1ST QUALIFICATION FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2022
TRAY – VERY BITTER 1ST QUALIFICATION FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2022
Our first qualifiers never went well and even when we won something we always stayed below the line. This year I was hoping we could avoid that June. I did everything in my power to make it happen. And clearly it wasn’t enough.
Saturday’s courses were absolutely amazing! We did open with a refusal, but we did it. I unfortunately pulled Tray too much in the jumping (the pony can brake even after 25 meter sprint!), then that cost us disqualification. But whatever, we got some points, let’s go fight another day. On Sunday, we got on the morning jump. Running into the slalom Tray missed, refusal, correction and on we go. Somehow we made it to the finish and there they report two refusals. What? Yes, unfortunately a very questionable decision cost us qualifying. I don’t want to make any excuses, just had a run on the first time and was calm.. but … it totally took away my remaining energy and hope.
I went into the last beautiful agility open with a little soul, but I definitely wasn’t going to give up! We ran out, we fought, we managed a seesaw and an ultra hard slalom run-in, I breathed a sigh of relief (but didn’t let go), watched the dogwalk discrimination and then it was just going to be Tray’s favourite jump – the flat out. Even if he jumped the dogwalk, we’d just have a mistake and go… and then blackout… he wanted it badly, I wanted it badly, but Tray jumped straight, my legs buckled, I couldn’t get up. I woke up, hugged Tray and we went to get the rewards he deserved! I cried all the way across the stadium…
Thank you so much to everyone around me – from my friends, the judges (Angelika Brandl, Petra Vyplelova for the amazing courses, and great positive attitude all weekend) to the best commentator Dana Mix, because otherwise I really probably wouldn’t have got up and laid there until now.
Now I just have to get my thoughts straight, get some new energy and get ready for the next qualifiers.
Tray thank you so much! You’re awesome and I really appreciate what you do for me (you’d rather be catching those skaters next to the stadium and the cows in Studenec yourself)! I feel like we really are a team, both in life and on the agility course!
