Success at Crufts

3 dogs 4 competitions 2 rosettes. First up was Ink in the YKC agility dog of the year,started well but we weren't quite together on the day and sadly picked up an elimination, but Ink didn't know this and we had a great time.
Next was my little Fizzle and after our major scare last week I just wanted to enjoy running her. She was absolutely amazing and we were lying first with just the last dog to go, a fantastic grade seven dog and we came second. I was so proud of her to do this well in her first year of competing,as my first dog to train she has been a huge challenge with all her difficulties. We have learnt a lot from each other and I look forward to what lies ahead. She was also in the team which was quite a tricky course in the small space and we picked up five faults. With two clears and two eliminations we were out of the placings but I would like to thank my fellow team members I had lots of fun.




Pachesham Juniors 2


Tippex was a star as always and to my great suprise we picked up a 6th place, I was especially pleased as he is 13 next week and I didn't think we were fast enough to get a place. He also qualified for the supadogs final at Mid-downs before Crufts. So we will have to see how he is come October and see how he goes between now and then.

Crufts Here We Come

Just a quick update before we set off. Fizzle is well enough to compete , test results were good back in two weeks for a final check but my vet was very happy with her! What a relief !!The big problem now is how to stop her getting to things she shouldn't apart from permanently caging her indoors which I really don't want to do I 'm not sure whats the best way!

Anyway I wanted to wish all our friends and especially Ryan lots of luck at crufts and to remember to enjoy the experience it's an achievement to even qualify !! Hope to be able to catch up with you there.

Fizzle's back home

Just got in tonight with Fizzle.She has been driving everyone mad at the vets, pulling her drips out twice whilst wearing her lampshade !! If they put her in her cage she demanded attention ( which i think she got a lot of ) I can't thank all the team enough they have been so patient with her over the past two years and have really helped her to build a trusting relationship along the way. The difference in her confidence at the two surgeries was noticeable. Her bloods were up but she is remarkably bright and they felt she would get more rest at home ( not to mention their ears). I have to take her back Friday morning for more blood tests , but we are all very happy to have her home where she belongs.

Fizzle's grape scare

Fizz is in big trouble once again. This time she has eaten a whole bunch of grapes!!Last night at about 11 o'clock my mum went to put the dogs out for their last toilet trip and found the empty grape stalks in her bed. She immediately rang the vets and she took her to the emergency unit in Wimbledon. They induced vomiting and put her on a drip .Mum collected her this morning and transferred her to our vets and we are awaiting further news at the moment.We can only hope that she is strong enough to get through this, at the moment only time will tell.

Crufts countdown - 4 weeks Tomorrow !!!

Crufts is getting ever nearer and I am starting to get a bit worried about making sure I am ready. This year I am in four separate competitions, the YKC agility dog of the year with Ink, YKC medium ABC with Tip, the YKC teams and the YKC small agility with fizzle. This will be Fizzles first year so I am wondering how she will react to the conditions at crufts. She has never run on carpet before but my main worry is that she will freak out at the amount of people and the noise surrounding the ring. Mum has sorted out with Eleanor a training day on carpet during half term next week. Can't wait!

However I am really looking forward to it and am really exited. If I can get into the main ring again this year that would be great, the atmosphere is just amazing.

Recently, we have also been working on our contacts. Fizz gets impatient on the see-saw and if it doesn't tip quick enough she likes to jump of the sides.This is because I have a got into the habit of leaning into her when praising her at the bottom.I really have to concentrate on keeping my shoulders straight and feeding her from the hand closest to her. The other contact I was a bit concerned about was the A frame, she keeps going on the movement of my body, not me saying go, I need to practise running past the contact and not feeding from exactly the same place every single time.

Happy New Year

Happy new year to all. Well my new year resolution already out the window as I was going to try to keep more up to date with the blog and already it's the 8th of January !!

Christmas came and went so quick I nearly missed it . Christmas day was lovely all the family came round lots of drinking ( tea and coffee :):) )and chatting and we swapped pressies, it was great to see everyone. Boxing day we went to visit my cousins, played silly games, ate too much food ,all the usual stuff. Then we went to the Isle of Wight to stay with cousins and see the new year in. It was great except big mistake I left my camera at home and am STILL waiting ( hint hint) for Kathryn to email me with some she took of us all walking on the beach .

The kids had one day back at school before the snow came and have been at home since.The first few days was great lots of playing, building snowmen,sledging but I have to say it took me two hours to get to work yesterday by train and mostly walking when normally I can drive in fifteen minutes! Not looking forward to doing that again!

The dogs however especially Ink love the snow.























Ink just can't help herself. While the other two look on wondering what all the fuss is about.





Tippex is saying I think it's time to go home now !

Christmas In Heaven

I see the countless Christmas trees
around the world below
with tiny lights like heaven's stars
reflecting in the snow
The sight is so spectaular
please wipe away the tear
For I am spending Christmas with
Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many christmas songs
that people hold so dear
But the sounds of music can't compare
with the Christmas choir up hear
I have no words to tell you
the joy their voices bring
for it is beyond description
to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me
I see the pain inside your heart
But I am not so far away
We really aren't apart
So be happy for me dear ones
you know I hold you dear
and be glad I'm spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year.

