Mountain bike conditioning for Vizslas

To get ready for the Pacific Futurity at Kistler Ranch this weekend, Bailey and Chloe got to run with me as I rode my mountain bike over the last three days.

The first ride was Sunday morning at Point Pinole before and during the Vizsla walk. The dogs ran the trails while I "pushed" them with the mountain bike and covered about three miles of wooded trails. This weekend's trials are going to be with "handlers" on horseback and the dogs have to move quickly foward and move strong through the fields for thirty minutes. These are much more demanding then when we are competing in "walking trials" and I am on foot.

Yesterday and today I rode the local trails of Shell Ridge as the dogs ran. These have been about five-mile runs with a pond about two miles in and a pond at the end of the run. Both dogs love a nice swim to cool down after the workout. It has been in the upper 70's this week in the afternoon the last couple days and all of us get hot.

Tomorrow will be the last run. Then Bailey gets to "hang out" at home and rest Thursday and Friday before the field trials Saturday and Sunday. The plan is to have Bailey relaxed but also that he is anxious to RUN on Saturday.

He then needs to relax again after Saturday's contest because he will be running Sunday morning against his buddy "Hank" on the second brace of the Northern California Vizsla Club's field trial.

This will be a rematch of a couple weekends ago when Bailey and Hank came in second and third in a walking trial.

Bailey is an athlete and field trials are canine athletic contests. He is in great shape and ready to take on the West's best under-two year old Vizslas.

We are off for the field trial Friday afternoon in the motor home. Looking forward to some good times with good people, good food and great dogs.

I'll update Redbirddog next Sunday night with plenty of pictures.

Happy trails and trials.