Grade 1 vs Championship
Today I put two clips side-by-side: Grade 1 me and Championship me.
And honestly? I didn’t expect it to hit me so hard.
On the left, you can see it — the early days.
Lines a little iffy.
A wide turn that felt huge at the time.
Hesitation in both me and my dog.
Me trying my absolute best but still figuring out timing, pressure, connection, and confidence.
That version of me wasn’t bad.
She was learning.
On the right, today’s version.
A championship run with more speed, more trust, more distance handling, and a weave entry I used to dream of.
Cleaner lines.
Sharper cues.
A dog who commits because he believes in me — and a handler who finally believes in herself too.
Watching the clips together made one thing crystal clear:
No one starts elite.
You BECOME elite.
Progress isn’t magic.
It’s thousands of tiny choices:
Showing up on cold mornings.
Resetting after a mistake.
Watching videos back even when it’s painful.
Believing in yourself long before you see the results on paper.
It’s learning to trust your dog.
And learning to trust your ability to grow.
People often see the championship runs and say, “Wow, I wish I could do that.”
But what they don’t see is the version of me in the “before” clip — the wide turns, the wrong lines, the self-doubt, the messy timing.
The version of me who kept going even when it felt impossible.
So this post is your reminder:
If your turns are wide right now…
If your weaves aren’t consistent yet…
If your handling feels clunky…
If your confidence is shaky…
That doesn’t mean you don’t belong.
It means you’re on your way.
Every elite handler was once a beginner with wobbly lines and questionable decisions.
Every clean run sits on top of years of imperfect ones.
Your “after” is being built right now — in your “before” phase.
So keep showing up.
Keep learning.
Keep becoming.
Because one day, you’ll put your clips side-by-side and realise:
You didn’t magically get good.
You grew into the handler you always wanted to be.
And that’s the most powerful transformation of all.
