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CANINE FREESTYLE GB SPRING NEWSLETTER
2013
Supported by
Editor: Lesley Neville, Canine Freestyle GB, PO BOX 7680,
Alfreton, Derbyshire, DE55 9BX Email [email protected]
Gmail [email protected]
The opinions expressed in this Newsletter are not necessarily those of the editor. www.caninefreestylegb.com
1st Sue Betteridge
with Glenalpine Katie
2nd Richard Curtis
with Syka Delic Darnser
3rd Heather Smith
with Moonlight Magic Dancer
4th Richard Curtis
with Washtog Wot No Legs
5th Lucy Creek
with Dialynne Making
Waves
6th Carole Dodson
with Kinaway Doctor Watson
7th Ann DeRizzio
with Stillmoor Show
Stopper
8th Steph Rendall
with Tiddley Bitz at
Heartside
9th Anne Shuker
with Splish
Splash 10th Cathy Bates
with Rus N Sol Ruby
CRUFTS 2013
Thursday 7th March
Freestyle Competition
2
The Judges for all three days
Carol Mortimer, Annette Lowe (Head Judge) and
Brigitte van Gestel
1st Heather Smith
with Moonlight Magic Dancer
2nd Karen Sykes
with Iatka Spring Spangle
3rd Lucy Creek
with Harriot Skiffle King
4th Carole Dodson
with Kinaway Doctor Watson
5th Ann DeRizzio
with Stillmoor Show Stopper 6th Pauline Goddard
with Mist of Snowdon 7th Sarah Reed
with Beckim One Riva Diva,
8th Kirsty Vaughan
with Wildsea Mountain Pepper 9th Gina Pink
with Our Magic Combination
CRUFTS 2013
Friday 8th March
Heelwork To Music
Competition
3
Photographs
The photographs taken by Allan Brown included in current
Newsletters are available to you via email.
To receive your chosen photograph please contact Lesley Neville
by post or email; [email protected] stating exactly which
photograph you would like and the email address to which you
would like it sent. If you do not have a personal email address
please state the address of a friend or family member who can
receive the photograph for you.
All we ask in return is that you send a donation to Canine
Freestyle GB Club funds.
Alternatively you could buy a CD, with all the photos taken of you at
a particular show. At a show please order the photographs prior
to your running order. (Wherever possible)
CD’s of previous shows may be purchased by sending £5 for
one day, £8 for two days to CFGB Photographs, PO Box 7680,
Alfreton, Derbys., DE55 9BX clearly stating which show you are
POLITE NOTICE
If you would like your Running Order by Email for CFGB
Shows, there is no need to include a C5 SAE.
However, if you want a hard copy please ensure you send a
Stamped addressed C5 envelope with your entries to our shows.
A C5 envelope is for a piece of A4 paper folded once!
If we have to fold things too much for your envelope it then
becomes too thick and is charged at a higher rate which CFGB
have currently been paying for at the time of posting of running
orders.
If we don't add the postage this will delay delivery of important
information to you and for that privilege Royal Mail will charge you
£1 administration plus the deficit in postage.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS 2013
More details on
www.caninefreestylegb.com/forth.htm
11th & 12th May 2013 Canine Freestyle GB at Tomlinson’s, Markfield, Leicestershire
18th & 19th May Paws N Music
Rugby DTC - HTM Competition, Fennis Fields Farm, Little Lawford Lane, Kings Newnham, Rugby CV23 0JJ
26th & 27th May Fylde K9 Dancers, Barnard Castle Show, 2 day show. The 26th will be the Qualifier, full compliment of
classes.
Friday 31st May & Sat 1st June Scottish Bearded Collie Club
Wishaw, Scotland
13th June 2013 Ann De Rizzio Choreography Day Organised by Jan Debnam
15th June UK HTM Obedience and HTM Training Show
The Dog Barn, Nr Banbury, Oxon.
29th June Strictly Canine HTM Competition Arena UK Grantham, Lincs
30th June Nicci Hindson Training Show
Arena UK Grantham, Lincs.
6th & 7th July Ynys Mon DTC, Anglesey
13th & 14th July Cathy Bates Workshop
Hook, Nr Swindon
4th August UK HTM Fun & Training Show at Rugby DTC Barn
10th & 11th August 2013 Fylde K9 Dancers,
Blackpool, The 10th will be the Qualifier
19th to 23rd August FOF Activities week Gloucestershire
24th & 25th August Paws N Music
Gloucestershire
26th August Paws N Music Interregional Competition Gloucestershire
1st September Top Lodge Dancing Dogs
are proud to be hosting these recently updated very popular seminars.
11:00am Carolyn Menteith- SEMINAR -Understanding Your Dog
2:00pm Trevor Cooper- SEMINAR - Dog Law - an updated presentation
Same Venue for both Seminars - Derbyshire
7th & 8th September Canine Freestyle GB at Tomlinson’s, Markfield, Leicestershire
21st September Rugby DTC- HTM Competition
Fennis Fields Farm, Little Lawford Lane, Kings Newnham, Rugby CV23 0JJ
6th October UK HTM Winter League
at Rugby DTC's Barn
Notice Of Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of Canine Freestyle GB will be held at CFGB Tomlinson’s Show, Leicestershire
On Saturday 11th May 2013, in the Hall at 6pm or 15 minutes after the close of the
competition. Nominations or resolutions for inclusion in the Agenda for the Annual General Meeting must have been received by the
CFGB Secretary, Karen Sykes, PO BOX 7680, Alfreton, Derbyshire, DE55 9BX,
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM http://www.caninefreestylegb.com/membership.htm
Annual Subscriptions were due 1st April 2013
12th & 13th October 2013 Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th October 2013 at Hook Village
Hall, Hook, Nr Swindon, Wiltshire Sn4 8EA Saturday: Jill Holness: Attaining Accuracy and Attention
Sunday: Choreography Workshop with Top Lodge Dancing Dogs Kath Hardman, Karen Sykes & Lesley Neville
27th October Westglen
10th November UK HTM Winter League
at Rugby DTC's Barn
23rd November Paws N Music Andover
7th December UK HTM Winter League
at Rugby DTC's Barn
4
Seminars presented by Top Lodge Dancing Dogs, to be held in Derbyshire on 1st September 2013
Details can be found at
www.caninefreestylegb.com/forth.htm
Or contact Kath Hardman for further details on 07759909101
11:00am Carolyn Menteith- SEMINAR -Understanding Your Dog £20
Why Dogs Behave As They Do
Carolyn Menteith DipCABT, KCAI is a dog trainer and behaviourist with over 20 years experience
of working with dogs both here and overseas. She is also a broadcaster who regularly appears
on TV and radio as a dog expert and has recently given talks at Discover Dogs in Earls Court and
at the International Companion Animal Welfare Conference in Greece.
Carolyn is a prolific writer about dogs, dog training, dog behaviour, dog care and dog welfare in
national magazines and books for the past eight years.
2:00pm Trevor Cooper- SEMINAR - Dog Law - £20
an updated presentation presented by Trevor Cooper of Cooper & Co, Canterbury.
Trevor has been qualified as a solicitor for 25 years and is widely regarded as the leading
Solicitor in England & Wales who specialises in criminal law on dogs.
Trevor started his career in local government and has acted for both the prosecution ( having
been a Principal Solicitor with the Environment Agency for 5 years) as well as the defence.
Trevor currently splits his time between acting as the Doglaw Specialist at Dogs Trust in London
and continuing to act in dog cases in both criminal and civil matters throughout England and
Wales.
Topics are likely to include
Stray Dogs
Dangerous Dogs
Dog Control Orders
Noise Nuisance
The Duty Of Care Under The Animal Welfare Act
Buying And Selling Dogs
Ownership Of Dogs
Civil Liberty For The Actions Of Your Dog
5
Crufts 2013
Thursday 7th March
Freestyle
Report by
Jennie Fairweather
Judges: Carol Mortimer (GB), Annette Lowe (GB), Brigitte van Gestel (Holland)
As I write this report, Crufts 2013 has come and gone and now seems such a long time ago. I enjoyed all three days of Heelwork
To Music at Crufts and thought all the routines were very entertaining and of a very high quality. As I am fairly new to this sport, I
hope you will bear with my mistakes. This report, on the Freestyle class on Thursday, describes what I saw and enjoyed and not
as a judge. All the routines were lovely, some telling a story which unfolded as the routine progressed. Others were dancing and
enjoying their chosen music.