I sent you each a special gift
from my heavenly home above
I sent you each a memory
of my undying love
after all love is a gift more precious
than pure gold
it was always most important
in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other
as my father said to do
for I can't count the blessing or love
he has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas and
wipe away that tear
Remember I spending Christmas with
Jesus Christ this year


There are many stars in the sky that shine but some shine brighter than others.To all the family and friends that are no longer with us, we love you and miss you. xxx

Merry Xmas to All

Make a Smilebox greeting

Just Minis Christmas Show and Agility Catch Up

Hi everyone

Sorry we haven't been on the blog for a while but we have been very busy.Now here for the catch up. I have qualified all three of our dogs for crufts in different YKC competitions.
Tippex: ABC medium agility.
Ink: YKC agility dog of the year
Fizzle: YKC team agility with my friends from Pachesham, and YKC small agility.
Fizzle has had a fantastic first year, she started out a bit rocky but is now coming along much better. She has been winning quite a bit and is now in grade three. We have also qualified for the agility club starters challenge final next July.

Ink has also had a good year, however she has had lots of injuries and hasn't been able to compete for a lot of it. Ink is now in grade 6.

The plan for Tippex was to retire him next year at crufts but watching him this weekend, now I'm not so sure, he thoroughly enjoys his agility and I think it helps to keep him fit. Our vet is happy for him to continue so perhaps we'll just let him tell us when he's ready to stop. You can see for yourself on the video.

Here are a few videos from just minis last weekend.

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Cherish every day

It's been a long time again since I've posted but we've had quite a summer. Dave's younger sister Jackie was very suddenly and tragically taken from us in the beginning of the summer holidays. It's been a difficult time and it goes to show nobody knows what's in store for any of us. The lesson we've had to learn these past few months is very much live for the day and enjoy the times you have together.

Lots of Good news.....

Tippex

Can't even begin to tell you how happy and relieved we are.Tippex has got the all clear and is back to his usual happy self . There was a small piece of broken tooth in the gum which the vet believed was the cause of the infection and a course of antibiotics later all is well.What a long week that was waiting for results!

Rugby Show

I don't usually enter shows this far away as not having any camping gear it's a long way to drive in a day.But entered as Rugby has a YKC heat. Ryan had all three in this and until the last dog ran he was in 1st with Ink and 2nd with Tippex. Only the first two qualify so a very well done as Ryan and Ink are off to Crufts but I have to say I had a little tear when he ran Tip as they put in a lovely round and it meant so much to see Tip enjoying himself doing agility again.They also ran in the junior jumping and Tippex got a 5th which Ryan was rather proud of as it was all heights together with four fast collies in front of him! Fizz also did a lovely round but got spooked on the seesaw how ever she was fantastic in the jumping and won her grade 2, this was their first grade 2 show!!
Ink and I also got a 3rd in the combined 6/7 jumping so all the driving was well worth it.

Say A little Prayer.....

Haven't updated for a while again as can't seem to find the time but we have been doing well lately in agility. Ink seems to be coming back on form with our first win in grade 6 and a couple of 2nds, 3rd and 4th. Ryan and Fizzle also doing well with quite a few top 5 places in recent shows. Sadly Tippex hasn't quite been himself lately but I couldn't find anything in particular and had put it down to the extreme heat and his age, that is until last week when I found a lump in his mouth.I took him straight to the vet and he was operated on last Friday where they x-rayed then removed his upper incisors, some bone and some fluid. We are now waiting for the results...I have to say he seems so much happier in himself already , the vet has said treat him as normal until we know the results so I am trying very hard to keep positive.

Fizzle's in Grade 2!!

Thames was a great weekend for Fizzle and I. It started off with an Agility win which put me into grade 2. I then got a 3rd in the jumping to top off the day. The next day I was really optimistic and wanted to do well again. It started off well with a 2nd in the agility. My next run was jumping in which when I walked the course I thought to myself 'I can win this'. So when I went to run and knocked the first pole down I got really disheartened and we ended up getting eliminated (very naughty handler). Our next run was the 1-7 Olympia qualifier in which we got a 5 on the weave but nonetheless it was a good run. The next few shows should be exiting as fizz and I are begining to get it together.

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The first place trophy is nearly as big as Fizz!











Happily Mum and Ink are back competing and Ink is sound. However luck wasn't in their direction and they didn't get a clear round this weekend, hopefully it won't be long.

Half Term Fun

Running behind as usual but this post is particularly for my cousin Eileen who wanted to see and hear more about the Hennessy children than the Hennessy dogs :0) !!
We did lots of days out and one of them was to a country fair which included almost everything from funfair rides , heavy horse displays , sheep shearing to falconry but the main attraction was a Napoleonic Reenactment.This was amazing and the photos really don't do it justice.The best ride the children enjoyed was the Hydrosphere where the children climbed into a bubble which was then filled with air and put in a very big paddling pool and they had to try and walk to move the ball around - very amusing for spectators.

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We also did a day out to see HMS Belfast as it is the 60th Anniversary of D Day this year there was a special expedition with lots of characters dressed up explaining their role during the war which made it very interesting. While we were there we were lucky to see the tower bridge open up to let a boat pass through.











Can you guess the name of this Captain?

Update and Bats Show

First of all the not so good news, Ink is temporarily I hope, out of action again.I noticed at training a few weeks ago that she was measuring her jumps so off we went to our physio and sure enough Ink was a bit tender in the same spot as before. So she's back in treatment again and only allowed to exercise on a flexi.She is responding well to treatment and I'm hoping we will be back in agility soon.... I'm going stir crazy without a dog to run and she not too impressed with the flexi lead rule either but I have to do what's best for her in the long run.

Today at bats Fizzle put in some very good runs especially the 1-2 jumping,this was almost up to her speed that she does at home which is great as she's getting more confident at shows, sadly she lost concentration momentarily and missed the tunnel entrance but otherwise a very good run.

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Tippex enjoyed himself today he loves the weather when it's a bit breezy, sadly no clears but he was happy with himself.

You will get that contact !