Congratulations!

Happy Monday everyone!

First – Congratulations to everyone who trialed. You represented the club with professionalism and dignity. Everyone succeeded in earning the title desired. I am proud to be a member of this club and to watch so many novice handlers achieving their goals. Way to go.

Second – Thank you everyone who contributed to making our trial a success. Mike, as usual, you were an outstanding Secretary. Cari, outstanding job on organizing the field preparation. I know you had help, but the field looked fantastic. Stephanie, the food and hospitality was outstanding. Peter, equipment was proper and easily accessed when needed. Carol, awards were great – hopefully will be a much bigger job in September – and thank you so much for housing the judge (and me!). Clarissa, thanks for the competitor goodie bags, and soliciting donations. Samie, thanks for printing certificates and videotaping the routines (perfect to see what you looked like and where you need to make adjustments). Anne, thank you for your continued ability to organize airfares, judges, and keeping us on track for training. A big thank you to everyone for contributing time, effort and food to pull it all together. You guys rock.

Third and last – A few of us met on Sunday morning for a judge’s seminar with Cynthia. Here is a brief blurb on what she covered. Basically, we are doing a good job. Need to work on cleaning up about turns and body language/hands. Overall, about turns were not correct. Handler needs to stay on the same plane and pivot in place with dog making the adjustment. The military (left flip) about turn looks stunning when executed correctly, but is very difficult to perfect and very few dogs have the ability to consistently execute it with the precision necessary. Hands and arms need to be more natural in movement during heeling. Need to be sure your paces for build up and leaving your dog are correct. Practice throwing the dumbbell until you can consistently throw it and have it land exactly where you want it. You get 3 tries to throw the dumbbell before the exercise will be considered finished and you lose all the points. Also, she wanted to let everyone know that a club trial is like your local baseball team. The event follows rules and represents the sport, but the level of competition is at the basic level. Regionals would be equivalent to semi-pro level. Nationals would be like pros and worlds would be like the World Series or the Olympics. Once you get beyond the club level, the competition is much stiffer, scored much tighter and competitors much more cutthroat. Doing well at a club trial is no indication of ability to do well at a regional level. That said, you should always strive to grow, stretch and challenge yourself. If you have the desire to compete at the regional level and above, you should trial as much as possible at club trials under different judges, perfect your trialing ability and then go for it. Anyone else who was there on Sunday, feel free to add to this.

So, let’s get ready to rock it again in September. We should have another outstanding trial!

Janice G. Bogy

Proud

So proud of our club members who earned their BH (Stephanie and Ayla, Stephanie and Lexa, Cari and Barris, Ann and Pistol, Donna and Nika) and our two OB competitors (Cari and Teaka OB3 and Claire and Nala OB1). We are small but mighty. Cynthia, thank you for making the journey and being so supportive of our competitors!
-Anne

Great trial!

A big shout out to everyone in our small but mighty club, Big Sky Working Dogs, for all their support and help this weekend with our IPO trial. Congrats to Samie and Zappa for achieving their IPO 3 with V scores in obedience and tracking, to Carol and Kody for their TR3 and StPr 3 with a stellar performance and 100 pts., to Mike and Taz, Clarissa and Toby, and Kirsten and Markus for their BHs, and to Cari and Teaka for their OB 1.

I am so proud of all of our members, your successes, and also for your determination to get out there and compete even if the results weren’t what you wanted. We’ll keep on keeping on with the help of JJ, Christopher and Drew.

-Anne

Aahzi makes history on his FH!

An epic end to a great trial this morning at Big Sky Working Dog Club… Anne Camper and Aazhi Loups Du Soleil earned a 100 point FH track!!! Such a privilege to be a part of it!

And so it begins...
And so it begins…
First turn
First turn
Our intrepid track-lay and photographer!
Our intrepid track-lay and photographer!
Across the road and terrain change.
Across the road and terrain change.
Checking out
Checking out
What a good dog.
What a good dog.
Critique.
Critique.
Critique
Critique
100 point FH!
100 point FH!
Love you Glen!
Love you Glen!
And love you Sue - my long-time tracking partner!
And love you Sue – my long-time tracking partner!

Teaka OB1

Teaka was in full-blown heat, so she had to go last. But once she got over thinking she was going to do a send-away, Teaka and Cari fell in to their working partnership, and earned their OB1 with an excellent rating for all three retrieves!

Teaka heeling
Teaka heeling
An excellent retrieve over the hurdle!
An excellent retrieve over the hurdle!
Teaka
Teaka
Teaka's critique
Teaka’s critique

BH test

We had four entries for the BH (Companion Dog) test with three passing and one, Titus, needing a little more proofing on the long down. Congratulations to Taz vom Patiala with Mike; Toby (Ulysses of Sapphire Mountain) with Clarissa and Markus (Vidur von sontausen) with Kerstin on your new BHs!

Toby & Clarissa and Taz with Mike listening to their critique.
Toby & Clarissa and Taz with Mike listening to their critique.
Markus & Kerstin and Titus & Carol listen to their critique
Markus & Kerstin and Titus & Carol listen to their critique.
Traffic test
Traffic test
Traffic test
Traffic test
Traffic test
Traffic test
Traffic test
Traffic test
Successful BH participants - Toby & Clarissa, Taz & Mike and Markus & Kerstin
Successful BH participants – Toby & Clarissa, Taz & Mike and Markus & Kerstin

Fall Roundup AKC shows

Congratulations to Samie and Dax and Janice and Vrisco for completing their CDs at the Helena shows, and to Samie and Zappa for finishing their CDX. Aahzi and Anne got two legs and two first places in Open A. Thanks to club members Cari and Julia (and Jarrod!) for your help in stewarding – we expect to see you in the ring at the March trials! And huge thanks to Carol for taking on the job of Obedience/Rally Chair for four days. Big Sky Working Dogs was out in force!