Hi Lisa!
Sorry to hear that you're currently in need of "crate rest" <G>, so you may want to check out re-runs of Criminal Minds, Bones and Law & Order SVU . . . the ensemble casts are GREAT and so are the story lines . . .
As for 8 classes a day . . . when I was younger and dumber . . . and had a "can't ever get enough agility partner" in Kali . . . we'd run every run available that we could . . . she never complained . . . unless she DIDN'T get to run something; but in time, her unbridled enthusiasm took it's toll on her body . . . and I learned a powerful lesson . . .
Sharon is sooooooooooooooooooo right that people will do stupid things no matter what is in place to try to prevent them from doing so . . .
IMHO, a couple of additional EGC runs is less stressful on a dog than taking said dog into an adjacent field and playing frisbee or tossing a ball to give one's dog something else to do between runs . . . for those dogs with that high of an energy level . . .
I also believe that most dogs handle adrenaline rushes rather well from a physiological standpoint . . . and that can be monitored with periodic blood work, which I believe is indicated for any competitive dog . . .
Mentally, repeated adrenaline rushes can have a negative impact on the dog's ability to maintain focus over the course of 8 runs in one day; but that is also so very dependant on the individual dog . . . and what handlers do to balance the effects of adrenaline on the dog's body and systems . . .
Personally, I would be MUCH more opposed to offering 8 classes per day and limiting dogs & handlers to their choice of 6 . . . I have had personal experience with that very format being done in another venue and it was a MESS . . .
I'd be willing to bet that the EGC/Traditional Trial mixed offering will NOT do well in the eastern Midwest, simply because, IMHO, that geographic region is stuck in a time warp going back 20+ years . . . they've been resistant to Hoopers and some have been resistant to the non-NATCH required "games" classes, so I don't see them readily embracing the EGC classes.
I would personally LOVE to see EGC flourish around northeast Ohio because we and ours would definitely play those games . . . NOT that we're good at them . . . to the contrary, playing around with the concepts at home, we kind of suck; but they're FUN . . . and they're NEW and DIFFERENT and they're NOT the BORING same old, same old that we did with our first agility dogs . . . we DON'T want to do that stuff again . . . been there, done that as far as we're concerned . . .
Perhaps the whole of Castle Camelot is afflicted with ADHD/hyperactivity disorder; but all of us are constantly looking for NEW things that challenge our minds and creative hands . . .
OK, so we're the weird ducks on the pond . . . that's NOTHING NEW for us! <LOL>
The only failure is the failure to try new things . . .
Hugs & wags,
Al & Barb Ceranko, Dred, Gael & Pellinore in OH