Trialing This Weekend

Michelle and I are heading to Mebane, NC for an NW3 on Saturday. This will be our third attempt at this level with no titles attained so far. In fact, the two trials we both ran previously were particularly grueling, due to exhaustion, heat, or a combination of both. I've noticed that both of us have taken a laissez faire attitude toward trialing recently, and I think it has to do with the process involved to coordinate our trips. Michelle was lucky to get in the Canton, GA trial on September 26th, which is only a 45 minute drive from Smyrna, but most of the NW3 trials we see are not close to home. We have already traveled to Knoxville, MD in the past month (a 10 hour drive for Michelle and a flight for me since I had to work on Friday), and now we are looking at a 6 hour drive to Mebane after we leave work around 3pm. Sure, we may stop around Charlotte and drive the remaining distance Saturday morning, but we'll be tired either way. And not just us humans. The dogs get worn out from the drive as well, no matter how many times we get them out of their crates to stretch their legs. These trips make me long for the fun days of practice at K-9 Coach, where Rip and I are rested and happy. I think much of the difficulty of trialing comes from these exhausting weekend jaunts. I earned my NW2 in Tucker, which is basically home turf! Talk to you later!