The Dog Agility Competition of Florida was held at the Silver Spurs Arena. I have never been to the Silver Spurs Arena before so I was excited to go. The problem was that these Dog owners start super early. I got up at 6am to get to the Arena by 7am.
The 1/2 hour drive was actually pretty simply, cutting south through the Orlando International Airport access roads and then some side roads.
Parking was free and so was the event so it was a win win situation. The arena was insanely cold. I need to remember to always bring a sweat shirt along with my N-95 mask to any Florida venue.
When I arrived the handlers were walking the course as a packed group. Some took it seriously holding up their hand as if leading their imaginary dog while others were clearly sleep walking. Then everyone stood at attention for the National Anthem. The singer flubbed the lyrics but the spirit of the song was still there.
I must say this was a highly entertaining event to sketch. Some dags were absolute champions at running the course. They just needed a little guidance to know which obstetrical to tackle next. Some dogs barked the whole way as they ran the course. Others took their time delicately prancing and making sure they performed their best. Some seemed like they were arguing with their handler when asked to repeat a challenge that they had flubbed. The vertical yellow and blue sticks challenged quite a few dogs. They had to slalom left and right through each. There were so many sounds and distractions that could make a dog loose focus.
One dog ran up to the entrance of one of the tunnels and immediately popped a squat. The handler quickly scooped it up but the judges and referees gathered in a circle to have a conference about how the situation should be handled. Several bottles of solution and more scrubbing allowed the course to once again open. I kept hearing “dove” being announced over the sound system. I finally decided the announcer must have been saying “dog” but I am still not sure.
One little girl who was maybe 10 years old was clearly having her dog try the course for the first time. The dog missed most of the obstacles but by the end of the course he was improving. I was also touched by a woman who was in an electric wheel chair guiding her dog around the course. The dog slowed his gait a bit so she could keep up but they both made it through the course like champions. One Border Collie ran the course absolutely flawlessly. I stopped sketching and watched that performance in amazement. I am sure others ran the course perfectly as well but that Border Collie demanded attention, It was a streak of pure energy.
Behind me a dog barked with an ear splitting shriek that reminded me of Donkey, a sweet monster of a dog that I used to know. She was just excited, dogs were barking everywhere and there was competitive excitement in the air. Periodically a member of one of the teams would walk down in my section to shoot video of a particular dogs run. At one point a dog slipped down the steps beside me with the leash dragging behind her. A woman grabbed the leash and shouted out, “Is someone missing a dog?!” The handler was a few rows away and thankful to be reunited.
After my sketch was complete I slipped outside to warn up again. There were so many other sketch opportunities since dogs were camped out all over the arena. I saw an adorable corgi in his owners lap, I debated about stopping, but I was freezing. I hope to return someday and do a series of close up sketches of handlers holding their dogs.
What is my next obstetrical? How high should I jump?