I had the privilege of owner handling a stunning black tri Australian Shepherd bitch in breed, Ch. Cobbercrest My Main Star CDX OA OAJ, “Amber”. She was one of those dogs that had a demanding presence in the ring. She had an incredible spark and spunk that shouted “look at me, I’m here” to anyone that even glanced her way for a brief moment. In the late nineties we traveled to Westminster to show at Madison Square Garden. It was my dream to show at that venue, and Amber was the perfect dog to show on the big stage. Being there was a tremendous experience in itself. Only champions could go, and entries were limited so getting in was a feat. Driving into The Big Apple at 4:30 in the morning was surreal to me. The city was relatively quiet but the excitement and rush I felt inside myself was incredible.
There were over 40 Aussies entered that year. We went off first thing in the morning, and there was nothing more inspiring than to be down on the floor of the Garden, on the green carpet with my hand on my heart listening to the National Anthem being played. I got a little teary eyed as I recalled how I had always dreamed of being there since I was a child. When we did begin to show I was totally process focused. Although I was excited and I was on an enormous stage, I was totally grounded in the moment and I had a checklist in my head that I went through when I was showing. When there is a big class of dogs like there was that day the judge divides the class into groups and then makes cuts of a few dogs from each group. Amber and I made cut after cut. We made it to the final cut that day. There were eight of us that were in that final cut. What was interesting was that when the finalists went in the ring I lost my focus. I remember suddenly thinking about how many dogs were left, how many had started and that all that remained were professional handlers except for me and one other owner-handler. I lost my process focus, and as a result I disconnected with Amber. I was focused on the outcome, not the process. Probably the people watching did not notice this, but afterward I knew I pulled my head out of the game. Although we made an amazing run that year I honestly believe that if I had done a better job of keeping my focus then we could have done better in the end.
Sometimes it is difficult to maintain focus and stay in the moment and close things out. You hear commentators talking about this when they commentate on sporting events all of the time. Train yourself to stay process focused and in the moment at all times. Practice in smaller trials through the end of each run. You will need this skill when you reach bigger national and international venues. When you are running agility, view your last obstacle as the chair where your leash is sitting – too many runs are lost by a dropped last bar because handlers do not run through the last jump. In obedience and rally, your class ends when you are leaving the ring. In breed, continue showing until the judge pins the class. Make a concerted effort to stay clear, focused and in the moment through the end of each ring performance. Keep your head in the game and close it out!
