It’s a rare and treasured moment when you get to see brilliance in action and this video IS everything that a caring, loving and wise agility handler hopes to be in that moment of truth.

Or should I say, it is what they SHOULD hope to be.

We live in a day and age where instant and material gratification is the ultimate goal. The qualifying score. That winning run. The title. The MACH points. Ugh, who came up with these rules???

To be blunt, these are all great goals and certainly achievements that should be celebrated, but let’s be clear…these moments do NOT define or encompass the whole of who you (as the handler) and your dog(s) are!

After all, these things don’t measure the amount of heart. The amount of commitment. They don’t showcase the personal hurdles overcome. They don’t share the disappointments or the times you had to ‘suck it up’ and move forward. And most importantly, they don’t share the times when you felt “IT” (“IT” is that moment where you achieved agility brilliance…). Somehow these moments often get lost in the quest to win.

So what happens when ‘winning’ is suddenly tossed out the window and there is NO chance for ‘winning’ to occur?  What happens if ‘winning’ went down in flames when the bar of the first jump falls? Well, if ‘winning’ was your goal then you’ll find yourself sorely disappointed…in front of everyone.

BUT…what if your goal was to be the BEST teammate possible to your dog. To recognize that they, just like you, always give 100%. That you’ve got each other’s back. That no matter what, the two of you are in it together. That, just like you, sometimes things happen. Mistakes are made. But each of you gave 100% and in the end, that’s all that counts.

What I’ve just described is the magical moment we have the honor of witnessing in this video.

Did you know that this handler WON this event the two previous years? Ah, the pressure….to keep the title, to be a winner. To not disappoint.

So let’s go back to the reality of the video. The crowd is rooting for them and when the first bar comes down, they loudly moan their disappointment. As a result, the dog and handler’s rhythm is broken and the weave pole entrance is missed. Rather than crying, showing disappointment in her dog or giving up, the handler chooses to CELEBRATE her doggy-teammate’s heart by encouraging the crowd to cheer them on as they enjoy the remainder of the course!

Yes, I did say ENJOY the remainder of the course, even though ‘winning’ was a long-gone option. Simply put, the crowd recognizes a champion’s heart and cheers them on even more loudly! It’s truly a site to remember.

To be frank, most of us couldn’t even dream about how we would react in such an important moment of decision, let alone chose to take-charge and celebrate the gift of simply being there. And that, is why this video is so moving. So special. And such an inspiration.

My advice is to watch this video over and over an over again. Why? Because someday YOU WILL find yourself in that pivotal moment where a decision needs to be made…will you mourn the fact that you won’t/didn’t ‘win’…or will you remember the sheer joy of running with your dog?

Happy Handling Everyone!

 

Lisa

 

 

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