Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 7:22 pm Post subject: Clear round rosettes? Yes, or no?
What are your views on rosettes for clear rounds?
Today we went to a lovely unaffiliated agility show. Good venue, friendly people, nice atmosphere. Courses were not the easiest, but were achievable with careful thought. Oak ran three stonking good runs, going clear on 2 of them (with Mummy error on the 3rd, ooops! ). I was delighted with Oak.
In the jumping, where we came 12th out of over 60 dogs, the rosettes went to 6th place. This is perfectly reasonable in my opinion. Certainly, it is lovely to place to lower places, but realistically roughly 10% of the entry is fair, I think. However I went up anticipating being handed my clear round rosette, expecting the normal shake of the judges hand and a “well done!”, only to be told that they weren’t giving clear round rosettes out.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I treasure my clear rounds. In one class today it was grade 1 – 4 combined, and Oak was competing against 161 other dogs. Oak is grade 1, and there was no way on earth that he was going to beat a grade 4 collie. I didn’t enter with any hope other than to enjoy ourselves and try and go clear. So not to get a rosette to show Oak’s achievement was very disappointing. I know the top, really good, people don’t think anything of clear round rosettes, but this was an unaffiliated show, and a lot of us “lower level” competitors really treasure our rosettes.
What do you think? Am I being a whinging handler? I didn’t expect a big rosette, but a little, cheap one just to celebrate our success would have been really nice.
None the less, I am THRILLED with Oak, who was a complete star!
Ash, who has had the winter off agility, had two very happy eliminations! He did the tricky bits, but just needed some help and encouragement through the weaves in the jumping, and between us we managed to miss a jump in the agility! But his happy wagging tail was all the prize I needed!
I don't think you are a whinging competitor at all!
I too treasure our clear round rosettes!! They act as a souvenir of the day for me and can often represent a greater achievement at times than placed rosettes can!
I know at BAA shows clear round rosettes are always available although not usually presented, you tend to help yourself and I know some people don't take them, some people take one when especially pleased and some like me collect them religiously!!
Last week Luna was limping and I was worried that our agility days were over, so what she's achieved over the past year would become very precious memories.
I think agility shows ought to recognise that the vast majority of people aren't going to shows to win or place, they are going to have fun, bond with their dog and hit a personal challenge. Considering we pay so much money to enter I think awarding clear rosettes is a nice outside recognition of achievement.
Well done again to your boys!!
(Are you doing any BAA shows again this summer Katy? I'm hoping Luna will be well enough for us to take our tent to some of the more southern comps this summer - would be good to meet up!)
Well done. I definitely value clear round rosettes (not that we had many!). I think that especially for grade 1 achieving a clear round can feel like winning the class. There are lots of dogs in grade 1 who will never get placed simply because they're the "wrong" breed to win at agility. I was particularly chuffed when Worcester agility society gave out extra special "first ever clear round" rosettes.
I hope most agility shows continue to give them out.
Congratulations on your achievement, it was very mean not to give rosettes for clear rounds.
We are entering our first show in three weeks and it happens to be run by our own club, it is an unaffiliated fun event and I'm pretty sure that clear rounds are available in all classes. I will be over the moon if Coco gets one as I really don't expect her to be placed, even in the beginners class. I will be absolutely delighted if she does a full round without deviating to munch on some horse poo (it is in an equestrian arena where my previous club used to train).
After today's attempt at agility I think we will be lucky not to be disqualified for her going AWOL - everything was more interesting than the course and she suddenly turned deaf and went off sniffing as soon as I took her lead off.
Don't make the mistake I did on our first ever run at comp! As I realised we were approaching the last jump with a clear round I forgot to keep running, Luna went around the jump rather than jump it, I didn't think about my position, called her back to me, she jumped over the last jump the WRONG WAY!!!! Bang goes clear round!!!
Lesson: always run all the way past the finishing post as if it's not the finish!!!!
Find someone to look after you and tell you what to do, where to go etc - is sooo useful!
I totally agree, I treasure my clear round rosettes and each one is a reminder of the round and show we entered. Well done on your achievement, sometimes going clear is the culmination of hours of work in practice and of course it deserves some recognition.
(Are you doing any BAA shows again this summer Katy? I'm hoping Luna will be well enough for us to take our tent to some of the more southern comps this summer - would be good to meet up!)
Thanks Laura. Glad to hear Luna is on the mend - what a relief!
We don't have many BAA shows around here that I am aware of, but I will certainly keep an eye open for any - it would be great to meet up, and witness the lovely Luna in action!!
Thank you all for your comments - I am glad to hear I am not the only one who loves my rosies!
Don't make the mistake I did on our first ever run at comp! As I realised we were approaching the last jump with a clear round I forgot to keep running, Luna went around the jump rather than jump it, I didn't think about my position, called her back to me, she jumped over the last jump the WRONG WAY!!!! Bang goes clear round!!!
Lesson: always run all the way past the finishing post as if it's not the finish!!!!
Find someone to look after you and tell you what to do, where to go etc - is sooo useful!
Thanks, we are having a club only mock show on Sunday so that we all know what we are doing - both as competitors and as ring party members. I'm going to be very nervous but I'm sure we won't be the worst. A clear round rosette would make me very happy.
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). I was delighted with Oak. 
and it happens to be run by our own club, it is an unaffiliated fun event and I'm pretty sure that clear rounds are available in all classes. I will be over the moon if Coco gets one as I really don't expect her to be placed, even in the beginners class. I will be absolutely delighted if she does a full round without deviating to munch on some horse poo (it is in an equestrian arena where my previous club used to train).
