YAY! We made it to a field trial!
Despite my best intentions last year to do a LOT of lure coursing, I really didn’t make it out to very many field trials. At the last minute, I decided to load up the van on Saturday and head to Atlanta so the dogs could chase some plastic. Echo, Lucas and the puppy Dash were slated to go but unfortunately Echo came up a bit lame on Saturday morning. I think she tweaked her toe just a little bit…enough to have a little hitch in her gait so I decided to leave her at home. Talk about a hard…This was the first field trial I’ve EVER attended that Echo wasn’t with me. I’ll admit, I teared up a couple times thinking about it 
So, Lucas was my only entered hound. I actually put him in Open to see how he’d do (he’s old enough to qualify for the Veteran’s stake, which is where I’ve always run him). He did really well and I was super proud. There were four hounds entered in Open and he took third. He has a LOT of size and turns really well, despite his bulkiness. But, he really lacks speed – especially when compared to younger, smaller greyhounds. I’m sure some of it is conditioning as well, so I’ll try to improve his fitness level…but at the end of the day, I think he’s just slow. 
Of course, he had a BLAST and that’s really all that matters! As long as he is sound, runs safe and has fun, I’ll be taking him to field trials.
It was a great day to spend out side. Lots of walking and talking. Lots of great running hounds. And I swear it was puppy day! There were greyhound puppies and basenji puppies and these ADORABLE 10 week old Ibizan puppies (you have NO idea how hard it was not to bring one home! )
This was Dash’s first ever field trial experience and, as I expected, she handled it with enthusiasm and interest. She loved meeting all the new people and dogs…she even tolerated being alone in the xpen quite well. I hid behind a nearby mini-van and she paced for a bit, but then laid down and enjoyed the view watching people prance by with their dogs. I also let her do a 60 or so yard straight run during the practice session and she showed really great speed and tremendous keenness for the “bunnies.” It looks like she’s destined for a career in lure coursing! Once she turns a 14 months old or so, we’ll spay her and get her AKC ILP number so I can enter her in sanctioned trials.
Dash checking out the x-pen…though she may remember it…it’s the same x-pen we had around the whelping box she was born and raised in for so many weeks.
