Packed and Ready to Set Off Tomorrow

Ok all packed and Trapper, Sparky and I had it tomorrow morning. Blake is going to stay with my Dad. Everything in the topper is for Nationals and I don't need it along the way. We have 5 days of driving to get there so we can take all the breaks that we need.

Nationals is going to be busy but I am really excited. Sparky is playing 2 days of Speedway (8 runs each day) then Trapper and I get to test ourselves with the agility courses. It isn't being live streamed this year but I will try and take my own videos.

Planning for CPE Nationals 2024

In times of stress and change I plan trips. So, I got my CPE Nationals road trip all planned out and hotels booked. Ready for May 2024!

Leave for Springfield, IL on May 10th and return home on May 26th. I made some shorter chunks this time so we can hike in Utah or make some longer stops along the way. I also learned that we just don't do well with those close to 8 hour driving days. Trapper needs to get out all the time and Sparky and I need to play.

Leave May 10th from home drive 6 hr 26 min (415 mi)
Stay: Saint Regis, MT

May 11th: 6 hr 5 min (420 mi)
Stay: Hopefully stay in Billings, MT

May 12th: 5 hr 6 min (316 mi)
Stay: Rapid City, SD

May 13th: 7 hr 50 min (509 mi)
Stay: Omaha, NE

May 14th: 6 hr 24 min (434 mi)
Drive to Nationals.
Stay: Springfield, IL

Nationals Location and schedule
Illinois State Fairgrounds
801 E Sangamon Ave, Springfield, IL 62702
Sparky Speedway May 15-16th
Trapper Agility May 17-19th - 3 runs a day

May 20th: 5 hr 38 min (381 mi)
Stay: Topeka, KS

May 21st: 7 hr 18 min (524 mi)
Stay: Denver, CO

May 22nd-23rd: 5 hr 39 min (365 mi)
Stay: Moab, UT
Hiking options
https://girlonahike.com/7-best-dog-friendly-trails-in...

May 24th: 6 hr 57 min (453 miles)
Stay: Twin Falls, ID

May 24th: 5 hr (345 miles)
Stay: Pendleton, OR

May 25th: 4 hr 37 min (282 mi)
Drive home finally!

Reflections on CPE Nationals

I am still processing everything from CPE Nationals but today I put up Trapper 's ribbons and am reflecting on everything we learned. This was the first time we have been on the National level in Agility and we did better then I had expected but not as well as we are capable of. In the end we smiled getting on the line every time and we Qd in 5 of the 9 runs. I am reminded that I am capable of the tricky handling challenges and Trapper is an amazing partner that loves the game and tried his very best every time he steps to the line (after the kiss on the top of his head of course). The loss of the Snooker medal and correct score due to a scribe error still stings but it was just 1 moment and I have to let it go and not let it spoil the whole experience. 

I am including my favorite run which was Fullhouse as it was the first time we were on the line together. 

Trapper did amazing as well as the tricky Jumpers course that shows what Trapper does so well as well as me almost running into a jump oops. 

Trapper's Saturday Standard run, the one with the back to back sets of weaves and then the choose your own end of the course. I am really happy with this one as well.

Wildcard run was also a Q because it was a nice flowing course which Wildcards aren't. usually.

Finally the Snooker run that was incorrectly scribed, my sheet says 2,3,2 for the opening instead of the 2,6,3 that we actually got but since the judge didn't remember me I couldn't get it fixed.

Thank you to Janet Mudge for being my neighbor and supporter through the highs and lows of both of our first times as well as Kathy Swan for bringing all of her experience and calm. As well as Jade Cervano for joining me for the last crazy day and then driving all the way home.

In the end we will probably go back to Nationals but hopefully when it is closer and cooler because Trapper doesn't do heat.

States visited

For those interested here are the states the dogs and I visited and Jade visited all but 3 of them as well.

Finally home!

Today had it's ups and downs. I think we all wanted to be home already. I didn't sleep well at all last night.

Thankfully the trip home was uneventful and had just enough outside time to make all of us happy. 

Made it to Washington

We had a great time with Duane and Jackie but we had the whole state to cross today. 

We made a lot of stops and I forced Jade to have a Wheat Montana sandwich for lunch. We had to have a huckleberry milkshake to make it that far though. 

We also stopped at the 50,000 Silver Dollar for souvenirs. A hat for Jade and wine for me. 