1st Sue Betteridge with Glenalpine Katie Border Collie
I have seen and enjoyed watching this routine several times throughout the season and thought that on this day it was the best I
had seen. Sue and Katie told the story of the little white duck/ugly duckling who over time turns into a beautiful swan – one of my
favourite stories as a child! They started in the lily pond with Katie ‘swimming’ and playing with the water lilies and creeping
around the pond. Katie’s reversing away from Sue was so good as were her rollover’s. All the cues were timed well with each
sequence flowing from one to the other. There were times in this routine where Sue looked and acted very threatening towards
Katie while Katie backed away from her and in a straight line – such accuracy! This I thought must have been quiet a challenge
for Katie to learn and understand as well as making the audience and judges think it was all part of the act. The props Sue used
were appropriate and I especially liked it when Katie hid in the undergrowth looking very sad and covering her face with her paws!
The judges also liked this routine giving some high nines. Their total overall score of 26.07 was more than enough to give them
first place in this class.
2nd Richard Curtis with Syka Delic Darnser, Crossbreed.
They were dancing to “Pink Panther Remix”. Richard always likes to tell a story in his routines and this one was no different.
Dressed as a burglar their performance was another fast and furious one. Wizzy responding on cue to Richard’s instructions
accurately. To begin with, Wizzy acted as his accomplice, on the lookout with him ‘sussing’ out the ‘joint’ and at the end she
became the Police, chasing him, running, twisting, twirling and jumping off Richard’s back until she finally apprehended him and
putting him into Jail. This was a humorous routine with lots going on. The sequences all flowed into a seamless performance and
this team made very good use of the whole ring. I enjoyed this routine.
3rd Heather Smith with Moonlight Magic Dancer, Bearded Collie.
Maddie put in such a lovely routine, dancing to a track called “The Dance of the Toys”. Heather was dressed as a toy soldier.
The routine starting off with Heather sitting on the floor doing a very good impersonation of a toy soldier! I liked the part where
Maddie rolled Heather along the floor using her back legs to roll her over. Her other paw work was very good and accurate.
Maddie had some lovely straight line reversing with one paw in the air as well as walking forward again with one paw in the air.
The best part of Maddie for me, is her distance work. She just flows running around the ring looking as if there wasn’t a care in
the world but still keeping an eye on Heather for further cues. A very enjoyable routine which certainly made the audience and me
smile at times.
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4th Richard Curtis with Washtog Wot No Legs, Crossbreed.
This was another very good routine from Richard, very fast and flowing with some new and very innovative moves. It started with
the idea that the Crufts’ Trophy had been stolen. They open their routine with Betty jumping onto his back and spinning round and
round, I was glad she wasn’t a border collie! This little dog has so much trust in her handler, paying so much attention to him and
responding to his cues on time. The trust Betty had was seen when Richard lifted her in his hands and moved around with Betty
standing in his hands. The moves suited the dog and went well with the music. Betty has such incredibly fast weaves, I was
envious, just wish my dog could move so fast! At times she just flew around the ring, Richard and Betty, despite her size, made
full use of the ring. I did enjoy the ending with Betty sitting in the Trophy! With dogs this size it is difficult to think up moves that
can be seen by an audience but Richard showed that there isn’t anything you can’t do with small dogs. For her first time at Crufts,
Betty did not seem to mind the lights and noise of the Cruft’s arena, she just wanted to work.
5th Lucy Creek with Dialynne Making Waves, Beagle.
I was looking forward to watching Teasel and seeing the whole routine as I had not seen it before. They were performing to
“The Entertainer” which they did so well. Teasel was attentive to Lucy and her cues, and her tail just did not stop wagging, she
looked like she was enjoying herself and not at all phased by the lights, noise and crowd! If she was, Lucy, you did such a good
job of keeping her focused. There was a good variety of tricks done by Teasel, a three legged side step and jumping through
Lucy’s arms to name a couple, with some distance work, the sequences all flowing from one to another. I enjoyed watching
Teasel putting her paw into the cake bowl and then licking her paw and then entertaining us with weaves and twirls while the cake
baked in the oven! Her prize at the end of this routine was the pretend cake. They certainly did entertain the audience and me.
6th Carole Dodson and Kinaway Doctor Watson, Clifton, Border Collie.
Dancing to music from “Pirates’ of the Caribbean”. Clifton started the routine doing back leg pivots and progressed into creeping
and reversing as the music proceeded. Clifton was attentive to Carole throughout the routine with good accuracy to her cues,
jumping out of the way of her sword. I do hope it was not a sharp one! Some very good distance work made full use of the ring
with Clifton racing off to capture the skull and crossbones flag and bouncing on Davie Jones locker as the finale. Another well
thought out routine matching the music.
7th Ann DeRizzio with Stillmoor Show Stopper, Border Collie.
Boyce performed to a track from the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice, I’ll put a Spell on You”. The routine started off slowly (I don’t mean
that in a negative way) building into a faster pace as the music moved along. There was some very nice paw work in keeping with
the music. There was a variety of different moves by Boyce in this routine, showing off his talent, some moves where he worked
close to Ann and at other times at a distance all adding up to a very good performance.
8th Steph Rendell and Tiddley Bitz at Heartside, Crossbreed.
Although newish to this sport this team has talent and this was only their second time at Crufts. Bitz showing her keenness to
work and trying her upmost to do as Steph instructed. They were dancing to a piece of music called ”Thumbelina” - very
appropriate as the routine opens with Bitz doing paw work touching Steph’s thumbs. There were several new moves with Bitz on
Steph’s feet, legs and arms, all done with accuracy and in keeping with the music. There were plenty of other moves in this
routine and all designed to suit this little dog. At one stage Bitz did some amazing weaves, they were so fast and in time to the
music. Her reversing while on the wheel looked quite difficult as there was not too much room there but she managed it making it
all look so easy. This was a routine packed with fun and variety. Another little dog who has trust in her handler and who showed
us they may be little but so what? A very enjoyable routine and I enjoyed the bows from Bitz at the end.
9th Anne Shuker with Splish Splash, Working Sheepdog.
Anne and Splash did a very enjoyable routine using the music “Food Glorious Food”. They told the tale of an orphan who was
hungry and wanted more food. I thought this performance was a very good interpretation of the music and I enjoyed the opening
where the dog was praying. This team used the ring to their advantage and I thought the pair worked very well as a team, the dog
paying attention to its owner and both enjoying themselves in the ring. A good use of the ring showed off the dogs’ fluid
movement and well timed cues from Anne. I especially like the part of the routine where the dog was begging with the food bowl
asking for more. How Anne managed to train this with the ‘anger’ going on in this part of the routine too was a mystery to me. It
was a fast pace routine which certainly entertained the audience. Well done to them both, it isn’t easy to be the first to perform in
the ring.
10th Cathy Bates with Rus N Sol Ruby, Working Sheepdog.
I thought this was a lovely Spanish routine of a Matador and a bull fight. Cathy looked very splendid in her outfit and red cape
while Ruby made such a good bull, pawing the ground as a bull does, rearing up and the routine took me into a bull fight. Ruby
with the horns in her mouth became the Bull, charging at Cathy and the cape and looking very fierce, eyeing Cathy up as a bull
would do, scraping the ground with her paw and charging the cape. There was some very good distance work especially the side
stepping by Ruby at a distance from Cathy. The end of the routine was humorous with the ‘bull’ (Ruby) finally ‘killing’ the Matador.
I found it was an entertaining routine and enjoyed it. I do hope to see this one again another time.
Thank you competitors for making this a very enjoyable part of my Crufts’ experience.
7
Crufts 2013 Friday 8th March
Heelwork To Music
Report by Diane Jones Judges: Carol Mortimer (GB), Annette Lowe (GB), Brigitte van Gestel (Holland)
1st Heather Smith with Moonlight Magic Dancer (Maddie)
Music “Roxanne (Tango)” . Smart costume in black with red trim to match her prop of a red chair. Started with sitting on the chair .
