16 Sep 2006 - Sutton Fields
Sutton Fields
If things could go wrong!
The weather was glorious, the journey was good or so we thought as when we arrived we had lost Caroline and Ashleigh, Bev was waiting outside the caravan not looking impressed and Colin was pacing up and down. Poor Caroline and Ashleigh had a puncture on the way there; luckily Phil and Lynn were bringing up the rear and stopped to help. Green Flag was phoned and so not to miss out on racing Emma and Jess were shoved into one cage and Tilly hoisted out of her nice warm cage into a strange car along with Ashleigh. They arrived ready to race with Lynn, whilst Phil and Caroline waited and waited for the Green Flag man to change the tyre. One saga over another to unfold!
Colin was not amused; a face like thunder was the understatement! You'll never guess what Bev's done he said (notice its Bev's fault as usual!) She's forgotten the caravan keys! They're on the couch at home! OOOO I say not a good start. Not only could they not get in the caravan but also they couldn't even unhook it from the car as the same key was on the bunch sat on the couch! Don't worry you can borrow my car as long as we can put my 4 dogs somewhere as they are racing first. Think where can we put them, no it's ok Kathryn volunteers her car with poor Leo squashed in a cage outside and Alfie going for the ride. Lynn has a brainwave why not wait till Phil gets back and he can drive Colin back to Blackpool and back again for the keys, as Emma and Jess aren't racing until tomorrow. Good thinking, that's what we did.
Mean while paper work has been done balls and bucket taken to the ring but where's the box? Who has the two hole box? Anyone? Yes Colin. Oh good where is it? In the caravan! Oh no, mmmm no box. It's ok pipes up Derek I have the one hole in my motor home hurray we have a box, great down it goes to the ring. We are ready to race.
Whilst all this is going on our new super gazebo is being assembled, well sort of. We had on the Wednesday previous to putting it up this weekend colour coded the new gazebo in Phil and Lynn's back garden whilst some of our team were being bitten by midges mmm tasty legs. Out came an array of coloured insulation tape, this was to make it easier! Which it did to an extent! Out came to the laminated instruction sheets and the huge body bag provided to carry the offending contraption. The bag mind you is great in theory if you are Geoff Capes (He was a body builder in the 80's Kathryn) If you're not then tough you have to drag it or separate it into smaller tent pole bags (good thinking Ken) Well we manage to get the top and the middle legs up before we had to race! Am sure we will get quicker with practice!
In go the Surfers 5 dogs, 5 races, 1 dog out each race makes for fair exciting racing. The Surfers being steady and consistent in their game consisted of Steady Jeddy, Tumbling Trudi, Hectic Harvey, Precise Pepsi and Energetic Emerys. What a start 3 straight wins for the Surfers, with Hectic Harvey heckling on the line. A loss against the White Dwarf stars but we took them to 4 legs! Another loss against Wired 4 Action, I am sure they don't send 4 dogs down! They always seem to be standing there waiting whilst our last dog hurtles over the line in anticipation of a win. Oh no not again another Wires team! This time Wire Connection but not to worry as easy peasy we win 3 straight legs. The final was tough against Valley Hound Dogs but just couldn't quite get it and they won us 3-0. An overall great days racing with a 4th place rosette to boot, can't be bad.
No rest for the wicked as the Hot dogs were straight in ring two. Our line up looked good, Millie, Alfie BC, Chloe and Dexter with Boogie on stand by well ok more like stand and lie down! But she was there just in case we needed a bit of speed injecting in, mmmmmmmmm! 4 hard fought races were had taking two teams to 4 legs but it wasn't to be our day and a 5th place was set.
A rest was earned, Oh no it wasn't the gazebo was only half put up so before any tea brewing and cake munching could take place we still had to put the gazebo together. Don't worry Kens got it all in hand, thank god!
