Course analysis Steeplechase

Op de website van de USDAA staat een analyse van het door mij ontworpen en gekeurde steeplechase final parkoers. Dit ontwerp is ook gebruikt voor de finale performannce speedjumping die ervoor gelopen werd op vrijdag avond.
Vooral om de laatste opmerking over dit parkoers ben ik erg trots (het is het eerste Steeplechase parkoers dat ik ooit ontworpen heb.)

Steeplechase and Speed Jumping Championships
Posted Date: October 26, 2010
Course analysis, by Annie DeChance.
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The Performance Speed Jumping and Steeplechase Finals course was a fun design for both large and small dogs. There was plenty of opportunity for the dogs to open up and run but it still required some technical handling skills to run clean.

The first four obstacles were handled basically the same by all handlers. Some handlers chose to front cross after #4 to line up the dogs better for the #5 weave poles. This also provided a better push past the off-course entrance to the #6 tunnel. Whether the handlers front crossed or stayed on the right side of the weaves, a majority of the dogs made a wide turn from #4 to #5. Only one dog in both Performance and Championship classes took the off-course #13 double.
A few challenges appeared after the #6 tunnel. A few dogs back-jumped the #9 jump coming out of the tunnel and a few others ran by the #7 jump. A couple of other dogs ran past the long jump as well. Only a few dogs took the off course #6/#17 tunnel after the #9 jump to the A-frame and it happened regardless of whether the handler was on the dog's left or right side. For both classes, there were only two down A-frame contacts faults and one up contact fault.
The trickiest part of the course proved to be the #11-#12-#13 jump sequence. The majority of dogs made a wide turn after #11, whether the handler made a front cross or not. This created a zig-zag pattern for the dogs to complete #12 and #13. A few of the larger dogs ran past either #12 or #13 because of this. In the 26" class, three handlers turned their dogs to the outside of the #11 jump. This made for a nice straight line to the #12 and #13 jumps but did require more yardage to complete the sequence.
Jumps #14 to #16 into the #17 tunnel really let the dogs open up and run. There were only a couple of knocked bars in this area.
A few dogs had problems in the second set of weaves with missed entrances or popping out towards the end. Most handlers stayed on the inside of the weaves and front crossed for the last two jumps.

This was a fun, fast, and technical course and it proved to be one of the most fun and exciting Performance Speed Jumping and Steeplechase course finals in recent years.

Annie DeChance lives in Phoenix, Arizona and has competed with mixed breed dogs adopted from local shelters for the last 15 years.

Bron: http://www.usdaa.com/article.cfm?newsID=1621