Wordless imploring Wednesday

Flyball Dog award

After the weekends disappointments this is a bit of good news. On the 9th of May at Newbury Showground I took part in my first ever real BFA flyball tournament as I was just old enough to compete in May this year.

Well the points that I earned for the races that day have just been put on the BFA website and I have got enough for my FD (Flyball Dog) title.

I am the first ever English born English Shepherd to get this title.



And the only other English Shepherd to get this before is this one...



He is my Dad Adam, who was born in the USA and races with the Crazy Cannons Flyball Club in Stockton on Tees up in the North of England. This picture was taken of him racing recently, he looks very fluffy!

Nervous

Its the big England football match today against Germany in the World cup. Any football match against Germany is a titanic one full of incident.

I am getting quite nervous. Its enough to drive you to drink.



That's if Chip has not drunk everything already.

Sunny Saturday

No flyball tournaments this weekend as its the European Flyball Championships next week (much more important than the football world cup!) We have training tomorrow but today its just a chill out day in the lovely sunny weather.

I fancy a bit of a walk however.



Mum will you take me?

Chip fans

For those Chip fans this is a video of him racing at the flyball tournament last Sunday.



As you can see he is mighty fast for a little dog. He was racing in the 1st Division against very fast Border Collies who are a lot bigger than he is. The video was filmed in the morning and he actually got faster than this in the afternoon...



I know he looks very appealing but I can do appealing as well.

Wordless thoughtful Wednesday

Princes Risborough

We went to a flyball tournament this weekend. It was in Buckinghamshire in a place called Princes Risborough.

Took this picture nearby on the way there, doesn't it look picturesque! Look all those sheep and no Border Collies...



I raced on Saturday and my team Lightning Sprites did a fastest time of 20.43 seconds we had some close racing and I did not make any mistakes. I went back again today to watch the others race.

But I think the star of the show was Chip. He raced on Sunday and as there were two dogs injured from the 1st team Chip and Blue both moved up from Grease Lightning the 2nd team.

They raced in the 1st Division and did really well with a best time of 17.92 seconds. And Chips fastest leg of the day was an amazing 4.5 seconds...

This is Chip racing against another dog.



This is him having a rest between races.



And this is me enjoying the shade between races.



It was nice and sunny today.

Oldie worldly

What glorious sunny weather we are having at the moment. These are some pictures taken when we were out today.



Made us think of horses pulling hackney cabs, clip clopping down the street.



Its an oldie worldly part of Sunbury-on-Thames very near the river. Also a lovely blue sky today.



Me and Dare had a good run in the park when it got a cooler this evening.

Wordless flower Wednesday

Sundays video

This is a video of me racing with my team mates at the weekend.

Check out Patsy the last dog's nickname she is called back with.



Yes its Chicken, her full nickname is Bad Chicken...

This is me with my second place rosette.


Not that good a picture as we were actually happy !

Wolf

We were back at the flyball tournament today. I was watching the others race.

This is me doing my impression of a wolf whilst watching them...

Flyball & Relatives

Today we were at a flyball tournament in Potters Bar which is in Hertfordshire. As well as the racing we met some relatives.

I met my litter sister Abbie for the very first time since we were little puppies and she stayed to watch me race which was nice. (She is much better behaved than me!) This is us both together isn't she beautiful.



Then Auntie Breeze also met two of her relatives. They race for other flyball teams and this is her with them. Her pedigree name is Foxbarton and they are also Foxbartons. She is the very little one in the middle.



My team had some very close races but we won all our heats in the morning. This is me racing.



We then won one and lost one in the afternoon so in the end we got second place in the division which was not bad. This is me changing over with a teammate in one of the races.



Thanks a lot to Abbie for coming along to watch me and lots of thanks to her family for bringing her.

This is a larger picture of Abbie. I think you can tell we are sisters.

Hogging

Chip is still hogging the paddling pool whenever the sun comes out. Much to Dares consternation.



But there are some lovely flowers in the garden at the moment to cheer Dare up.



Not sure what this plant is thats growing by the front driveway. But it has blue and white flowers on the same plant!

Support ?

You might be aware that the 2010 football World Cup is nearly upon us. Its being played in South Africa starting this weekend.

Now I have a little problem of who to support in the tournament.



I am an English Shepherd born in England so that team would seem the obvious choice for my support.



However my Mum and Dad were born in the USA and my family go back quite a few generations in the USA so perhaps that team should be my choice.



Normally this is not a problem and I can happily support both teams against who ever they are playing against.

Only one small, tiny, little problem. On Saturday in their first game of the World Cup its England Vs the USA...

Wordless twilight walk Wednesday

Cool dip

Its started to rain tonight so I think we may have seen the last of the sun for a couple of days. But whilst it was hot we had a little pool in the garden to cool off in.

As you can imagine someone used it more than the rest of us.



This is Dare is casting a disparaging look at Chip playing...

Demonstration

Our Club did a a flyball demonstration at the Dogs Trust today at the Summer open day at their Harefield Centre.

Chip raced in one of the teams and this is him having a flying jump.



I think Chip was the star of the show and as you can in this picture he made everyone in the crowd smile.



I had a little go on my own before it all started but I really enjoyed watching the Clubs experienced dogs race each other.



Paws crossed I will be racing next weekend at a tournament.

Evidence

The boss keeps telling me off for chasing the big bumble bees that are flying from flower to flower at the moment in the sunshine.

I like to try and grab them when they are sitting on the flowers. I have been avoiding chasing them when the boss is about but something is giving the game away.

Border Collie sulking

Its been another glorious sunny week here in West London. I think even the flowers are enjoying the weather.



But when its so hot they have to be watered in the evening or they start to sulk.



Speaking of sulking I went to some extra flyball training tonight with Dare and we had a great time. It was the first time I have been training since I was unusually attractive and confined to the garden.

No pictures of us training but this was Auntie Breeze when we got back.



I think she was sulking as she didn't get to have a go as well.

Wordless woken up Wednesday

Shooting Stars

Everyone apart from me went to a flyball competition on Monday. Unfortunately I am unusually attractive to other dogs at the moment so I had to stay at home.

They all had a great time and Auntie Breeze's team won their division. This is her racing against a dog from another team.



The tournament was run by a flyball Club called Shooting Stars. It was held in Kent in the grounds of an old Hop farm which they use to make beer. But I don't think the dogs got to drink any!

This is Auntie Breeze doing a swimmers turn on the flyball box.

Coming up to the box.



Grabbing the ball.



Turning off the box.



And starting to run back again with the ball.



The boss's newish camera was used to take these pictures. I think that they look quite good.