Excited to finish the drive tomorrow. Tonight we are in a cool city hotel in Spokane. 

Had to walk to Riverfront Park to find grass though. It is as pretty of a park as I remember too. 

North Dakota and Montana

Another day of driving. We got the road a little bit earlier today. We also managed to find a truck parking spot so the dogs could burn off steam.

We also found one with a pretty view which I wasn't expecting of North Dakota.

We made one tourist stop to see the Painted Canyons in the a badlands. Well just from the scenic overlook.

Finally made it back into Montana and are ending the day with a stay with my Aunt and Uncle.

Wisconsin and Minnesota

Not really sure where the day went exactly. We did a lot of driving.

We also had BBQ for lunch again and enjoyed it in the park like the day before. This time Sparky wanted to share.

In Minnesota we found a rest stop against a lake. It was a little muddy/swampy but the dogs liked it, especially Sparky.

We had a comfy hotel in Fargo, North Dakota but wet actually grabbed dinner in Minnesota at Sol Avenue Kitchen because it was on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. 

Cheese curds and empty fields

Last night we went to The Great Dane in Madison, Wisconsin for the required fried cheese curds. They were really tasty.

This morning the hotel had a real breakfast hooray for pancakes and bacon. Then we had to stop to grab cheese to bring home as well if course. I feel like that's a requirement when visiting Wisconsin right?

We made it to Baraboo before Trapper stayed to sing to stop. We got really lucky and saw a big field for sale. It was next to a Pizza Ranch parking lot. So was perfect to meet the dogs do some running. 

On the way home - Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin

Today was a really good day. We started the day in Ohio. Passed through Indiana and Illinois and are now comfortable in Madison, Wisconsin. We are Illinois BBQ in a to park for dinner and it is cool enough tonight we will be able to eat in a restaurant. A great first day on the road back home. 

Day 3 - Colors, Snooker and Standard

It was so nice to have Jade with me today. That was by far the best part of the day. Showing her around and just having someone in the stall when I would get back and to keep the dogs comfortable. I just wish the day went as well as it could have. 

We started with Colors which was a fun flowy course that Trapper did so well with all the twists and turns. But for some reason he knocked a bar which is an immediate NQ. I was so disappointed because it was such a beautiful and fun run.

Snooker was next. Trapper was being weird with Jade disappearing before his run. He was worried but his snooker went just as I planned. I had found out that people weren't making it in time to go through 7 since it was a 3 obstacle combo so I made a plan that only needed through 6 and we made it. It included the tunnel which worked even better. I was so proud of that run. 

When I went to get my snooker scores though while waiting for our standard run walk through I was shocked to find that I didn't have the right opening score. The scribe had put the wrong person's scores on my sheet. So it was a Q but a 30 not 34 point Q. I knew that a 34 point Q would most likely give us a placement in our class. So I went to the scoring room and they said I had to talk to the judge and have it signed off by him. So I rushed through my standard walk through but didn't make it and had to wait through the end of that snooker rotation. When I did talk to Mike Brownell the judge he just looked at me after hearing my story and said he didn't remember me and Trapper and refused to sign off on the correction. He also wouldn't look at the video to help spark a memory. I was so mad! 😡 The same judge was also part of the terrible CT-ATCH experience which he also didn't remember. I went back to the scoring room to find out if there was anything else I could do. They said there really wasn't if the judge wouldn't sign off. I get it that there are rules but though we're my 4 points. 

I was not in the best head space for our last run after all of that and Trapper was too hot and tired. We completed the course perfectly but way over time. Sigh at least we played and it was a fun closer to end on. 

We were done with Nationals and it was time to play Frisbee and then pack up. The stall was filled with sawdust and so much stuff. How did I bring so much in? I also took down my stall decorations, craftily made Thursday night.

Then waited for the worker's raffle. I won a cute little basket so that was nice. I debated staying for awards but we did stay for about half. I know we wouldn't get any of them but it was fun to watch others do so. 

I checked the scores and I was correct that 34 in Snooker would have given us a third place in our class. 😔 I was still just so upset and sad and I feel robbed but I couldn't get it changed. A disappointing goal day for sure.

Then it was back to the hotel to cool off and start to think about packing and what to do with all the stuff in the car. It was a nice evening. 

