after-all! :)
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5 comments:
I tried to go to your link and it's some blogger preview thing. It almost signed me out of gmail or something... It was weird.
really? hmmm.. have to check on that I think. Okay, checked it out. Works the way it is supposed to now. Thanks for the tip there Jen.
Wow, I would have taken one look and thought it was impossible. It's interesting that you had, on one hand, the ones who said, "We can do this!" While on the other hand I'm sure others stood back thinking they were going to be leaving soon. Then when they are encouraged by the progress made by the determined, their hearts changed and they decided to chip in and "get that thing DONE!" Amazing what a team can do.
Isn't it neat Baxter, how people can inspire others to get busy and solve problems? I wouldn't have let snow stop me either... but than again, I work Sassy in the backyard regardless of the snow levels. :) Just the jumps can be really easy then!
You must really like snow! I only like it for it's beauty and BRIEF periods of fun! Give me the tropics ANYDAY! :)
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