Maddie doing a “hide your eyes”. Excellent use of chair for Heather & Maddie. Sometimes Maddie going round or going
underneath then Heather using chair in her hands to the beat of the tango. At one time Heather pulled the chair while Maddie was
in a heel position. Maddie was glued to Heather for heelwork positions. Fun, enjoyable foot work from Heather & Maddie.
Finished with Maddie going round under the chair with Heathers’ foot on the chair then Heather sat down, Maddie put her head on
her paws The crowd were very enthusiastic.
2nd Karen Sykes with Iatka Spring Spangle (Fly).
Music “Roxanne (Tango)”. Another lovely interpretation of this tango. Karen came in with Fly happy and bouncing. Fly started in
a sit then came to Karen and started their square tango. During the routine Karen and Fly mirroring one another with great timing.
I liked the moves when Karen had Fly across her body and did a large stride and Fly moved with her in the shape of a square.
They both finished flat on the floor with Karen holding Fly's paw. Audience very happy with this partnership.
3rd Lucy Creek with Harriot Skiffle King (Skiffle).
Music “Nightmare Before Christmas”. Lucy came in looking scary in a mask and long tail jacket. Lucy distanced herself from
Skiffle for the start. Skiffle paid excellent attention to Lucy as they made “good use” of the arena for lengths of different heelwork
positions. When mistletoe was mentioned they kissed. As the title says Christmas the prop was a Christmas Tree which Skiffle
goes round. Lucy had good attitude to the music, finished in hide your eyes and bow to the judges.
4th Carole Dodson with Kinaway Doctor Watson (Clifton).
Music “Go The Distance”. Started behind their prop in a high behind Carole. As Cifton jumped the board he knocked it down, he
carried on as if nothing had happened, good boy. Clifton gave Carole 100% attention making use of the arena for there across
work. Finished with Carole behind the hero board with Clifton facing her, front paws on prop.
5th Ann DeRizzio with Stillmoor Show Stopper (Boyce).
Music “42nd Street”. Ann came in with a smart sparkly jacket and sparkly hat. Boyce very happy and excited. He did paw work
with interpretation of the music and Ann went skipping across the arena with good position from Boyce, he gave Ann a hug and
Ann did some hops. A routine with good change of tempo. Ann's prop was a bag which Boyce picked up and gave to her then
hopped beside her and finished up on her arm.
6th Pauline Goddard with Mists Of Snowdon (Misty)
This should have been Kath Hardman with Amber but unfortunately Kath withdrew because Amber was unwell.
In her place was Pauline Goddard with Misty. Music “Nothing like a Dame”. Pauline was dressed in a sailor suit. Both worked to
a good tempo with Pauline and Misty in reverse heelwork position. Misty did a crawl then went into rollover with lots of attention
to Pauline. Pauline saluted to finish. Great music for foot tapping.
7th Sarah Reed with Beckim One Riva Diva (Riva)
Music. “If They Could See Me Now”. This was Sarah and Rivas first time in the finals. Sarah wore a blue sparkly shirt with
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matching pieces in her trousers and a top hat. Using the hat for a prop very effectively throughout the routine and starting with
steps with Riva working very happily paying Sarah lots of attention. A lovely beg from Riva and a great change of tempo from
both. Finishing with Riva on hind legs paws on Sarah's back, Sarah collapsed the hat then pings it open at the end of routine.
They got a great round of applause.
8th Kirsty Vaughan with Wildsea Mountain Pepper (Roo).
Music “Walking in the Air”. Some excellent heelwork into the arena. I love this piece of music. Kirsty wore a great costume with
Roo wearing a fancy collar. Roo was very eager to please Kirsty and did sweet hugs. Also Roo showed us his beautiful trotting
action. There was a great crawl around Kirsty with excellent focus and a good finish. A very brave lady .
9th Gina Pink with Our Magic Combination (Tapper).
Music “Explosive (Bond)”. Gina came in wearing a sparkly jacket, both Gina and Tapper in black and white. Tapper gave good
attention to Gina, starting at a distance from her. He is a very experienced dog having often been in the arena and as he is
retiring this was his last visit to the green carpet so we all wish Tapper happy retirement.
One non runner was Lucy Heath with Indy. Such a shame Lucy had to withdraw as Indy was not wanting to be in the arena.
Finally I do think it an insult that they did not wait for Sarah's score and presentation before putting on “Friends for Life”.
Crufts 2013 Saturday 9th March
International Freestyle
Report by Jill Davis
Judges: Carol Mortimer (GB), Annette Lowe (GB), Brigitte van Gestel (Holland)
1st Belgium Jules O’Dwyer with Fjurdyhoeve Flynn, Border Collie, 6 years old, performing to “Music Mix”.
Jules, dressed in grey and wearing a peaked cap, put on the most amazing performance as The Dog Catcher, complete with huge
dog cage and fire hydrant. Again the routine was so complex and full of moves it is hard to put them all down. A lot of the routine
involved the cage with Matisse hiding on top of it, jumping the net, then hopping on his hind legs to the fire hydrant where he
pretended to ‘leave his mark’ for the second time. He then takes the net off the dog catcher and creeps. Does a back-up but
doesn’t realise he is reversing into the net. What a clever move. There then follows a very emotional bit where Jules drags him in
the net to the cage but he gets out and hides underneath the cage. He then begs for mercy and hops on 3 legs and then his hind
legs. At the end Matisse pulls down a flag on the cage which reads Animal Ambulance and ends up sitting on top of the cage.
Brilliant storytelling and the dog responded brilliantly to his cues.
2nd France Thierry Thomas with Ubac du Mas De la Rabeyrine, Border Collie, 10 years old, performing to “The Lion King”.
Well what can one say about this competitor but that he is the absolute king of props. This time he had a huge outcrop of rocks
with some hyenas, a lion cub on another rocky outcrop and some other jungle animals on a bamboo frame. He also had a lake
and some rushes. He was wearing green trousers with a brown cummerbund and a garland round his neck. Again a really visual
story with Speedo doing handstands, 2-legged stands, going round the props and up onto the lion’s rock. He jumped through a
very small hoop that didn’t look big enough to take him, scraped at the lake and then pulled Thierry along by his wrist with his paw.
Speedo excels at doing continuous distance moves round the props. At the end he stood on the rock with the baby lion. This
team was the only one to score a 10 and they got two!!
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3rd Slovakia Monika Olsovska with Arsinoe Z Rise Wa, Border Collie, 5 years old, performing to “Wishful Thinking”.
Monika was wearing a gold Japanese dress, a Japanese wig and had bare feet which at one point Arsi was walking on with his
paws. The music was oriental and we discovered was about the dropping of the atom bomb on Hiroshima so a bit of a mixture of
countries here. Arsi commenced the routine by doing a handstand up Monika’s back and then they did synchronised twists,
backing and creeping. Then we heard the airplanes coming over and she and the dog run round pretending to be scared of the
bombs and they both do synchronised rolling as if dead. Then Arsi’s bottom starts going up and down as if he is trying to get up
although wounded and he goes over to Monika and tries to rouse her. Then he does face, digs at her and rolls her. She then
gets up wounded, takes off her dress revealing a huge patch of blood on her stomach and the dog runs off to fetch a bandage
which he then cleverly winds all round her. She then picks the dog up in her arms and next they both walk wounded with the dog
limping on his back leg. This was a brilliant and touching routine which showcased the abilities of the dog brilliantly.
4th Switzerland Yvonne Belin with Alice, Jewel del Mulino Prudenza, Border Collie, 5 years old, performing to “Time”.
This was a very different routine from all the others. Yvonne looked very glamorous with long blonde hair and wearing a black and
silver top and trousers with Alice's coat shining and groomed to perfection. She assumed the position of her body as the pivot and
her arms were the hands of a clock. I thought this was stunning choreography and Yvonne was so graceful and obviously an
accomplished dancer. Sometimes when the handler is dance trained it overshadows what the dog is doing but in this case it was
just a beautiful dancing partnership. Alice did some distance sideways work, circling behind Yvonne facing outwards, boogey
back, fabulous synchronised twists, jumped over her back, touch and tap. Their final pose was leaning back to back.
5th Scotland Heather Smith with Moonlight Magic Dancer, Bearded Collie, 6 years old, performing to “Dance of the Toys”.
