Clean Run Magazine - November 2006 - 68

Letters beating Joe X and Speedy is the most important accomplishment of
the trial does not mean I am not a competitor, in my humble opinion. I
train several nights a week, teach agility classes, and travel to an
average of one trial per month. I do all this because I love agility, my
dog seems to love it as well, and it's fun. Period. But because winning
August 2006 Issue isn't foremost in my agility agenda, I'm not a
competitor, by Lanny's definition. If that's the case, it's a good thing
trials and publications I'd like to start by saying that I have never
before written a letter to like Clean Run aren't dependent solely upon
competitors. I would an editor. However, I have very strong opinions
regarding two articles guess socialites outnumber those who trial only to
win by about 10 in the August 2006 issue of Clean Run. to 1. We socialites
may be annoying to competitors again, why? , but First, the good: Kudos to
Lisa Flowers for her story, Thanks for the without us, trials wouldn't
fill, and subscriptions, books, and supplies Ride. She should get a Spirit
of Agility award for her attitude toward wouldn't be sold in quantity to be
profitable. agility. In the end, it's all about enjoying the partnership
with your The ugly: The socialite tends to pull the competitor's focus
away from dog. Enough said the article was great. why she is here.
Socialites are more interested in your becoming like Now let's get to the
bad and the ugly: Lanny Bassham's Dealing with them than paying the price
to become like you. The author makes it Distractions, Part 2. Let me start
by saying, there is nothing wrong sound like socialites run around trials,
trying to convert competitors with winning, and if a trial exhibitor wants
to make winning a priority, to socialites. I know in my case this is not
true. Nor is it true for any that's fine. But I would like to add that
wanting to win doesn't make of my socialite friends. As a matter of fact,
the opposite is true. We that person any better or worse than a casual
exhibitor, just different. give a wide berth to people who are at a trial
whose sole intention That being said by Lanny's definition, I am a
Socialite : In the is winning. For the most part, these people are neither
pleasant nor sport for recreation, not recognition... What is important is
that she fun to be around, and we avoid them like the plague. However,
these has a good time at the trial with her dog and her friends. Yep,
that's competitors rarely show the same respect for us socialites. I can't
tell me. That also describes my closest agility buddies. What's wrong with
you how many times I've been basking in the afterglow of a lovely being in
the sport for recreation and having a good time? As one of run with my best
friend and teammate, and some competitor has my socialite buddies said, The
majority of people that compete in approached me, stating, We would have
beat you if we hadn't messed any sport are just out there to have fun.
After all, it is how we fill our around at that last jump! I usually just
smile and say, Oh, really? leisure time and I can't think of a better way
than to spend it with and walk off or turn my back, dismissing this rude
intrusion. my dogs and my friends! I'd also like to note that you'd
probably be hard-pressed to find a The bad: Socialites can become a
distraction to the competitor when socialite who turns into one of the
other distractions Lanny names: they rationalize that they are actually
competitors themselves. What Over-Tight, Analyst, Complainer,
Thrower/Slammer. These other in the world does the author mean by this?
Because we value our distracting types of people most likely exhibit their
nasty behavior time with our friends and our dogs, we are distractions? Or
because because they didn't win! We socialites don't place winning above
we think rationalize? that we're competitors and we don't fit his
everything else, so we rarely have reason to complain, pout, stomp
definition of competitor, we are distracting people-training-to- or
throw/slam things. Frankly, the only time at a trial when I do win? Why do
people who are out only to win care what we think or complain or have a
desire to slam something is when the complainers, rationalize? These
remarks make no sense at all, and quite frankly, over-tights, and so on
act ugly! Nothing makes me madder than are insulting for many reasons.
First of all, I do consider myself a seeing a competitor leave the ring
and stomp to the crate muttering competitor, even though my sole purpose
for being at the trial is not about how bad the dog did. When I see
someone yank a collar or winning. I do compete, mainly with myself. I
compare my placements, bang on a crate and blame their dog for the bad
run, I want to walk times, and scores to our team's last run. Was this run
better? Are we up and say, Hey, you trained the dog, didn't you? His
performance improving? Were we faster, more efficient? Just because I
don't think I read this article to several of my agility I would put down
anyone, disrespect anyone, Dear Clean Run, students before sending it in,
and I did not or be insensitive to people who compete. I wish to apologize
to the people that were hear any cause for concern from them. But I do wish
to thank the individuals who offended by anything that I have written in
after reading these comments, I can see how have brought this issue to the
attention of my last article. It was not my desire to put if someone had
limited exposure to me and Clean Run and to me. It has caused me to anyone
down in any way. I have the greatest my philosophy and had not read all of
my be much more concerned about everything respect for people that
compete, whether articles in the past in which I have supported that I
write and say. My intention in the their reason is to win or to just enjoy
the the joy of competing, the article could be article was to show how
anyone can become event. When I reviewed the article after offensive; and
I can appreciate how someone distracted by other people at competitions,
having read the letters critical of my work, would feel in those
circumstances. I consider and for readers to be sensitive to the fact that
I could see how someone might misread it an honor to have the opportunity
to write they might actually be distracting others by what I was trying to
say. My choice of words for Clean Run and again offer my apology. certain
behavior. I have the greatest respect allowed for misunderstanding and for
that I Sincerely, for the competitor that competes for the take full
responsibility. I do not think you will Lanny Bassham fun of it; and if
anything, I thought I was find anything in my work outside this article
being more critical of the person that is including my previous Clean Run
articles, only concerned with winning in the article. books, audios, or
seminars that indicates that | 68 Clean Run November 06
Clean Run Magazine - November 2006

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