Hetty being in season, it was just Ellie for the first PDRO trial of the year. We've gone back to Bronze (level 1) as well as they have introduced a championship award. Somehow I managed to do a 270 right instead of a 270 left, realised something was horrible wrong when sign 11 was in front of me instead of sign 9, looped round shouting 'aargh, retry, help!' and did it properly. In spite of that idiocy we only lost 7 points in all and got 203/210, which was great. We had 2 Silver courses (level 2) which is offlead, Ellie was a little tempted by the food bowls but managed I think 193 in one run and 194 in the other. And then we had another try at a Gold course (level 3), which had angled recalls over jumps, tunnels, heel backwards, find article among 2 other items in a box, and so on. Another bit of idiocy from the handler at this point who had managed to leave the dumbell at home, luckily someone with cockers had a spare the exact same make that they never use and gave it to me, it didn't have the string I wind round the grip part, but after I'd carried it in my pocket for half an hour before our run, I was thrilled that Ellie just dived straight into the box to fetch it. She can't walk backwards (she almost had it cracked but has mysteriously forgotten how again), but in spite of heavy losses on that station, we managed a great score of 187. I'm so proud of her!
It was a fun day. There's 2 more level 2 workshops coming up, just as well as I've succumbed to insanity and entered Hetty in some level 2 trials as well. Next trial I am running is in June and if Hetty does well she will get her level 1 championship there!