No rest for the wicked as the Rollercoasters were due to perform with Megan, Leo Moses, TJ and Tilly. It's great when there are 5 races 5 dogs, its so much easier, 1 dog out per race. Race we did taking Nova Next Generation and Greedy Grasshoppers to 5 legs each time, unfortunately just losing out . But were working on our strategy and best dog position. The time was good though 20.97, I feel the points racking up guys.
After a rather hectic day it was great to sit in our new gazebo, did I mention I manage to have some chips this time? Mind you I had them for my lunch this time as last time I was ready to eat chips, went to order them and they had stopped serving at 4pm! I ask you, who stops serving at 4pm when there's all those hungry chip craving flyballers ready to hammer the door down! Ok maybe a slight exaggeration I feel, but I was mortified to find they had stopped serving cooked food, but... I could have had a flapjack! Mmm not quite the same I feel, healthier than fried chips, but doesn't quite hit the spot. Anyway I got a take out portion for the five thousand! And proceeded to munch happily on my purchase. You know all this talk of chips and I could just eat some, no I have will power back to the story. Mmm tomato sauce!
I'm back from outer space and the chip munching has passed, now where was I? Oh yes in the new gazebo chatting with the team. Over dinner Colin had a call from his great friend Virginia! Who riled him slightly to the point of explosion, on went the glasses and scrolling through the last call to get Virginia's offending number! This crank call was only to be revealed next morning after Colin chunered on most of the night about it. Sunday morning and Lynn arrives to share her new ring tone with the entire gazebo only for Colin to shout out something unrepeatable to Lynn who was in fact Virginia! Oh revenge is sweet! I presume you had to be there as Colin's face was a picture on both occasions.
Anyway enough of this banter, back to the racing. Sunday we had two teams in the Fylde Coasters and the Fylde Hotdogs. Yet again the team line up was different for the Coasters who saw Jess, Emma, Quincy and Maddy, this line up was much to Quincy's delight as his stalking partner was back! 10 minutes they said we had while the ring party changed divisions, enough time to pop to the loo and get the gauntlet. Not as there I am pottering through the gate and across the field only to spy Emma on the box! Its ok they must be warming up! Then I see Quincy, then Maddy, mmm I start to walk slightly quicker, when I reach the ring there's Colin waving his arms so I waved back, Colin got really frustrated and started to flap his arms, my god I thought he's had too many KFC's I new this would happen one day. No he was actually telling me to get out of the sight of Quincy who by now was on his second leg hurtling down the lane, good job Derek was in control. Racing was tight but not to be the Coasters day with 2 out of 5 wins and a super time of 20.33, the Coasters came in 3rd out of a 6 team division.
Our final team was the hotdogs, with Jackie and Tipsy unable to come it left us with only 3dogs, Speedy Gonzales's Chloe and Boogie along with stamp on the ball Alfie. Saturday night Doreen from the Northern Bytes came to the rescue with Bailey an extremely fast start dog. Little did he know he was running with 2 geriatrics and a mad poodle! Sunday arrived and we met our super sub for the day without who we wouldn't have been able to compete so great thanks go to Bailey and his family. In we went and the team line had a practice run, Bailey, Boogie, Chloe and Alfie P. Wow I was so busy watching Bailey go I missed the pass! Super fast or what! First race against Blackpool who has a very good starter team and all season we have lost gracefully to them. Not today, we won 3 - 0 much to there horror, Joan said they have a new start dog you'd better move up on your start! It didn't make a difference as we were way ahead even with the oldies slowing us down in the middle. After a great start we couldn't believe our eyes when we won 2 of the 4 races and gained a 3rd place rosette.
An excellent weekend was had with a few glitches that were easily sorted out on the first morning, some great results and excellent atmosphere especially as it was our first camping experience at Sutton Fields To top it off, Derek with Bonny gained their 10,000-point Silver award and Quincy gained his 15,000-point Gold award. We each received a beautiful salver engraved from our team and the BFA certificate framed. Thanks Guys. We packed away and the new gazebo came down rather quicker than it went up! We could have a Guinness Book of Records attempt, the fastest time to erect the team gazebo!