Day 2 - Standard, Wildcard and Jackpot

We got to sleep in a little bit needing to be here until 6:45am. Walk throughs and such started at 8. We are in the third group on each section today so we had a long, long wait for our first run.

Our first run was our best one. It was a tricky standard run with back to back weaves with a shift then ended where we could choose our course. We ended with a nice flowy ending with 2 teeters. This was a Q.

It was heating up by the time it was time to play Wildcard in the afternoon. It was a really nice course actually and Trapper navigated it perfectly all though a little slow. Another Q for us.

Our last run of the day was in the evening at about 6pm. We were all tired and hot at this point. It was about 83 in the building and not much breeze. I kept Trapper in his cooling coat but he was still hot and tired. He just didn't want to play Jackpot at all after waiting way to long by the ring. He knocked a bar right off that ruined our opening and then when it was time for the gamble he stopped and looked at the wall jump I was asking him to go to and then at me and just wouldn't move. So we ran to the end happy and just done.

Then it was time to rush to the airport to pick up Jade. We left her waiting but we did make it eventually. The dogs were so happy to see her and so was I. Nice to no longer be on my own.

Day 1 - Standard and Jumpers

Our standard run Trapper got all the crazy spots and traps but dropped a bar and had to redo his weaves. Oh well it was sure fun to get to give it a whirl. 

Trapper got a Q in that tight jumpers run. He knocked a bar but he stuck with me even when I almost ran into a jump oops. Then his new Zentek coat has worked to cool him off. It's been a great day even though Sparky had been bored.

First run is in the books

Trapper just finished his first run at CPE Nationals. I planned out a Full house run and he performed amazingly! So proud of my boy excited for the super tricky runs to come today.

We made it!

We made it right on time. The energy is good and there are lots of people and dogs but also a lot of space. Or stall was double booked but thankfully they were able to move so I am still next to the other 2 Washington people. 

Sparky played all 3 games of Speedway. He was super distracted playing Slingshot and went through a couple hoops backwards. He had fun though. Then it was drag race. He was so excited for the lure. Then when it was our turn the power went out to the lure. He was so confused when I just called him to run to the end. They got it running again and he got a 4.92 for 50 yards. Last was Pitstop the all tunnel game. He had so much fun running through them even though being under the pavilion was distracting. Now it's nap time for him.

Trapper did his run throughs as well.  I was so proud of him being super focused and he acted like the whole environment was no big deal. He did his weaves, broad jump and large parts of the course in the time allocated (60 seconds from the time you open the door on the box). I think he is going to be great and the pavilion was actually a really great space.

Excited for tomorrow

Today had highs and lows. The drive went well, the dogs were so good. We stopped at a lot of rest stops making out way including some good off leash running spots. The last stop at a truck stop even allowed for rolling in the grass which the dogs loved.

Indianapolis hasn't gone so well but we are safe and tomorrow is what matters.

Tomorrow we have under a 2 hour drive and then will be swept up into all things CPE Nationals. The end is on sight! I sure hope it will be worth it. 

St Joseph, Illinois

Not everything on this trip has been planned but this worked out. An hour and 15 minutes since our last stop and Trapper was singing. So I took the exit in construction without reading the signs and at the end of the ramp I found a Dairy Queen, and lots of grass. I think having this blizzard was just the right thing.

Iowa

Yesterday the drive felt like it went on forever and with the time change we didn't pull into the hotel until 10pm Central. We were all tired and hungry. At least we got this really great sunset view from the last rest area outside of Des Moines Iowa.

Crossed the Missouri River

Well we are making progress. We had a great windy stop in South Dakota. And a Tourist stop at Wall Drug.

Now we have crossed the Missouri River and it's really pretty. Lots of drive to come but so far a good day. 

Long wet drive to Rapid City - MT, WY and SD

Sigh another long wet drive today. This spring has been so wet. By the afternoon with more rain and no end insight we all got a bit grumpy. We did get in some running and playing in the mud and paddles so it wasn't a total loss.

I did try to play tourist and took a detour to Deadwood but didn't have it in me to truly explore in the rain and neither did the dogs.

We made it safe and sound to a very, very comfy hotel room and I enjoyed Mackenzie River Pizza and we all enjoyed turning on the heat and drying off. Tomorrow is our longest drive, all the way to Des Moines Iowa about 9 hours of drive time so probably about 12 hours total for us since we all like to stop and stretch every hour. I am hoping for dry weather by the end of the day.