So maybe it’s the long drive home or the need for decompression after a big event that leads to “deep thought” posts but for anyone interested….

There was quite a bit of discussion on social media during the USO in regard to course design and specifically this year about how long the courses were and how it furthered the gap between “professionals” and the “hobbies”.

Now the rabbit hole of “professional” agility handlers can be its own post that’s not what I want to discuss.

What I do know, is the first USO that I attended (2017)I was hit with a big reality check.

Having come off a very successful Cynosports a week before I felt both Kermit and I to be a pretty well prepared agility team and……well I was wrong.

The distances and challenges at that first USO was way above our pay grade.

We didn’t make it into the 2nd round of any single class that we entered meaning that one day I didn’t have anything to run at all!!

To say I was disappointed was a huge understatement.

So after the event was over I knew I had two choices, either come back next year better prepared or don’t come back next year.

I have been back every year (minus Covid of course) and my results have not always been exactly what I wanted but each year I have felt I have come to the event with more skills then I had the year before.

I didn’t magically get access to a huge 120×120 plus training space, I didn’t get access to tons of UKI local trials, I didn’t win the lottery so I could travel all over doing seminars to learn and practice all the skills I would need on these courses.

I DID find ways to work within my limitations. I have figured out how to maximize my options and leverage them to my advantage. I tried my best to not let any of my restrictions be an excuse to not be as prepared I could be.

Is this for everyone? Maybe not. Do you have to do it? Certainly not. Does success have to be defined the way I define mine? NO!!

Each person has 100% control of their own expectations. What I can tell you is that if you let others dictate your expectations most likely you are just setting yourself up for a disappointing and miserable time.

National events are a big time and financial commitment. Every year I see so many people who do this, and year after year they never look like they actually enjoy it.

It’s simply math that most that attend any national event will not run in any “finals” and at almost all national events there are no qualifying scores to be earned. I knew that Kramer (my first dog) was never going to be making any finals of any national event and that was OK!! I was realistic that our ability limited us but just getting to go and participate was the WIN!! That was the top of our capability and all though, for others, maybe that would be a disappointment, I never looked at it that way.

Our best was our best no matter how it stacked up to others.

This is why I will always love national events, it is why I will always set goals to be at my best when we go, it is why when I get back home I can be happy with the outcome regardless of the scores.

The only National events that have stuck with me as regrets are ones where I felt I could have gone into the event better prepared not ones where the results on paper could have been better.

So, when people ask why I don’t get more excited or emotional about my “results” this is why. Getting on boxes is amazing don’t get me wrong, but years from now, when I look back on all the times at all the big events with my dogs, I won’t remember the boxes or the ribbons, or the wins or losses, I will remember the hard work, the connection, the feeling of both of us giving it all we had and both leaving the ring looking at each other saying “Wow, we just did that together”.

My dogs give me 100% of what they have every time they step to the line with me and they are going into the ring with me at the other end of that leash.

You will never find me sitting on a podium wondering how many dogs are left to run to bump me off or what my time was to see if the next dog to run beat me. I won’t be frantically checking the results after every group runs to see if my placement stands (all though I do that for my friends). I am cheering for my friends and fierce competitors to do their very best even though I know that their best will beat me. Sad when bad luck for them means I stay on the box. Thankful for all the compliments on how wonderful my dogs are but that winning isn’t everything for me.

For me 5 days of a big competition is physically exhausting for sure. Lack of sleep, not eating or drinking enough, tons of steps, running huge courses, 14 hour days sure takes it’s toll but for me mentally the fatigue is much more challenging. All though I am an extrovert most of the time, to really be at the top of my mental game at big events I do my best to surround myself with a few close friends and stay away from high stress or frantic energy people.

So if you see me sitting off by myself, or I seem upset or quiet this is me focusing and trying to keep my mental game on point or just giving myself a break so that I can be the best I can be for my dogs because at the end of the day that is why I am there.

Stay tuned for my next blog on my thoughts on running multiple dogs at big events!!!