If things could go wrong!
The weather was glorious, the journey was good or so we thought as when we arrived we had lost Caroline and Ashleigh, Bev was waiting outside the caravan not looking impressed and Colin was pacing up and down. Poor Caroline and Ashleigh had a puncture on the way there; luckily Phil and Lynn were bringing up the rear and stopped to help. Green Flag was phoned and so not to miss out on racing Emma and Jess were shoved into one cage and Tilly hoisted out of her nice warm cage into a strange car along with Ashleigh. They arrived ready to race with Lynn, whilst Phil and Caroline waited and waited for the Green Flag man to change the tyre. One saga over another to unfold!
Colin was not amused; a face like thunder was the understatement! You'll never guess what Bev's done he said (notice its Bev's fault as usual!) She's forgotten the caravan keys! They're on the couch at home! OOOO I say not a good start. Not only could they not get in the caravan but also they couldn't even unhook it from the car as the same key was on the bunch sat on the couch! Don't worry you can borrow my car as long as we can put my 4 dogs somewhere as they are racing first. Think where can we put them, no it's ok Kathryn volunteers her car with poor Leo squashed in a cage outside and Alfie going for the ride. Lynn has a brainwave why not wait till Phil gets back and he can drive Colin back to Blackpool and back again for the keys, as Emma and Jess aren't racing until tomorrow. Good thinking, that's what we did.
Mean while paper work has been done balls and bucket taken to the ring but where's the box? Who has the two hole box? Anyone? Yes Colin. Oh good where is it? In the caravan! Oh no, mmmm no box. It's ok pipes up Derek I have the one hole in my motor home hurray we have a box, great down it goes to the ring. We are ready to race.
Whilst all this is going on our new super gazebo is being assembled, well sort of. We had on the Wednesday previous to putting it up this weekend colour coded the new gazebo in Phil and Lynn's back garden whilst some of our team were being bitten by midges mmm tasty legs. Out came an array of coloured insulation tape, this was to make it easier! Which it did to an extent! Out came to the laminated instruction sheets and the huge body bag provided to carry the offending contraption. The bag mind you is great in theory if you are Geoff Capes (He was a body builder in the 80's Kathryn) If you're not then tough you have to drag it or separate it into smaller tent pole bags (good thinking Ken) Well we manage to get the top and the middle legs up before we had to race! Am sure we will get quicker with practice!
In go the Surfers 5 dogs, 5 races, 1 dog out each race makes for fair exciting racing. The Surfers being steady and consistent in their game consisted of Steady Jeddy, Tumbling Trudi, Hectic Harvey, Precise Pepsi and Energetic Emerys. What a start 3 straight wins for the Surfers, with Hectic Harvey heckling on the line. A loss against the White Dwarf stars but we took them to 4 legs! Another loss against Wired 4 Action, I am sure they don't send 4 dogs down! They always seem to be standing there waiting whilst our last dog hurtles over the line in anticipation of a win. Oh no not again another Wires team! This time Wire Connection but not to worry as easy peasy we win 3 straight legs. The final was tough against Valley Hound Dogs but just couldn't quite get it and they won us 3-0. An overall great days racing with a 4th place rosette to boot, can't be bad.
No rest for the wicked as the Hot dogs were straight in ring two. Our line up looked good, Millie, Alfie BC, Chloe and Dexter with Boogie on stand by well ok more like stand and lie down! But she was there just in case we needed a bit of speed injecting in, mmmmmmmmm! 4 hard fought races were had taking two teams to 4 legs but it wasn't to be our day and a 5th place was set.
A rest was earned, Oh no it wasn't the gazebo was only half put up so before any tea brewing and cake munching could take place we still had to put the gazebo together. Don't worry Kens got it all in hand, thank god!
