Magazine Article: High in Trial Agility 2016 Specialty

“Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey.  It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again.” – anonymous

My first Ridgeback Specialty was in Ohio 2007 and I entered in Agility Excellent STD and Excellent JWW with my Logan, MACH3 Oridgenal's Poet Laureate CDX MXC MJC MXP NJP, TDI, HIC.  He was young then, not a speck of grey, his eyes were bright, and his body knew no limitations.  The event was a one-ring trial.  Spectators sat in a line ringside with a perfect view of the course.  Throughout the day there was clapping, excited gasps, and laughter, but when Logan hit the weave poles, the crowd roared.  The way he moved through the poles was so unlike a Ridgeback.  He just loved to move and to go as fast as he could.  While he dominated the course in speed, he didn’t qualify.  It would take another year before I could learn to handle his sheer power and drive on the course.  But I’ll always remember the smile on his face when he ran and the roar of the crowd that day.  I have to remember because soon that’s all I will have.  Others who were with me that day have already gone through the loss.  The Ridgeback that won that day was the infamous CH MACH11 Koda's Gold Dust Woman CD SC MXC3 MJC3 XF T2B, Stevie, now gone.  Another Ridgeback we met that day, Logan’s brother, Zuri, is also now gone.  The reality is, all of Logan’s litter is gone.  I can honestly say, I truly hate the word……gone.

But he is not gone yet.  We had the rare gift to enjoy one last Specialty run, returning to Ohio in 2016.  I entered Logan, who is just turning 13 years old, in Agility Novice Preferred JWW.  He was coming off a really bad month of sickness and we were still in the process of isolating the cause.  I was doubtful if I could run him.  Logan, however, had no doubt.  When I opened the crate to let him out and assess him, he leapt out and began the happy Ridgeback dance as he whined and pulled to get to the ring.  So off to the ring we went.

When we entered the ring, I choked back tears, knowing this was the last time.  I took a small lead out, and looked back at him waiting patiently for the release cue.  The image I saw weighed heavy on my heart, his body lacking tone, his sunken eyes, and his fur covered with grey.  My young champion had become an old man, seemingly overnight.  Yet none of that mattered in that moment.  When I released him, he ran the course as he always did, with the heart of a lion.  Moreover, he finished his legacy as a champion, winning the class.

And while a legacy ended that day, another legacy continued on.  MACH3 Wheatridge's Cinderella Man MXC MJB2 NF, Braddock, took High in Trial, winning the class by 8 seconds.  Braddock proves to me time and time again what a privilege and gift it is to run him.  He ran with supreme confidence and sheer desire.  It’s as if he knew I had to give all my energy to Logan that day, so he just went out and did what he needed to do.  The most amazing part was that he made it look so easy and fluid.  It couldn’t have been a better run.  He achieved perfection that day.

In the end, I was deeply touched by the support of the Ridgeback community at the trial.  My heart wept over the touching comments on Logan’s last run, and my heart delighted in the comments of admiration for Braddock and his amazing ability on the course.  We had the fortune to enjoy a lot of support from the agility club and their awesome venue.  Finally, I had the joy of seeing dear old friends and meeting new ones.  This truly will be a Specialty that marked a legacy I will never forget and it will remind me to cherish the legacy I am making right now and the legacies to come.