Buzz received some exciting and very unexpected news this week.
Congratulations, your dog has met the eligibility requirements to enter the 8th AKC Obedience Classic, December 18-19, 2021. The event will be held at the Orange County Convention Center, North/South Building, located at 9899 International Drive, Orlando, Florida.
This is a huge honor and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us both. So, let me step back and explain.
Buzz actually qualified for this event a couple years ago but because of COVID, it wasn’t held last year. So, based on scores earned for the past two years, invitations were extended to those top dogs on the five levels of obedience competition.
There is a big difference between Obedience and Rally when it comes to scoring and performance. Although in both sports, there are specific exercises, there’s more leeway in what’s considered perfect in Rally. And with less different skills required in obedience, they are much harder to perform perfectly and the judges score them more stringently.
Obedience is a much more precise sport and dogs and handlers can lose half-points for being just a little be out of position or a little slow or a little crooked when performing a skill, for instance.
And, in obedience, the ring isn’t filled with a course of signs indicating what the dog and handler should do. In obedience, the judge gives commands (such as halt, fast, slow, normal, about turn, etc. ) while following close behind. On the novice level, there are six specific exercises that should be performed just so and any deviation means points lost from a total of 200 for a perfect score.
I’d originally planned to compete in obedience after Buzz got his Rally Championship, but fell in love with rally and only completed the title requirements for the Beginner Novice and Novice obedience classes, which are the first two obedience titles offered.
Although I’ve also been training for the next two levels, Open and Utility, during Covid, I found myself going back to designing and setting Rally courses, because that’s the dog sport I really enjoy.
And, at almost 8.5 years old, Buzz jumps a much lower jump height in Rally than in Obedience. So, I kinda put obedience on the back burner and focused on Rally.
A trip to Orlando to compete in an invitational in December? That’s very tempting. In addition, there are a couple of pre-shows in the same building leading up to this invite-only event where I could also show in Rally Obedience, which is my first love.
So, I’m seriously considering (taking a little vacation) and attending this once-in-a-lifetime event with zero expectations – other than going on a marvelous adventure with Buzz. And enjoying the moments in the ring at a big event.
In this two-day invitational, you show in three classes the first day and do the same prescribed exercises each time. Then do it again three times the second day. The dogs that have the highest cumulative scores make it to the podium.
And, just because you were invited, doesn’t mean you’ll get in. Entry into this event is a random draw.
But, I plan to enter and then figure everything out after mid-September when the final draw is announced. (Plus, who knows, because of COVID, it might not take place this year, either.)
In the meantime, Buzz and I have a very busy fall planned showing in Rally in Michigan and Ohio. Lots of practice in the ring because I still have my heart set on doing everything possible to make the podium at the Rally National Championships to be held in June 24, 2022 at a site still to be determined.
That said, I’m still in excited shock that Buzz was invited and I’ll keep my fingers crossed that our entry is chosen so we can compete.
