CPE for beginners!?!
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Standard and jumpers will be more straightforward for you than some of the other classes that require a little more stratigizing for your first trial. Colours is two short courses in one, but once you pick the course, you run it in order like a normal one.. Some of the others are more complex to figure out on the fly. I avoided snooker for months 
It was more complicated than I could handle at first. Now I am an addict though
It was more complicated than I could handle at first. Now I am an addict though LOL I just did them all at my first trial. I only did one day, though.
I find the easiest CPE courses are colors (really short courses, and you can usually pick your dog's strengths - ex: one course will have the dogwalk, the other the a-frame). You do need to be able to keep your dog off the other obstacles, but in level one, it won't be hard at all.
Standard level one is fairly simple - no weaves or seesaw.
Snooker is a bit confusing as far as how it is played, but is my absolute favorite class. Tons of fun, and, again, you can pick your own course.
I can never keep Full House and Wildcard straight.
Jackpot is their version of Gamblers, but the distance challenge is usually VERY simple at level one - like sending a dog into the tunnel from about 2 - 3 feet away.
I find the easiest CPE courses are colors (really short courses, and you can usually pick your dog's strengths - ex: one course will have the dogwalk, the other the a-frame). You do need to be able to keep your dog off the other obstacles, but in level one, it won't be hard at all.
Standard level one is fairly simple - no weaves or seesaw.
Snooker is a bit confusing as far as how it is played, but is my absolute favorite class. Tons of fun, and, again, you can pick your own course.
I can never keep Full House and Wildcard straight.
Jackpot is their version of Gamblers, but the distance challenge is usually VERY simple at level one - like sending a dog into the tunnel from about 2 - 3 feet away.
Hmm...well the trial is the Warrensburg IL one the first weekend of April. I'd love to do the Indianapolis one but it is full--although I might go to watch. I most likely will only go one day on Satruday they are having: Standard, Wildcard, Snooker, and Jumpers. On Sunday they are having Standard, Jackpot, Colors and Fullhouse.
I thought about doing Standard and Jumpers (can someone explain why jumpers is different?) and just doing Saturday--I can't remember what Wildcard is either--although I just red the entire manual last week LOL!
I thought about doing Standard and Jumpers (can someone explain why jumpers is different?) and just doing Saturday--I can't remember what Wildcard is either--although I just red the entire manual last week LOL!
Jumpers has no contact equipment and (I think) no tunnels? It's been a while since I went to a trial! Just jumps and the tire.
I find their rulebook to be pretty weak as far as explaining the games. I just had to ask people when I went! Thankfully, most of the people I've met at trials are very nice about helping out the newbies.
I find their rulebook to be pretty weak as far as explaining the games. I just had to ask people when I went! Thankfully, most of the people I've met at trials are very nice about helping out the newbies.
If I remember correctly, Wildcard gives you a fairly short, easy course, and then there are a few "extra" obstacles that are supposed to be harder - maybe a double jump, or a sequence of jumps, or a set of weaves, etc. You have to do the regular course, and then pick one of the "Wildcard" obastacles to complete.
Or that could be Full House. I seriously can never keep them straight.
I'm a snooker fanatic, so of course that is always my vote.
Or that could be Full House. I seriously can never keep them straight.
I'm a snooker fanatic, so of course that is always my vote
.Hmm I think he could do wildcard if you are right boston--he has his set of 6 weaves down and has no problem with triples, dogwalk, teeter, a frame whatever--I may have to consider wildcard--and save snooker for next time (as it sounds like it needs the most focus from me--something me *not Wrigley* needs to work on!)
I just found my rulebook - that is Wildcard that I was thinking of. Even though weaves/teeter aren't officially in level one, they often combine levels one and two for the games. So, they can't include those obstacles in the 'required' part of the course, but they can have them as options. I actually liked having a chance to try out my weaves in the ring in the games before they were really required.
BB, since I don't know anyone who runs CPE well enough to ask.. We've been looking at it, but wildcard really throws me off. I read the online rule book and well still don't get it.
So you get to pick which of two obstacles... Are either choice okay? Do you know which choice is the better one? I think it and fullhouse didn't make as much sense to me as others. But there hasn't been a CPE trial to go to to watch and figure it out for myself.
So you get to pick which of two obstacles... Are either choice okay? Do you know which choice is the better one? I think it and fullhouse didn't make as much sense to me as others. But there hasn't been a CPE trial to go to to watch and figure it out for myself.
I've only done CPE twice (and just sent in an entry for April, to go test out our new and improved contacts), so my memory may not be great. I know I saved my old course maps somewhere, but of course can't find them.
