Practice Makes Perfect

Just prior to our first World Team practice in Washington, one of the new team members asked me what the purpose of practice was.  After thinking for a moment I went into a long and elaborate (and probably annoying) speech that the purpose is to go out on each course and run it like you are at Worlds.  Your aim is to go clean, and if that is not possible.  Just. Don't. E.  At the end of the weekend you'll be able to look back on the courses and see what your weaknesses are.  And then it is expected that you go home and spend the next 6 weeks training those weaknesses before the next practice and before Worlds.

And I guess I wasn't wrong, that IS one of the goals.  But you don't have to fly to Washington to find out what your weaknesses are.  So then what is the primary goal?

TEAMBUILDING!

Coming together is a beginning. 

Keeping together is progress. 

Working together is success. 

- Henry Ford 

And what a great team we have!

(photo be Dee Anna Gamel)

The Large Dogs! (not the best quality photo, sorry!  Photo definitely NOT by Dee Anna)

But enough of the serious part of practice.  Here are the fun photos!  Tori and Daisy were happy on Sunday morning!  I'm sure they were talking course strategy.  Or maybe they were talking shoes... 

Icon helped Nancy and Kathie give an overview of what to expect in Liberec since he was there for EO in 2010.  I'm sure his advice was most helpful.

Rev and Icon demo'd their mad core strength skillz.  Rush is, like, "Whatever...  Border Collies are weird."

Icon worked HARD and he was exhausted by the end of the weekend!  He had to get some Starbucks to wake him up.

But Icon wasn't the only exhausted dog.  Everyone worked hard!  Kelsi was out cold on the trip to the airport.

I was a bit worried when I saw my ride home.  I have never been on a prop plane before!

But we had a smooth ride, clear skies and a gorgeous view of Mt Shasta on the trip home. I won't mention how the entire trip I couldn't stop thinking how if one of the propellers came off it would probably cut me in half.  Thankfully that didn't happen.