Heather was dressed as a toy soldier with a red tunic, black trousers and a black Busby. Her props were some large alphabet
cubes and a doll. They marched into the ring and both saluted the audience. The moves that Maddie performed were almost too
numerous to mention she has such a wide repertoire but some of the more unusual ones were both of them lying on their backs
kicking their legs in the air, Heather walking stiffly like a toy soldier with Maddie following her, Maddie pushing Heather with her
back legs so that she was rolling across the floor, a lot of synchronised lifting of feet in various positions, Maddie walking on
Heather’s feet and a particularly unusual one where Heather was sitting leaning against the alphabet cubes and Maddie was
clasping her Busby. She utilised the alphabet cubes to perform many different moves.
6th England Sue Betteridge with Glenalpine Katie, Border Collie, 6 years old, performing to “Hans Christian Anderson Medley.”
This routine was based on the story of the Ugly Duckling that grew into a beautiful Swan. Sue was dressed as a cobbler in a
brown waistcoat, brown cap and mustard jumper. The props were a clump of reeds, a lake, water lilies etc. as defined by the
words of the song. Katie is one of the most attentive and responsive dogs I have seen work in Heelwork To Music and earned her
place in the International Finals by winning the Freestyle Finals two days previously. Katie picked a lily pad, hid herself away in
the reeds, whizzed round in the lake all on cue and with perfect timing. She did a beg with alternating crossed paws, hiked,
clasped Sue’s leg and went on High to finish.
7th South Africa Xandre Dearden with Carnelian Friendly Finn, Border Collie, 4 years old, performing to “Wonderboom
Africa”. Xandre had a red, yellow and black podium and she was wearing a red and black dress with black headdress, war paint
and leg tassles. Finn wore a beautiful red feather collar. Xandre carried a spear as the theme of this routine was Africa. Again
this pair’s routine contained a multitude of moves from hopping on 3 legs, a 2-legged lean, weaves, touch, tap, creeping, back up
at a tremendous rate of knots, clasp spear, crossing paws lying down, boogey back round the spear through to perhaps the most
memorable move in the whole routine – flying changes whilst between Xandre’s legs. The routine ended with Finn standing on his
hind legs back to back with Xandre.
8th The Czech Republic Vanda Gregorova with All That Brandy Gentle Mate, Australian Shepherd Dog, 6 years old,
performing to “Music Mix – Ost Soundtrack the Movie”.
Vanda was wearing black trousers, brown jacket and yellow jumper. Her props were a TV and a chair and the story was based on
Brandy trying to get Vanda to take her for a walk. Some of her moves included nodding in time to the soundtrack from psycho,
lying down with crossed paws, face, kangarooing away from her, standing between looking left and right, pawing the ground like a
bull and head flips to suit the various types of music used which included the pasa doble and gangnam style. The routine ends
with Vanda putting the dog’s collar round her own neck, getting down on all fours and the dog taking the lead and walking on his
hind legs to take her for a walk.
9th Denmark Emmy Simonsen with Littlethorn Feet of Flames, Border Collie, 3 years old, performing to “Scary Story/This
Halloween/Nightmare Before Christmas”.
Emmy, as you might expect with those titles, was wearing a black witch’s/zombie outfit with a whitened face and carried an axe
which Hero went round and jumped over. She also had a round box decorated to look like a pumpkin as a prop which Hero went
round. He also did some leg weaves, out round and some chest jumps as well as backing a very long way across the ring.
10th Sweden Carina Persson with Obetets Pop, Border Collie, 5 years old, performing to “Annen Polka”.
Carina was wearing blue trousers, long black boots and a red military jacket and hat and the music was in a very lively marching
style. Her prop was a Swedish flag. Pop began the routine by crawling round her and then clasping Carina’s leg while she turned
and then ran out to get the flag. He did boogey back and they both jumped together several times in time with the music. This
was followed by some backward weaving and synchronised twists. With Carina on the ground Pop did a handstand and then
walked backwards over her, finishing up with hiking out in front of her.
11th Wales Malinda Kerr with Dashing Dray, Crossbreed Terrier, 6 years old, performing to “Dela”.
Malinda was wearing camouflage trousers and a khaki jumper whilst the dog was sporting a red and gold neckerchief. Her prop
was a cut down oil drum which the dog went round. The routine started with Malinda sitting on the floor while the dog reversed
round her, followed by leg weaves, twists, arm weaves twirls, backwards weaving, sideways with his back to her and touching her
heels with his paws. Also included were looking left and right and jumping through arms and legs.
10
12th Hungary Nora Karlyik with Besevari Szivarvanyos, Bearded Collie, 4 years old, performing to “Harder, Faster, Better,
Stronger.”
Nora was wearing black trousers, silver tunic, leggings and armbands and sporting sunglasses. She danced robotically to the
synthesised music while Hippy did twists, walking backwards, bow, boogey back, wide weaves, backward weaves and some quite
unique head flips, all of which were enhanced by his lovely flowing coat.
13th The Netherlands Grietje Wagenaar with Fjurdyhoeve Floyd, Border Collie, 7 years old, performing to “Lady Gaga
Medley”. Grietje wore black leather trousers, black boots, black and white basque with epaulettes and black elbow length
handless gloves. Flory was supposed to start the routine doing a handstand up against Grietje but she struggled to get him into
position. He turned out to be a very fast dog with sharp moves which matched the fast and furious music. He had quite a
repertoire of backward and forward creeping, twists, twirls, handstand on her bent knee, jumps, leg weaves, some heelwork
positions, bow, out round and finished up with his paws up on her raised knee.
14th Germany Carmen Schmid with Sammy of Upsala, Cairn Terrier, 9 years old, performing to “Bag Mir Bisu Schejn” which
apparently translates as You are the Fairest in the Land.
Carmen was wearing a black dress with a red fringe border and collar and red high heels. Carmen started her routine with
Gimley and her lying on the floor followed by two heelwork positions, forward and back leg weaving and circling sideways with his
back to her. Other moves were walking backwards behind her and synchronised jumps. Gimley was not a dog to be rushed but
then did an energetic jump up onto her back whilst she was kneeling down then they did two rolls together, a boogey back and
finished with a jump through her crooked leg.
15th New Zealand Karen McCarthy with Azzara Lady Vienna, Gordon Setter, 10 years old, performing to “It Had To Be You”.
Karen was wearing brown trousers and a green waistcoat with a camera round her neck and Vienna had on a purple spotted
neckerchief. Her props were a yellow box and a camera on a tripod. The routine involved trying to get the dog to pose for photos
and Karen placed the tripod so that the dog could weave round its legs and jump over it folded up. It was a routine which utilised
a limited amount of moves that the dog was happy performing and she certainly had a lovely waving tail throughout. The routine
finished with the box being turned over to reveal a photo of the dog.
I hope I have given some idea of what happened in each routine but it is obviously impossible to describe all the moves and the
stories in just a short précis. I was just spellbound the whole way through this competition and amazed at how people keep
thinking up new moves they can do with their dog.
The Judges: Carol Mortimer, Annette Lowe
and Brigitte van Gestel
A happy HTM line up, Heather Smith, Karen Sykes and Lucy Creek with the Judges
And a Happy Birthday Girl, Karen Sykes.
Karen enjoyed sharing her cake with all the competitors—who
could eat now that the competition was over!
11
Emmy after the Crufts 2013
Life has been tough lately. In the middle of February we lost our old
friend Bridie. Bridie was my mum’s sheltie, but she has lived with me
and the boys for almost a year as my mum was not well enough to look
after her. My mum took a turn for the worse in the beginning of
February and was admitted to hospital. She was very ill and died on
the 22nd of February. And in the middle of all this plus sorting out
funeral etc., Hero and I tried to get ready for Crufts.
We took off for Crufts only a few days after my mum’s funeral. My
friend Helle came with us to support us and I am very grateful for that.
She is a good friend and it meant a lot for me to share the experience
with her.
We had a day of sightseeing in Coventry before Crufts started. We saw
the Coventry Cathedral and the Holy Trinity Church. Both churches
were beautiful. Helle liked the Holy Trinity best as it was more
traditional, but I was really wowed by the mix of new and old in the
Cathedral. We also saw the statue of the naked Lady Godiva on the
town square. Lady Godiva, was a noblewoman who, according to a
legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a
remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants.
