ABSA Thruxton Oct 06 3rd out of 13. "Not one of my favourite courses but serves as a good pre-season warm up. I was umming and ahhing about the forecasted temperature all week but took the gamble on the day that it would stay cool enough and I would be out early.  However, the temp turned out to be far too warm and while on the limit when we first started the run.. rapidly shot up.  Logan and Rebel both felt the heat and as a result I didn`t push them hard and treated it as more of a fun run to start the season.  Team structure: Logan (Left Lead), Dylan (Shotgun i.e. next to Logan upfront and along for the ride  :-)   ), Rebel (Right Wheel)" SHCGB Delamere Nov 06 5th out of 20.  Team structure: Logan (Left Lead), Dylan (Shotgun i.e. next to Logan upfront and along for the ride  :-)   ), Rebel (Right Wheel)" SHCGB Shanly Nov 06 7th out of 13.  Despite having a faster team this year, everyone else seems to have come back with new and improved teams from last year.  While Dylan is adding a bit of speed to the team...I think that overall, the team are not much faster than last year, with Arwen in wheel.  I suspect that Dylan still has a bit more maturing to do and at present, is not working quite as hard as Arwen did last year on the hills.Team structure: Logan (Left Lead), Dylan (Shotgun i.e. next to Logan upfront and along for the ride  :-)   ), Rebel (Right Wheel)" ABSA New Forest Nov 06 8th out of 14.  This rally was a bit of a disaster! We had a good start of the Saturday holding 6th place.  The trail surface was a little abrasive so the dogs were booted. However on the Sunday, the team encountered a few stubborn horseriders  who refused to move off the trail and let us pass safely by.  One of the horses took a swipe at one of the dogs but luckily missed. I lost two minutes as a result, had to then detangle the dogs (Dylan seems to have a fascination for horses) and dropped over 3 places........ I was not a happy bunny, still at least the team came back safe and sound. Team structure: Logan (Left Lead), Dylan (Shotgun with Logan), Rebel (Right Wheel)" Let`s hope we have a good run on our home turf at the Quantock Quest rally. SHCGB Quantock Quest Nov 06.  Finally a rally on my own turf! The day rally course is one of the toughest around in terms of hills........but was extra hard going on the day due to the copious amounts of rain during the weekend. After enquiring "which dog" was wheezing as the team came over the finish line by my wife...she didn`t seem surprised to find out that it was me and not the dogs! I think that gave her the proof she needed that I had run off the burger that I had consumed from the burger van....... and probably the evenings roast dinner too! My efforts gave me a respectable 2nd place...being only beaten by Martin Owen so I can`t complain. Poor old Dylan showed his age on the second day and looked a little "pooped" coming up the crest of the last hill.. but as I said he is just a baby and still building up the stamina. Arwen got to compete with Sammie Tikaani in the Junior class.  We are really pleased with her progress and hope to test her out on a nice short course with her "boys" later this year. Kosh competed in D2 with his best mal buddy Saskia for Mark. 2nd out of ABSA Forest of Dean Jan 07 ABSA Ashley Heath Feb 07 As I haven`t "gone" for the ABSA chamionship this year... I thought this was the rally to try something different. Arwen has been doing really well training on the junior courses with a sammie so seems finally ready to start being built back up to race fitness following her illness last year. So, for this rally, I intend to run a four dog, with Arwen & Rebel in lead (don`t tell Logan!) and Logan and Dylan in wheel. The course is relatively flat so putting Arwen up front with Rebel will allow her to run at the speed she feels comfortable at, rather than having to chase after Logan. This is a fun run and for Arwen to compete this year. We have tried this out in training which tends to results in a) Arwen squeeling with delight and going almost "logan mental" on the line, and Logan "freeking" out in wheel at dad`s unbelievable decision to put him in "wheel".  The overall result is a well motivated team with questionable directional skills. So what happened.......................... Arwen got stormed the first mile.................and then sat down................had a cuddle from Pete for a bit...........waited for Jon Matherick to catch up and then quite happily chased the team in................ oh dear.................last place...................... Drumlanrig.  I have had to cut a few of my "normal" rallies out this year so that I can make the Rendlesham and Drumlanrig rallies. The plan at this point is to run the three dog team as Arwen has "issues" with the boys speed down the hills and I don`t want to push her given that she seems to have come on leaps and bounds from deaths door last year. "the one where Pete bust his knee up......" 11th out of 19.................... several places were lost in the this rally on the sunday following an accident that involved a footing slip in the muddy conditions that resulted in a bashed knee just off the start line............. Arwen outdid herself coming 2nd in the scooter class on the saturday out of a sizeable class.(10).............Petes' accident with the three dog team meant that he was incapable of walking let alone scooting on the Sunday. SHCGB Rendlesham. Another far away rally I have yet to try so it is on the "to do" list for this year. "the one with the almost near miss with the central reservation............." oh dear...............this journey was the one that saw the van in the central reservation with £4500+ of damage...........(Pete assures me it was the road conditions and not the drivers "driving").  To cut a long story short it involved a nights kip on the roadside, several irate calls to the AA and just turning up in time to run on saturday....... needless to say everyone was a little shook up and sleep deprived. 8th out of 19