Month: October 2018

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Team GB at the OEC in Switzerland 2018

By Kath Hardman

Photos by Lucy Heath

Well it’s a week now since we competed as Team GB at the OEC in Switzerland and without your sponsorship – it would have been near impossible to get the team there and back.

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Three days travel to get there and we cut it to two days travel  at 800 plus miles each way and three days competing – it was a very busy time and has taken us all some time to recover!

Team GB were placed 3rd in the Heelwork To Music Championship and 7th in the Freestyle Championship. 

The event was Live Streamed although I’m not sure how successful this was due to poor internet connections but there will be a DVD of the entire event produced shortly.    The Team performed really well which sadly was not reflected by the judges markings and it’s not just the Team that felt this way but fellow competitors and those at home who managed to watch.

So once again – THANK YOU Ceri and CSJ for your support.  The entire team is truly grateful.

Regards,

Kath Hardman

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FCI “Without doubt most exciting and fastest agility championships ever.”

By Mark Laker
‘Running at the FCI Agility World Championships was without doubt the most exciting agility I’ve ever experienced’. The reaction from one of Team GB’s handlers following this year’s competition in Sweden.
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Dave Munning’s and his Border Collie Fame came away with a Bronze medal in the individual class for large dogs, a fantastic result for Dave. After three years on the team, he achieved the result he’d been working so hard for.
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Team GB had a successful championships

This years team included many young dogs with handlers new to this level of competition. One of the team members fed back that ‘nothing can fully-prepare you for the emotions, pressure and excitement you experience when you’re stood on that start-line. There really is no other international agility competition like it’.

This year’s preparations included more focus on the team culture and building strong bonds that are essential for carrying the team on when the pressure to perform is turned up. Thanks to our sponsors, we were able to provide more team activities in our build-up this year; I’ve no doubt that this was a major contributing factor to the team winning medals at all three major international championships.

Another comment I heard from team members was ‘this is a different sport to the one we play at home. The speed, the accuracy, the technical elements are extraordinary’. We’re going to have to re-think our game’.

It’s true, I have never witnessed agility dogs competing at those speeds before neither have I seen the pace and fitness levels needed by the handlers.

It was without doubt most exciting and fastest agility championships ever.
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Mark
International Agility Team Manager