We were very excited on Thursday morning. First day of Crufts! The highlight of
the day was of course the British Freestyle Final. Winner was Sue Betteridge with
Border Collie Glenalpine Katie. Katie is an aunt (a full sister to his mum) to my
boy Beat, so of course I was thrilled to see her win for the 2nd year in a row.
They performed a very nice Hans Christian Andersen routine – a well-deserved
win. I also really enjoyed Richard Curtis routine with his Chihuahua mix Betty.
They had some interesting moves and Betty might be small in size, but she is big
in attitude. They were placed 4th.
Friday was HTM day – the British HTM final. Heather Smith’s (Bearded Collie
Moonlight Magic Dancer) winning routine was fabulous! Great use of the prop,
lots of content, very accurate heelwork, an interesting choreography and super
use of the music ‘Le Tango De Roxanne’. I could not see any other winner of this
competition.
2nd on the day was Karen Sykes (Working Sheepdog Iatka Spring Spangle), who
also performed a fabulous and very dramatic routine. She used the same music
as Heather Smith, but the choreography was very different. Karen had some
interesting new turns and steps that I had not seen before and there were lots of
little details in her choreography, which made the routine interesting. A great
routine and a well-deserved 2nd place. I really enjoyed the Top 3 routines in this
class.
My personal favourite was Lucy Creek’s (Border Collie Harriot Skiffle King) “What’s’ This” routine. It was so entertaining, very
accurate heelwork, superb musical interpretation and I just loved the music. They were placed 3rd, which was fair as the two first
routines had more content and less hand cues, but I loved this one! Thank you Lucy, for a great performance!
Saturday was the day, when Hero and I were competing. We were
dancing for my mum at Crufts and I think she would have been proud.
Hero was fantastic. He did everything I asked from him and more. He
really was amazing. It felt so good and I nearly cried from happiness
when I came out of the ring. I couldn’t have been more proud of him even
if we had won the competition. We performed a new routine to music from
‘This Is Halloween’ from ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ and it was very well
received. Our Crufts performance was very special to me and all of your
nice comments really does mean a lot to me.
On Wednesday we went sightseeing in Coventry. This is the boys and I in front of
the Lady Godiva statue
Hero warming up in the Arena on Saturday morning
12
The winners were Jules O’Dwyer with Matisse (Border Collie Fjurdyhoeve Flynn) though and I am very happy for them. It was a
brilliant routine and so well performed. No doubt the best routine at Crufts this year. Well done Jules and Matisse.
Congratulation on a fabulous win!
Crufts of course also involved lots of shopping, meeting up with new and old friends and having fun with my dogs. We had a good
week in England!
Next stop: Performing at the Vild Med Dyr Messe (an animal and pet fair) in Fredericia this weekend!
(All photos supplied by Emmy)
There were lots of dog
dancing
demonstrations at
Crufts. Here is
Annette Leslie with
Disney performing in
the Dog Activity ring.
Biscuit made many new friends at Crufts.
Here he is with the Samsung dog
Crufts is a great opportunity to met up with new and old
friends. This is Beat and Julie. Julie owns Beat's dad,
Dug, who is a Working Trial Champion.
A future dancing star. Lesley Neville's lovely young
Bearded Collie, Dewy.
Angus Neville may not have been performing at Crufts this year but he was not forgotten as this
photograph taken from the TV screen showing an advertisement for Crufts 2013 shows.
After a long and happy career in HTM, performing at
Crufts seven times, Angus was going to officially retire at our Canine Freestyle GB Show at
Tomlinsons in May this year.
Sadly this will not happen. Angus left us in April.
Personally I could not agree more with the slogan on the screen!
Ed.
13
So, what is it like to be a judge at Crufts?
By Annette Lowe
Now, there’s a question that begs a lot of other questions, after all, there are so many dogs and different activities. I can only tell
you what it was like to judge the Heelwork to Music and Freestyle competitions in 2013: it was great fun.
The story starts a long time before March 2013. One Saturday, in January 2011, I casually collected the post from the mat and
was surprised to see an envelope with a KC logo. I was even more surprised when I read what was inside, an invitation to judge
at Crufts 2013! Well, that gave zest to the breakfast time conversation, primarily focusing on what should one wear; the HTM
competition is held in the Arena on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each competition attracts a large audience, especially
Saturday, and at the same time each event is live-streamed over the Internet to the world wide aficionados of the HTM world – so
what you wear matters almost as much as what scores you award!
After the initial thrill there was a long wait. Part of the waiting was a year of being patient during which I was limited in the
competition work I could do with my own dogs.
So, I spent a year planning what to wear and trying to discover who I would be judging with. There are still three judges at Crufts;
my fellow judges were Carol Mortimer, a familiar figure who has done much to promote the sport to the YKC, and Brigitte van
Gestel, a Dutch judge, who had previously represented the Netherlands in Freestyle. I also ensured that during the year I was
invited to judge some Advanced classes at competitions.
At last March 2013 arrived. On the Wednesday before Crufts began I arrived at the Metropole Hilton, which was to be my base for
the next three days. An evening meal with the HTM ring party and my fellow judges set the scene. Then followed the ritual which
marked each of the three days: unlike the early start and long journey normal for a show, it was a case of a leisurely breakfast and
then waiting and doing final mental preparations before donning posh shoes and clothes and strolling over to the Arena. Another
time of waiting ensued before we were invited to stand in the floodlight archway and then to walk out into the Arena and take up
our respective stations at our judging tables. The HTM judges are seated at separate tables and do their work in isolation. It was
an hour or more of concentration and inner debates.
The Freestyle competition on the Thursday was a delightful mixture of breeds: Bearded Collie; Beagle; various cross breeds; and
the inevitable WSD and BC dogs. I have a special regard for those people who work small dogs in our sport; they must have very
resilient spines, and they have to work hard to fulfill the criteria to use all of the ring space. I must say that all of the little dogs
filled the ring with their big personalities. I very much enjoyed all of the routines but the one that I think will stay the longest in my
memory (apart from the winner) was the Beagle. It is true, and bemoaned by some, that collies dominate HTM/Freestyle; this is
not a problem to me. If the dog and the handler can produce a good routine then they deserve to win the accolades. However,
every now and then a dog from a breed which would be viewed as “difficult to train” steps up to the mark, and Teasle the Beagle
certainly did that.
The winner, Sue Betteridge with Katy, however, demonstrated what I thought to be an excellent routine: it used the ring space; it
used the phrasing of the music and the lyrics which you could hear clearly; it demonstrated humour and told a story; it showed the
dog working close to the handler and at a distance; and it showed a dog that could think for itself and did not just respond to the
handler’s physical lead – a risky thing to do since it leaves lots of room for mistakes which cannot be easily masked by the
handler.
The Heelwork competition on the Friday saw just one Bearded Collie among the WSDs and BCs, and it took first place. This
competition had several dramatic episodes apart from the struggle to win. The first dog into the ring sadly could not cope with the
situation and had to withdraw; the Crufts ring is a unique place and one which it is difficult to prepare for in training. The handler
of the third dog in has been fighting cancer for many months now and those who know Kirsty could only marvel at her courage
and determination at getting through to Crufts and being there to compete. Hers was a special performance for reasons which
had nothing to do with the judging criteria. The final twist in this competition was that the handlers who took first and second place
both worked to the same piece of music; both Karen Sykes and Fly (2nd) and Heather Smith and Maddie (1st) danced a tango in
very different but equally dramatic styles.
Friday was then punctuated by the joy, and hard work, of judging a range of classes, for two hours, in the YKC ring. Boys and
girls dressed up and worked their dogs in front of a very large crowd and in a very noisy Hall 3. There were some tears but also
lots of smiles and they all gave a lot of pleasure to those watching.
Saturday arrived with a sense of great anticipation. Fifteen countries were represented in the International Freestyle competition
and our final judging was done in front of a packed and fascinated crowd. The handlers represented New Zealand and South
Africa as well as the Scandinavian and European countries. The size of the crowd and the partisan nature of the competition
made you aware, as a judge, that you may well be offending different nations by your marking! The dogs ranged from a Cairn
terrier to a Gordon Setter. The routines told stories that were sad, including a tale of Hiroshima, touching, and amusing. The
creativity of the handlers and the versatility of the dogs were amazing. But there had to be a winner and for me the winner was
clear. The handler, representing Belgium, told a wonderful story of a dog being hunted by a rather inept dog-catcher; being a
14
Border Collie it, of course, got the upper hand, took charge of the situation and triumphed in the end. If you have time I would
recommend that you find the Crufts videos on You-tube and watch this routine if you do not watch any other.