No rest for the wicked as the Rollercoasters were due to perform with Megan, Leo Moses, TJ and Tilly. It's great when there are 5 races 5 dogs, its so much easier, 1 dog out per race. Race we did taking Nova Next Generation and Greedy Grasshoppers to 5 legs each time, unfortunately just losing out . But were working on our strategy and best dog position. The time was good though 20.97, I feel the points racking up guys.
After a rather hectic day it was great to sit in our new gazebo, did I mention I manage to have some chips this time? Mind you I had them for my lunch this time as last time I was ready to eat chips, went to order them and they had stopped serving at 4pm! I ask you, who stops serving at 4pm when there's all those hungry chip craving flyballers ready to hammer the door down! Ok maybe a slight exaggeration I feel, but I was mortified to find they had stopped serving cooked food, but... I could have had a flapjack! Mmm not quite the same I feel, healthier than fried chips, but doesn't quite hit the spot. Anyway I got a take out portion for the five thousand! And proceeded to munch happily on my purchase. You know all this talk of chips and I could just eat some, no I have will power back to the story. Mmm tomato sauce!
I'm back from outer space and the chip munching has passed, now where was I? Oh yes in the new gazebo chatting with the team. Over dinner Colin had a call from his great friend Virginia! Who riled him slightly to the point of explosion, on went the glasses and scrolling through the last call to get Virginia's offending number! This crank call was only to be revealed next morning after Colin chunered on most of the night about it. Sunday morning and Lynn arrives to share her new ring tone with the entire gazebo only for Colin to shout out something unrepeatable to Lynn who was in fact Virginia! Oh revenge is sweet! I presume you had to be there as Colin's face was a picture on both occasions.
Anyway enough of this banter, back to the racing. Sunday we had two teams in the Fylde Coasters and the Fylde Hotdogs. Yet again the team line up was different for the Coasters who saw Jess, Emma, Quincy and Maddy, this line up was much to Quincy's delight as his stalking partner was back! 10 minutes they said we had while the ring party changed divisions, enough time to pop to the loo and get the gauntlet. Not as there I am pottering through the gate and across the field only to spy Emma on the box! Its ok they must be warming up! Then I see Quincy, then Maddy, mmm I start to walk slightly quicker, when I reach the ring there's Colin waving his arms so I waved back, Colin got really frustrated and started to flap his arms, my god I thought he's had too many KFC's I new this would happen one day. No he was actually telling me to get out of the sight of Quincy who by now was on his second leg hurtling down the lane, good job Derek was in control. Racing was tight but not to be the Coasters day with 2 out of 5 wins and a super time of 20.33, the Coasters came in 3rd out of a 6 team division.
Our final team was the hotdogs, with Jackie and Tipsy unable to come it left us with only 3dogs, Speedy Gonzales's Chloe and Boogie along with stamp on the ball Alfie. Saturday night Doreen from the Northern Bytes came to the rescue with Bailey an extremely fast start dog. Little did he know he was running with 2 geriatrics and a mad poodle! Sunday arrived and we met our super sub for the day without who we wouldn't have been able to compete so great thanks go to Bailey and his family. In we went and the team line had a practice run, Bailey, Boogie, Chloe and Alfie P. Wow I was so busy watching Bailey go I missed the pass! Super fast or what! First race against Blackpool who has a very good starter team and all season we have lost gracefully to them. Not today, we won 3 - 0 much to there horror, Joan said they have a new start dog you'd better move up on your start! It didn't make a difference as we were way ahead even with the oldies slowing us down in the middle. After a great start we couldn't believe our eyes when we won 2 of the 4 races and gained a 3rd place rosette.
An excellent weekend was had with a few glitches that were easily sorted out on the first morning, some great results and excellent atmosphere especially as it was our first camping experience at Sutton Fields To top it off, Derek with Bonny gained their 10,000-point Silver award and Quincy gained his 15,000-point Gold award. We each received a beautiful salver engraved from our team and the BFA certificate framed. Thanks Guys. We packed away and the new gazebo came down rather quicker than it went up! We could have a Guinness Book of Records attempt, the fastest time to erect the team gazebo!