Wildcard - basically it is a normal course, except there are three places where there are two obstacles side-by-side. So, maybe a single jump, with a triple to the side of it. Or maybe a tunnel and a set of six weaves next to each other. The easier obstacle is marked with a one, the harder with a two. Depending on your level, you have to do a certain number of the "twos". So for level one, you have to pick one spot on the course where you think you can get your dog to do the harder obstacle; the rest of the time, you do the easier one. As you move up the levels, you have to take the harder choice more often.
Full House - You make up your own course. There is a required number of points you need to get. Each obstacle is awarded either 1 (single jumps), 3 (tunnels, chutes, tires), or 5 (contact obstacles, weaves, broad, double, or triple jumps) points. When you design your course, you need to make sure that not only do you set it up to get yourself enough points to qualify for your level, but you also need to get a "full house", which means you MUST include 3 1-pointers, 2 3-pointers, and 1 5-pointer. So, if you are an idiot like myself, it doesn't matter if you get tons of points, if you forget that you have to do at least three single jumps (which is why we are still in level one of that darn game).
Do those sort of make sense? I'm telling you, snooker seems easy to understand to me! These games always confuse me!
Wildcard - basically it is a normal course, except there are three places where there are two obstacles side-by-side. So, maybe a single jump, with a triple to the side of it. Or maybe a tunnel and a set of six weaves next to each other. The easier obstacle is marked with a one, the harder with a two. Depending on your level, you have to do a certain number of the "twos". So for level one, you have to pick one spot on the course where you think you can get your dog to do the harder obstacle; the rest of the time, you do the easier one. As you move up the levels, you have to take the harder choice more often.
Full House - You make up your own course. There is a required number of points you need to get. Each obstacle is awarded either 1 (single jumps), 3 (tunnels, chutes, tires), or 5 (contact obstacles, weaves, broad, double, or triple jumps) points. When you design your course, you need to make sure that not only do you set it up to get yourself enough points to qualify for your level, but you also need to get a "full house", which means you MUST include 3 1-pointers, 2 3-pointers, and 1 5-pointer. So, if you are an idiot like myself, it doesn't matter if you get tons of points, if you forget that you have to do at least three single jumps (which is why we are still in level one of that darn game).
Do those sort of make sense? I'm telling you, snooker seems easy to understand to me! These games always confuse me!
In AAC.. There's standard.. and then the games are team, jumpers, snooker and gamblers. Those I understand well, but in the beginning, snooker was the 'scary' one to me.. Now, I love it. I was scared to attempt it though as it doesn't 'flow'. Some of the CPE games, I'd try but I'd like to kinda understand them before entering them..
See, your explanation of wildcard is better than the rulebook's Okay so you need X number of the higher value one. Is there a penalty for taking more high value's than you need? What if you did all three wildcards even though you are a level one?
Fullhouse makes better sense to me. I'd be frustrated creating that course though on paper pre running it Same concept as gamblers due to the points.. but having to include specific numbered obstacles vs just adding up the points I'd find a little maddening.
See, your explanation of wildcard is better than the rulebook's
Okay so you need X number of the higher value one. Is there a penalty for taking more high value's than you need? What if you did all three wildcards even though you are a level one?Fullhouse makes better sense to me. I'd be frustrated creating that course though on paper pre running it
Same concept as gamblers due to the points.. but having to include specific numbered obstacles vs just adding up the points I'd find a little maddening.I think you HAVE to do just one of the harder obstacles and two of the easier ones in level one - it is specifically written that way.
I also do USDAA, and their games are the same as the AAC, I think. My first trial was CPE, and the friend who was supposed to accompany me was sick, so I went alone. I was so lost all day, trying to understand the games from the rulebook, but finally gave up and had someone explain the last class to me, which was snooker. So snooker from the start made more sense to me than the others.
The other CPE stuff is straightforward. Jackpot is basically gamblers, but with a really, really easy gamble. If you can do the AAC/USDAA stuff, CPE is a piece of cake.
I also do USDAA, and their games are the same as the AAC, I think. My first trial was CPE, and the friend who was supposed to accompany me was sick, so I went alone. I was so lost all day, trying to understand the games from the rulebook, but finally gave up and had someone explain the last class to me, which was snooker. So snooker from the start made more sense to me than the others.
The other CPE stuff is straightforward. Jackpot is basically gamblers, but with a really, really easy gamble. If you can do the AAC/USDAA stuff, CPE is a piece of cake.