So, what is it like to be a judge at Crufts? It was a great privilege, hard work and tiring, and terrific fun! I hope that the handlers felt
they were judged appropriately. I would applaud every handler and dog who worked, no matter where they were finally placed; it
was a very enjoyable show.
Hi, I am Carole Turton from Hinckley, Leicestershire.
I have three Cocker Spaniels, they are all very different in colour and personality.
Ellie, a black and tan is 13 years old. Bracken, a blue roan, is 8 years old, and Louie, a black and white, is 3 years old.
I have been competing in Heelwork to Music for a few years now, Freestyle with
Bracken and now Heelwork with Louie.
I enjoy training my dogs and also help other people to train, which I have done for
about 3 years now.
Ellie has never competed, she was my first dog and I learnt to train her by reading
t raining books about bas ic
Obedience. I realy got into training
through taking Bracken to a local
puppy class and then started clicker
training with him.
My dogs are my companions and best friends and through training and competing
with them I have met many new people and made some great friends.
I wouldn’t be without my dogs, they keep me fit and active and we have some
lovely long walks and loads of fun together. I just wish I had more house room so I
could have a few more.
Getting To Know You More profiles from our members. Please send your profiles with photos if possible to
Obituary
Choxxstart Dream Angus FS A Ex, HTM A Ex,
3rd August 2001 to 2nd April 2013
I can remember exactly where I was when I received the phone call to tell me that
Angus had been born. We were walking in woods in Wales, on holiday, and I was
so thrilled with the news.
I was right to be thrilled as this puppy grew into an amazing dog who has brought
a lot of pleasure into the lives of many people.
He was a promising Working Trials dog, gaining his CDEx and UDEx very quickly,
but his career then turned to dancing which he did with great gusto.
He has been called “The Harrier Jump Jet of the Canine World” and “The
definition of happiness is Angus dancing”. But he was more than this, he
welcomed puppies into the home, being so tolerant as they swung on his beard
and pulled his whiskers! And guiding them gently but, eventually, firmly into the
world. He was someone who I could rely on to give 100% in his performances
both in competition and at demos, even when we had to follow the “clown with the
exploding car”, which made his knees tremble a bit, but he was such a showman
that as soon as the music started he would dance as if nothing had happened.
(Unless I accidentally stood on his paw and then he would bark until I apologised
to him—then everything was OK again!)
On the 2nd of April he decided that it was time to go. He lay down in his favourite
spot in the conservatory and somehow I just knew that his time had come. We sat
together and I talked to him and stroked him, he gave a big sigh and left me. I did
not have to make that awful decision, my boy was a true gentleman right up to the
end.
Dance on in the stars Angus. X
15
International Judges Conference
Held at The Danish Kennel Club
12th to 14th April 2013
By Lesley Neville
This Conference was announced in April last year and Kath Hardman and I immediately expressed an interest in it. It was shortly
after booking our places and flights, that I was invited to be one of the guest speakers at this conference. What an honour!
So, nearly a year later Kath and I were on our way to Denmark.
Thursday;
It was an early start for both Kath and I as we flew from Birmingham
Airport to Copenhagen for the conference. By now we were prepared, we
hoped, for the weekend. I was to speak on the Friday evening, my subject
was “How To Judge The Musical Interpretation in HTM and Freestyle”, and
Kath had been asked to present a short talk to explain the British Rules
and Judging system.
The flight was very pleasant and we arrived at Copenhagen Airport at 2
15pm Danish time. We were met by one of the organisers of the
Conference, Emmy Simonsen, and as the weather was cold and wet we
were taken on an indoor sightseeing trip rather than around the town.
This visit was to “The Blue Planet Aquarium” which is a new addition to the
town. What a magnificent place it is! So many different types of marine life
were on show in beautiful, huge tanks, all kinds of fish from tiddlers to
sharks, plus some Sea Lions being trained by their handlers.
Emmy then drove us to Soro where we had something to eat and then to a lovely Bed and Breakfast house which was to be our
home for the weekend. We unpacked our cases and sorted out clothes for the following day, checked the lap top for the
presentation, double checked all our notes for the conference, and then fell into bed as we had had a very early 5 30am start to
the day!
Friday;
Emmy picked us up at 10am to take us to Helle, her co-organiser’s house, for coffee and walk along the beach with Emmy’s and
Helle’s dogs. The weather was a little dismal, misty and raining, and still snow on the beach, but the dogs did not seem to mind
that at all! They raced over the sands, paddled in the sea and had a wonderful time. The humans enjoyed it too!
16
Walking time over, Emmy drove us to the Danish Kennel Club building
where the conference was being held. It was time to change from sandy
shoes and jeans into something more respectable!
Delegates started
arriving from many
countries, Australia,
Denmark, Germany,
Finland, Norway,
Russia, Switzerland,
Sweden and of
course Great Britain!.
There were some
new and some
familiar faces, but all were welcomed and fed.
I was invited to speak at 6pm. My talk was about using music in HTM and
Freestyle, and how to judge it. It was decided that I would take and answer
questions as we went through the presentation instead of afterwards, and
although a little slowly at times to allow the interpreter for the Russian
delegates to do her job, all went very well. Some interesting questions
were asked and points raised and discussed amongst the group. This was
good, as the aim of the conference was to allow judges from other
countries to compare ideas, discuss, learn from each other and share
thoughts.
My talk ended at 9 15pm and the delegates all left for their respective
hotels, hopefully thinking of more questions to ask and points to discuss!
A summary of my talk can be found on
http://eurohtm.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/judges-conference-lesley-
neville-about-musical-interpretation/
And page 21 of this Newsletter.
Saturday
Emmy collected us at 8 15am ready for a full day at the conference.
Our first task was a comparison of the rules from the different countries. Each country had designated one representative to
present the country’s HTM and Freestyle rules which would then be debated so that we could be inspired by and learn from each
other.
Kath had been chosen to perform this task for Great Britain and she was the first to present our rules. As more countries took part
it became clear that this was going to take longer than had been anticipated! All the countries except Russia, Australia and
Sweden had spoken when we had to make time for the next item so it was agreed that these three countries would speak later in
the day.
A summary of the discussion and the rules from each country can be found here; http://eurohtm.wordpress.com/2013/04/20/judges-confrence-different-rules-in-different-countries/
Our next task was to judge some willing volunteer competitors – what brave people to perform their routines to 24 International
Judges!
We were asked to judge them using the rules from our own countries.
The delegates take their places, twenty four Judges from nine countries.
Aina and Lumi, Novice Freestyle Annette and Neo, Advanced HTM Kirsten and Jillie, Novice Freestyle
At the Danish Kennel Club building
17
Performances over, we discussed and compared our marks and were pleasantly surprised at how close we all were and 22 of the
24 judges had the same ranking order of the performances. This was very encouraging as it showed that despite some
differences in criteria and methods of marking, we were all of a similar opinion.
Lunch was next and here I must mention Hanne Madsen from the Danish Kennel Club. Hanne is the secretary for the HTM
Committee and she worked hard during the weekend feeding us all and making endless pots of tea and coffee. She also did all
the paperwork for the conference.
After a splendid lunch we were ready for the next item on the agenda.
This was a talk by Behaviourist Karen Strandbygaard Ulrich on “Calming
Signals”.
This was a fascinating subject and was presented in such a clear way so that
we all started to recognise and understand the signs of stress in a dog and the
potential results of stress.
Questions were taken during and after the presentation and then we looked at
videos taken from two of the routines which had been performed live for us in
the morning to see if we could recognise any signs of stress in those dogs, and
if so what kind of stress was it and how would we mark it? As you can imagine
this was a good discussion.
A summary of Karen’s presentation can be found at
http://eurohtm.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/judges-conference-karen-ulrich-about-signs-of-stress/
A short break for tea and then the three countries who did not present their talk about their rules in the morning did so then.
There were some interesting points raised, for example in Sweden the dogs can wear a costume. This is partly because it can be
so cold there that it is possible that a dog needs to wear a coat of some kind, but apparently only a few owners take the option of
their dog being in costume.
