Two legs in a GOOD way!

Ranger and I took an "Intro to Rally" class last fall, and the group
we're training with decided that we'd all enter the Des Moines Obedience
Training Club trial this weekend and hold each others' hands. So we did.
(I'd like to point out that Ranger is 12 years old or so, and I've owned
him exactly 11 years. Other than the ONE fun match we went to last week,
he's never been anywhere or done anything to prepare him for the showring
atmosphere. But I figured that he's not getting any younger, and I'm not
either.)

I'm not sure what nervousness or tension Ranger is cuing off, but even
when I think I'm relaxed and doing okay his heeling falls completely
apart in the ring. Great attention in the warmup, great attention
afterward, completely "la-la-la, I can't HEAR you" in the ring. On
Friday, a Certain Dog and I completely blew the "call front, finish right
forward" because *somebody* does a swing finish when his brain is out to
lunch, and I was pretty sure we'd get the same result if we retried the
station. Anyway, hideous heeling, blown station and all, Ranger got his
first leg with an 88.

Yesterday, the trial didn't start until 3pm, Novice didn't start until
6:30pm, and the weather was crappy. No snow, but high winds glazed parts
of the roads. I took Rita and her grandson Tracy with me, and on the way
down we watched a northbound truck pulling a car trailer spin out and
slide into the median. I thought for sure it was going to keep coming
into the southbound lanes, but it didn't. Very confidence-making. OTOH,
any show nerves I had were being drowned in stress and adrenaline from
the drive.

A more difficult course, but no right finishes. Heeling was still
hideous, but less so than the day before. Ranger got a second leg with a
95, and fourth place! Then he got to sit in the car while we had dinner.
We white-knuckled the drive home at 15mph or more below the speed limit,
being passed by some folks, but collecting a couple of similarly-minded
drivers behind us, and seeing dozens of wrecks clumped around the bad
spots.

Showing in Iowa in February. What was I thinking? Anyway, we've got a
month or two to wrestle the heeling into shape before trying for that
last Rally Novice leg. Yay, Ranger!