Clean Run - June 2018 - 5

On the Cusp of a MACH
By Holly K. Krueger

At one of my first agility trials as a Novice handler, I happened to be ringside when a competitor finished her run.
Suddenly there was an outbreak of applause and hooting.
Someone ran out and gave her a huge ribbon and one of
the jump bars. More applause. All things were mysterious
to me at that point, but I soon learned that the celebration
was because the competitor had earned her championship,
her MACH.
I was star struck. Looking back
I'm kind of surprised I didn't
ask for her autograph.
Since then I've seen many
people get MACHs. A few are
"MACH machines." Not me.
My journey has been more
circuitous. My first agility dog
was a Gordon Setter who was
born to be loving and quirky
but wouldn't be an agility dog
of choice. She taught me a lot
but earning a MACH remained
a distant dream.
Along came my second agility
dog, a happy-go-lucky tailwagging speedy English Cocker with lots of drive. The possibility that one day I might enter
the kingdom of MACH crept
into my mind. As we continued
our journey, I worked hard to keep the focus off Qs and on
more important goals. Become a better handler. Set a good
line. Be clear. And most important of all, have fun. Enjoy
the journey.
For a long time, if people asked how many double Qs we had,
I could honestly say I didn't know. But occasionally I'd look it
up, file it away, and refocus on my goals.

That strategy worked great until somewhere around Q #18.
People asked more often. Thoughts of a MACH were like
whack-a-mole. They'd pop up. I'd smack 'em down and then
refocus on fun and gratitude.
But at #19 1/2 the pressure intensified. People commented.
"You'll get it. Today's the day. Work every obstacle." Friends
were ready with cameras. People were waiting. But mistakes
were made. Bars came down.
Normal stuff happened. It was
like Ground Hog Day; I kept
reliving 19 1/2. I just wanted
the whole thing over with-
the journey was no longer fun.
Pressure comes in many
forms, internal and external.
It whispers in your ear and lays
mental traps. It tries to suck
the joy out of the moment.
The pressure starts early and
reaches a crescendo when a
championship is within reach.
I've had to keep reminding
myself what's important. My
dog and I are both healthy
enough to run with joy. How
lucky am I?
By the way, we did earn our
MACH. It's a wonderful accomplishment, and I'm incredibly proud of it. But better yet, I'm having fun with my
four-footed teammate. Yes Homer, "the journey is the thing."

Holly K. Krueger

Holly K. Krueger is a psychologist and writer who has become an agility aficionado. She first discovered the agility world when her Gordon Setter needed a job, and Holly
has never looked back. Holly now competes with a very enthusiastic English Cocker Spaniel, MACH Nohea Beatrix Madeline May MXB MJB XF T2B who has forced her
to run faster and smarter than she ever thought she could.
June 18 | Clean Run

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - June 2018