The day finished at 9 15pm – a long day for everyone but so much to talk about!
We took a slight detour to take Helle home so arrived at the B&B at 10pm. We
then had to pack our cases before bedtime as we would be going straight to the
airport from the conference the following day so we were two very tired people
as we eventually snuggled down for the night!
Sunday
An even earlier start as Emmy picked us up at 7 15am today!
The plan for the day was a talk by Vet, Dog and Horse Chiropractor and Animal
Acupuncturist Charlotte Frigast about Health and Safety in our sport. This talk was planned to take place between 9am and 2pm but it was so interesting and informative that I could have listened and asked questions for
Marianne and Blondie, Advanced Freestyle
Annette and Gucci, Advanced Freestyle
Marianne and Bell, Novice Freestyle
Annette and Hallie, Novice HTM Hanne working hard in the kitchen to feed us all over the weekend
Kirsten and Jillie, Novice HTM
18
much longer. A summary of the talk can be found at
http://eurohtm.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/judges-conference-charlotte-frigast-about-health-and-safety-in-htm-and-freestyle/
I would urge everyone to try to find some time to read all these summaries. This talk has certainly made me re think my training
and given me new things to consider when judging as well. I will be printing these summaries in the next few Newsletters but will
start with the first in this one.
Sadly, the conference finished and after lots of “goodbyes” to friends past and new we helped to tidy up the room ready for the
usual Kennel Club use in the morning then Emmy drove us to Copenhagen airport for our flight home.
(Well, we continued to say our goodbyes as we kept meeting the group from Norway – in the baggage drop off, again in the coffee
shop – but eventually we boarded our flight and set off for home).
A very interesting weekend, our thanks go to Emmy and Helle for organising this conference. This was the culmination of two years of hard work from them, and a simple “thank you” does not seen to be enough somehow.
All photos supplied by Emmy Simonsen
Performing at Vil Med Dyr 2013
By Emmy Simonsen
We came home from Crufts on Monday the 11th March and on Saturday the 16th we were on the roads again – on our way to a big
animal/pet fair ‘Vild Med Dyr 2013’ in Fredericia, Jylland.
My friend Helle Larssen and I plus our 6 dogs were entertaining 2 times a day both days in the ‘Action Zone’, which was a ring in
the middle of the trade stand area. It was a lovely big ring and we had a huge audience for each performance.
‘Vild Med Dyr’ was a big event and you
could experience all kinds of pet related
activities: rabbit jumping competitions, a
dog show, miniature horses, a camel,
birds of prey, baby parrots, cats, hens
and much, much more.
Helle and I did two demonstrations on
the Saturday. I s tar ted each
performance with an intro to the sport
and clicker training. Hero helped me
demonstrate how we train the dogs and
the effect of the clicker, before he performed his Halloween routine. We left the ring
and in came Helle and Jazz, who performed their new routine to ‘Lambeth Walk’ from ‘Me and My Girl’. I didn’t see much of their
performance as I was busy changing costume and getting Biscuit ready for his ‘Lemon Tree’ routine. Finally Helle and Doggie
closed the show by performing to ‘Master Of The House’ from Les Miserable. Phew! A very, very busy 30 minutes with quick
costume changes. We were exhausted when we were done, but our dogs had been fantastic, so it was a good kind of exhausted.
We stayed overnight in a B&B about 30 minutes’ drive from the venue. It
was a fabulous place. We had a small cottage all to ourselves and just
outside the door; we had big fields, where we were allowed to run the
dogs. We could not have wished for better accommodation. We could
have wished for better weather though! A snow storm had hit the area at
around noon and we had an ‘interesting’ drive from the venue to the B&B.
Luckily Helle has very good winter tyres on her car and she is an
excellent driver, but gosh it was bad at times!
We spent the afternoon and evening in the B&B drinking coffee, walking
dogs in the field and chatting away.
We woke early Sunday morning to a not very nice surprise… Doggie was
lame! Not nice for Doggie, not nice for Helle and definitely not nice for Cookie, Helle’s red Border Collie boy, who loves treats and
food, but hates to have to work for it. Cookie is not a typical Border Collie - he is not really into working. Helle did manage to get
him into Advanced HTM and he has been on the Danish team for a Nordic Championship a long time ago, but he chose early
retirement rather than all the trouble of having to get up from the sofa on a regular basis. It really is not Cookie’s thing. He does
however have a Freestyle routine, which he can perform, when he has to and since Doggie was unable to perform, this turned into
one of those times!
19
First performance Sunday – same routine as on the Saturday: Hero did the intro
and performed his routine, then Helle and Jazz, Biscuit and I and finally Helle with
Cookie. The dogs were getting a bit tired. Hero did everything a million times
faster than usual – that is how he copes with tiredness. He is usually a rather fast
working boy, so going faster can be a bit scary for the handler, but the audience
loved it. I did not see Helle and Jazz as I was busy with my costume and Biscuit.
Biscuit was a star, which he had been on the Saturday too. He was just so into it
and performed really, really well.
Then Helle and Cookie. They
started out well and Cookie
actually looked like he was
enjoying the attention, so Helle
wanted to reward him to keep
his spirit up and she offered him a treat. When he took it from her hand, he got
a tiny electrical shock on his nose due to static electricity from the carpet. We
had not had problems with static electricity with any other dog, but of course it
happened with Cookie! After that he refused to come anywhere near Helle and
how she managed to finish the routine is a mystery to me! Well done Helle!
So Doggie was lame, Cookie
refused to go near Helle and
we still had one performance
left! Plan B turned into plan C or was it plan D or E????
Hero opened the performance with our intro and the Halloween routine. The
morning performance had been challenging, but the afternoon performance was
close to perfect. Hero worked so well, was focused and happy. A wonderful
way to end a busy weekend with my
young boy. Helle was ready to grab
Hero for me and make sure he had a
proper reward for his good work, whilst I did a turbo change of costume and got Biscuit
out of his cage as he was next in the ring. Biscuit really impressed me this weekend. He
performed his routine 4 times in two days in a very, very busy environment and he hardly
made any mistakes at all. He really was amazing.
Helle and Jazz were ready to go into the ring after Biscuit and whilst they performed, I
got Beat out and ready. Beat is a worried little
soul and I usually don’t ask him to perform as he
does not like spectators looking at him and the
chaotic surroundings at demonstrations frightens
him, but we needed 4 routines so he was our
only option and he did well. I made sure to feed
him throughout the routine and he got lots of
verbal support and praise, so he really did cope
very well. 3 routines (incl. costume changes)
and an intro in 30 mins with only 4 mins break
whilst Helle and Jazz performed! I was glad
when it was over and very proud of my boys for coping with it. Good thing it was our last
performance this weekend – we could not have done it again!
The weather had improved
and we had a dry and
sunny, but rather windy
drive home. Thanks to
Helle and her girls for a great weekend and to the Hazyland boys
for being such stars!
All photos supplied by Emmy Simonsen
Emmy and Beat
Biscuit’s start pose
Emmy and Hero
Helle and Cookie
Helle and Doggie
Helle and Jazz
20
Please keep your articles coming in, here are a few suggestions;
Down Memory Lane” - a theme for members to send in an “old” picture with an article about it. We all have our
memories so why not share them? - Not had any of these except the ones sent in by Allan Brown showing on the back page,
who do you recognise? And which year were they taken?
There once was a young/ old / collie/ poodle/ dog called..........? It has been a long time since anyone sent in one of these!
Member profiles, - some lovely ones in this edition
“What’s In a Name” - ages since we had any of these and you all have your reasons for the names you chose for your dogs!
“Loved And Lost”, tributes to our lovely dogs who are no longer with us.—Some lovely ones have been sent in.
And, of course, anything else which you think would interest our readers!
Please send them in to
Thank you Ed.
Letters To The Editor The Editor is always happy to consider letters for publication but reserves the right to edit those as required.
From Pat Richards Welcome to Disney.
My wonderful puppy Disney wearing her pink collar, lead and bandana, one of the many items I bought for her at this years Crufts.
Disney is a Yorkie x
Jack Russell born
on the 9th of
January, she is my
first small dog and
I'm really looking
forward to training
her.
