22nd February 2025
February 22nd 2025
Another Fantastic Day at Bee Happy IDA (Despite the Mud!)
A Warm Welcome and Positive Feedback
February 22nd was another fun-filled day at Bee Happy IDA! It was brilliant to see so many familiar faces, and even better to welcome some new ones.
The word is definitely spreading about how much everyone enjoys our independent shows, and it warms my heart to hear such positive feedback.
I was even approached by several competitors throughout the day, expressing their gratitude.
It makes all the hard work worthwhile!
The Trailer Troubles
And let me tell you, it is hard work!
Take the day before a show, for example. I usually spend the evening loading up the trailer with all the equipment and towing it out of the field, ready to collect it in the morning for the early start on show day. This time, however, the recent weather had other plans. The ground had become incredibly soft, and the trailer got completely bogged down in the mud.
Four and a half hours and a very kind (and probably slightly amused) farmer later, we finally managed to free it!
Paperwork and Lost Sleep
As if that wasn't stressful enough, I still had all the paperwork to print and organize. I usually do this the evening before the show to ensure everything is up-to-date, but the trailer fiasco had eaten into that time.
By the time I'd finished everything, it was midnight!
So, the 5 am start on show day was a little rough, to say the least.
But seeing so many people having a great time with their dogs more than made up for the lack of sleep.
Venue Issues and Important Reminders
We did have a few hiccups during the morning.
The venue owner informed me that some dog handlers had been seen with their dogs in areas where they shouldn't have been – specifically, a field where horses were grazing.
This kind of behavior, even by just one or two people, could cause us to lose this fantastic venue.
We include this information in our terms and conditions, which everyone agrees to when entering our shows. There are only about 30 of them, and most are common sense, but please, please take the time to read them!
Continuous Improvement and Your Feedback
I'm still finding my feet running this series of agility shows, and all the great feedback I receive helps me improve each time.
My whole ethos is to run shows where handlers can relax and actually enjoy this activity with their dogs, and to provide an environment where the dogs can perform at their best.
The only way I can achieve this is by hearing from you.
So, good or bad, please do let us know your thoughts via email, and we'll see what we can do.
Looking Ahead to March
Anyway, I've rambled on long enough!
The March show is ready for entries – the schedule and entry form are live on our website, and the results for the February show are also posted there.
March is the final leg of the Winter Steeplechase League, sponsored by the "Agility and More" podcast.
The league winners in each grade will be announced at the March show, so I hope to see a good turnout!
Until Next Time
As ever, have fun training, and see you all soon!