Siren's Trialing Diary

Spring 2001

In early May, Siren and I trialed at the advanced level in USDAA at the ACE trial in Granby, MA. Siren did a great job. No Q's were meant to be in standard, but Siren earned her first advanced snooker leg with a second place - something I'm very proud of!

After ACE I entered Siren in a handful of one-day AKC events in Topsfield and Bedford. Though she was still grinning her way through every run, her reluctance to turn tight and a growing number of off courses revealed what I already suspected - trialing at the Excellent level had finally become too much for my girl. Siren officially retired from competitive agility after the Yankee Golden Retriever Club trial in Easton, MA. These days she has a blast doing agility on her own terms in our backyard.

Fall 2000

On October 21st and 22nd at the ActUP trial in Wrentham MA, Siren and I had a blast showing in NADAC for the first time in over a year. She breezed through all her novice level courses, taking home two first places, two second places, one third place, and finishing her Novice Agility Certificate (NAC). This is Siren's EIGHTH agility title. I couldn't be prouder of my little girl and all we've accomplished together. Working with Siren and learning the joy of agility with her has been an incredible gift.

Though there are a few more agility shows in our area before the snow flies, this concludes our 2000 show season. Siren will have an annual evaluation by an orthopedic specialist in December...stay tuned for news about whether she is officially retired, or able to play agility for one more year.

October 8th at the South Hadley, MA AKC cluster Siren and I got in the "zone" once more. She ran a tough course by Carol Mount 12 seconds under time in Ex. B standard, giving us our first Masters Standard (MX) leg...wow!! I never in a million years thought we'd earn one of those!

On September 24th at the Wachusett Kennel Club AKC show in Bedford MA, Siren finished her AKC Excellent Standard (AX) title, going clean six seconds under course time and earning second place out of 19 dogs. Later in the weekend she picked up two bumper legs in Open Jumpers with Weaves, earning a second and third place, respectively. Our teamwork that weekend was outstanding...some of our best yet. I am so very proud of my little chocolate girl!

Summer 2000

On September 2nd and 3rd at the ARFF trial in Beford, MA Siren completed her Performance Dog 1 (PD1) title. The first Q on Saturday she was a blazing 19 seconds under course time, earning a 2nd place. The 2nd Q on Sunday she was 17 seconds under course time, earning a 1st place. All three legs were earned with placements...two seconds and a first! She also had a wonderful run in Performance 1 Gamblers. I look forward to doing more USDAA with her, perhaps next season.

On August 27th at the Susque-Nango AKC show in Chenango Valley, NY Siren finished her Open Jumpers with Weaves title (OAJ) with a score of 95 and a fourth place out of over 26 dogs in the 20-inch class! We would have gone clean (maybe even won the class) but my late command caused Siren to run-out on a very fast closing sequence. Despite her minor detour she was 4 seconds under course time!

An AX leg was not meant to be at Susque-Nango, but we had fun trying. Si aced the tough, trappy parts of Debbie Hunt's Excellent course at Susque-Nango. Too bad she decided finishing the poles was optional! Oh well. Will she finish them next time in Topsfield? Stay tuned!

After a rough start in AKC Excellent this spring, Siren nabbed her first AX leg with a score of 95, seven seconds under course time on May 27th at the Shrewsbury DTC show in Bedford, MA. Later that day she went on to ace the Open Jumpers with Weaves course, bringing home a Q and Third Place ribbon!

1999

On November 27, 1999 at the AKC Springfield Cluster in Springfield, MA Siren earned her first Open Jumpers with Weaves (OAJ) leg and a bumper leg in Open standard. Way to go Siren! We'll be spending the winter getting ready for a debut in Excellent standard next spring.

On September 8th, 1999 at the Old Colony AKC show in Bedford, MA Siren finished her Open Standard (OA) title with an outstanding clean round almost 15 seconds under course time! This also earned us a second place. An Open Jumpers with Weaves leg continues to elude us, but we'll be taking another crack at it this fall.

On August 29, 1999 we hit the Open ring again at the Susque-Nango AKC show in Chenango Valley, NY. We crashed and burned in Open JWW due to my handling errors, but came home with our second Open Standard leg! Two down, one to go!

On August 7th, 1999 at the CNYSSC AKC show in Little York, NY Siren finished her Novice Jumpers with Weaves title (NAJ) with a lovely round and score of 95. That same day we made our debut in Open Standard and danced around the course to a clean round 10 seconds under SCT that earned us our first Open leg and first place!

On April 10th, 1999 Siren finished her Flyball Dog title (FD) with the Its PAWSible Flyball team in Manchester, NH at the All Dogs Gym Spring Fling tournament.

On April 3, 1999 at the Springfield Kennel Club and Collie Club of America shows in Springfield, MA Siren finished her Novice Agility (NA) title with a clean run 22 seconds under SCT and a 2nd place in the 20-inch division.

On March 28, 1999 at the Skyline Agility Club show in Pleasant Valley, New York Siren and I finished our NADAC novice jumpers title (NJC) with a clean round 6 seconds under standard course time. We also grabbed our first NADAC novice standard leg with a clean round 13 seconds under SCT, earning us a first place in the competitive 24-inch division!

Siren also has one novice standard leg in NADAC agility. I am so proud of her!

Take a look at some of my favorite pictures of Griffith's No Cause for Alarm aka "Siren" AX, OAJ, PD1, NAC, NJC, FD, CGC