We had a lot of fun and for the most part, my boys ran well, If you ignore our Standard runs which were disasters as they both decided flying off the contact obstacles was great fun! Ah well.
Zag was shut out, not qualifying in any of his runs. Except for Standard, though, they were good runs - just not quite good enough. We had a good P2 Snooker going when Zag took a wrong obstacle, ending the game. P1 Gamblers - Zag did great on the opening and nearly made the gamble. His P1 Jumpers run was awesome! But, he dropped one bar and you have to run clean to qualify. Still, in all of his runs Zag ran joyfully. He never once froze up, he never once ran out of the ring. That is worth more than any Q's!! Both things are problems that we have been working on for over a year - he gets so worried out in the ring sometimes. I've been working hard on being silly with him before we go into the ring, to get him grinning and happy. I think it's paying off 
Twix also had an "almost" P1 Gamblers run. He hesitated at the farthest away jump in the gamble - I thought he might do it! But then he came running to me so, not this time. His P2 Jumpers was a disconnected run - we weren't in sync and I kept having to back up to get jumps he'd bypassed. Still, we made it through the course clean but were .65 seconds too slow. Arghhhh! Time faults, so no Q. Twix did get a Q in P1 Pairs Relay. Twix dropped a bar and her dog missed a contact. Our dogs were both very fast so even with time added for our faults, we made it in under course time. So a Q for Twix, and that finishes P1 Pairs for him.
The best run of the trial for Twix was his first one, in P2 Snooker. I had to run this course twice with only 4 dogs in between. To go for high points in the opening (as I usually love to do), I would have had to do a lot of running. I was tempted, but realized I wouldn't be able to do that twice so close together. I made a more conservative opening plan for fewer points. It meant, though, that I had to make it through all 6 of the obstacles in the closing to qualify - so the clock was a huge factor in this run.
Our run started badly, as Twix ran around the first "red jump". I backed him up and got him over it, internally freaking about the time lost. I focused in on our run, though, and Twix did too. The rest of our opening was so in sync and gorgeous. I angled Twix into the #4 tunnel and then swung him out to a red jump out beyond it. I stayed near the tunnel and cued Twix to sweep wide from that jump and back to me. He did it and zoomed back into the tunnel. Then to a red jump straight in front of the tunnel with a tight wrap, dangerous but Twix was on and read me perfectly. Back into the tunnel. The opening complete and worth 15 points. Onwards to the closing.
I had to keep Twix close to me to get to the #2 jump to start the closing. He did it, correctly ignoring an inviting jump on the way there. I sent him over #2 jump and another wide wrap done beautifully by Twix to get him to #3 which was 6 weave poles. Twix hit his weave entry spot on and flew through the weaves. A push to the far side of "our" tunnel and Twix is done with #4. An easy line to jump #5. Somehow, I ended up on the wrong side for #6 which was a 2 jump combo that needed to be taken as a "threadle". Being on the wrong side to do this, not easy .. not pretty! Somehow Twix and I muddled through it. I really don't know what I did except that it was really awkward.
Now we have 35 points, but need 37 to Q. Is there enough time to do #7, a combo of a jump and 6 weaves? I send Twix over the jump, no problem. But he misses the weave entry. Telling myself not to freak, I back him up and try again. He does it and is through the weaves moments before the buzzer goes off. 42 points and a 4th place Q in P2 Snooker!! Wahooooooo!
Twix needs only one more P2 Snooker Q. If he pulls that off this coming Saturday, he would move up to P3 Snooker on Sunday. I never, ever, EVER thought we would reach the masters level in anything in USDAA so to have Twix this close to it for Snooker is exciting! Mind you, he is still firmly stuck in P1 Standard and Gamblers! Still!!!