Jak, ATChC (Agility Trial Champion of Canada)The ‘ATChC’ is something that I have dreamt of achieving with all of my dogs. It’s that title that was so close to being obtained but remained always just out of my reach due to various struggles/health issues along the way.
It’s that goal that gets you to the next competition when times are going tough, it gets you to the next training session and keeps you always striving to do your best.
So when we became close to our obtaining our ATChC, thing changed. I wasn’t running as confidently as I once had, and my nerves were affecting Jak’s performance and he was taking off courses he wouldn’t normally take and was stressing on the start lines all because of this ATChC that I wanted so badly. So I started thinking how badly did I want this ATChC, and was it worth changing how we train and play all for this title?
I realized this title wasn’t worth stressing and I didn’t want it to affect our partnership. We started having more fun like we used to, we enjoyed living in the moment, pushing ourselves to the limit while running and not caring about any faults and simply kept going…..because at that point all you can do is go home and continue to train!
It is these runs that I will remember most in our journey, as these are the moments that make you realize what a true team is, it’s the partnership, the trust that your dog has in you, it’s that goofy look they have staring at you from the start line, it’s admiring a rescue running through tunnels over jumps and through weaves doing things that they wouldn’t have done only a short time before, it’s the endless love that you have for one another.
This ribbon will hang proudly on our wall. It will serve as a reminder of all that we have achieved together. It was never about the title, it was the journey and the partnership.
Christine & Jak
Proud to be the first MABCR Alumni to have achieved an ATChC under the Agility Association of Canada.