Clarifying the minimum score
By Kath Hardman I’ve recently been asked to clarify the minimum score to count towards class progression in relation to a class with 2 or 3 judges. Rule LA 3 To count towards class progression or an excellent qualification, a first place must have been won with an overall score of at least 55% (16.5 marks). The mark of 16.5 marks is still the same whether 2 or 3 judges have scored the routine. To explain Each judge can give a maximum of 10 points per section (i.e. 10 Content, 10 Accuracy and Execution and 10 Musical Interpretation) 3 Judges will therefore give scores of a potential 30 marks each – giving a possible total 90 marks – the average of which when 3 judges is 30. 2 Judges will give score of a potential 30 marks each – giving a possible total of 60 marks – the average of which when 2 judges is 30. Therefore the 16.5 score is still the same mark to achieve for your award points. I hope that makes it a little easier to understand.
21
Musical Interpretation
A summary of the talk by Lesley Neville presented to The International Judges Conference, Denmark, 12th April 2013
By Lesley Neville
(If any clubs or groups would like me to present this talk with the Powerpoint presentation I used please contact me as
this is just a very brief outline)
“Firstly I wish to thank Emmy Simonsen and Helle Larssen and the Danish Kennel Club for inviting me to give this talk on Musical
Interpretation.
The talk was as a Power Point presentation with just bullet points on the screens, plus several videos to illustrate various points as
they were made throughout the presentation, so this is a brief resume of the things we discussed.
I was invited to look at certain themes but my main brief for this talk was;
A “The goal of this is not to teach people how to do Musical Interpretation, but to teach them how to judge it.”
B “You can be a fabulous judge without being able to choreograph or make good use of the
music yourself”
At the start of preparing this talk I was not sure if I agreed with statement B, so it was interesting to see what conclusions we came
to.
Working from Statement B, I could not help but feel that people do need some knowledge, or interest in, music and or dance, but
because they are involved in the sport this would indicate that they do, so I took that as fact.
So we looked at the necessity to have some clear criteria to be able to judge, and I tried to help people to find their own with this
talk.
I used a lot of my routines as examples, this is not because I think my routines are perfect! But because, not only was I happy to
have them dissected if necessary, but also I could explain the thinking behind them if needed. I also used routines from my good
friends as I have worked closely with them in their construction, and others from willing volunteers.
We looked at how to listen to the music and punctuate the highs, lows, change of pace, rhythm, change of phrasing etc.
Using videos especially recorded for the talk, we looked at the beat of the music in both Heelwork and Freestyle, and noted a few
points which the judges could look for to help them Judge.
We looked at the highs and lows.
As music is an emotional and creative medium, as judges we should be able to see if the handler has “felt” the music in their
choreography.
We looked at change of pace, rhythm, change of phrasing.
If the pace of the music changes does the pace of the routine change too?
E.G.
Does the way the handler and dog move suit the rhythm of the music?
Is it clear that any changes of phrasing have been built into the routine?
How to use a theme in the routine – use of the story behind the music
Is there a theme or story?
Is the theme made clear?
Is the story being told?
Costume;
Our sport allows us to dress the human element in costume if we wish to do so, how this is done should enhance the routine.
So, do we recognise how important a costume can be, and should we judge it as the handler has put thought and reasons into
their choice of costume?
Or perhaps not!
We noted that there are both positive and negative aspects of costume
This involved some audience participation in a game where they had to match costume to music!
Props;
As well as costume the handler can introduce props into the routine.
This led to a discussion about the correct and improper use of props, with videos to illustrate some of the points.
special moves taught to help tell the story.
We asked the question “Has the handler taught some special moves to help to tell the story?”
Or
22
“Has the handler used a series of moves just because the dog can do them?”
Handler’s movements interpreting the music contra dog’s movements.
Contra meaning
Against, Opposite, In front of.
These can be both positive and negative interpretations. As a judge you have to decide whether the handler is using “Against,
Opposite, In front of” in a positive or a negative way
We used a few examples of moves here backed up with some photographs.
Choice of music suiting the team, when it works and when it does not work
We decided that there were quite a few things that a Judge must be aware of such as The Breed of the Dog, Size of the dog, the
dogs (and handler’s) ability to move to the music, age, knowledge, progression and enjoyment of both the dog and handler.
We looked at some of the different types of music available to us all nowadays.
Is there a difference between use of music in HTM and in Freestyle
I found this an interesting question. As I find myself looking for a “Piece of music for Heelwork” or a “Piece of music for Freestyle”
I suppose the answer to the question, in my case, is yes.
So we looked at what could these differences be? In HTM the handler should be interpreting the beat of the music accurately, they
should be “on the beat” of the music at all paces.
In Freestyle this will vary as the handler uses different moves but it should still be clear that they are “on the beat” where possible,
again at all paces.
We looked at how two different handlers had interpreted the same piece of music and discussed what we had seen.
We looked at the use of music and the dangers in both disciplines if the use of the music is not Judged correctly! For example
(In Freestyle)
The music is being used as a background noise to allow the dog and handler to demonstrate moves just because the dog can do
them?
(In Heelwork)
When the music being used as a background beat to allow the 8 or 10 official positions to be used as a form of list. (done that one,
done that one, done that one....etc.
It is the handler’s responsibility to choose music with changes/a theme to be able to prove to the judges that they are
able to interpret the music/create a theme. If a handler chooses music that does not allow much MI, they can’t get a high
mark”! Thoughts on that statement???
The interesting phrase here was
“If a handler chooses music that does not allow much MI, “
In who’s opinion?
The Judges idea of the interpretation may not be the same as the competitors and therefore they could receive a low mark.
This may be because of language differences.
We considered how the importance of MI is considered by some Judges. In my own marking it is not uncommon for a low mark in
(British rules) Content and Accuracy and a high mark in Musical Interpretation because the routine may have gone “pear shaped”
on the day but I could clearly see the interpretation and considered it to be a good interpretation. It is important that Musical
Interpretation is given a great deal of thought and understanding or it could be just an “add on” mark in the same range as the
other marks given—in which case not much MI could still gain a high mark!
In this sport we can choose our own music, and how we wish to interpret it, I suppose therefore that as competitors, the skill is to
make that interpretation as clear as we can to the Judges as we do not have the luxury of explaining it verbally, and as Judges the
skill is to understand what we are looking for and how to mark it.
If all that goes to plan, then a genuine low MI will receive a low mark, and a genuine high MI will
receive a high mark.
Finally we reminded ourselves that as judges we are only human and can only do our best, and as long as we judge each
competitor in the same fair and proper manner then we have done a good job.
Lastly I passed on my thanks to the people who helped me with this talk.”
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23
Scotland
Fife
Fife Animals DTC hold 2 HTM classes each week,
on Monday and Tuesday evenings at Leslie in Fife
We also organise HTM training courses and
fun shows throughout the year
For more details please phone Anne 01592 620300
Worcestershire
Club Westglen now meet at Clent Village Hall, Church Avenue
Clent, Nr Stourbridge, Worcestershire, DY9 9QT Phone 01384 637085
Every Wednesday night from 7:30pm 7:00pm to 10:00pm
Holme-upon-Spalding Moor Classes (which are a mix of self-help together with some tuition from me but I am training my own dog during the
evening) are held on a Tuesday evening between 8 pm. and 9.30 p.m. at Holme-upon-Spalding Moor.
We work on routines which we then use for demonstrations at local animal charity events and occasional agricultural shows.
Holme-upon-Spalding Moor is in East Yorkshire, midway between York and Hull and 15 minutes away from Junction 37 on the M62. I am afraid that none of the members compete
but we do have fun! Further details on 01430 860472 Lesley Bugler
Gloucestershire Cotswold Heelwork to Music
Thursday evenings 7 - 8 p.m. £5 per session Winter: Slimbridge Village Hall; Summer: 70 Draycott, Cam
Fridays 12 noon - 2 p.m. at Draycott £10 per session including Obedience and Fun Agility
Both venues have matted flooring and wheelchair access
And at Draycott there is additional training on grass.
Contact Jill Davis on 01453 542312 or email [email protected]
West Yorkshire Free-Paws are running small, friendly classes, 2 nights a week for beginners onwards. The floor is matted and has
wheelchair access. For further details: Karen Bartaby 01274 879353 or
Angela Briggs 01274 673980 email:[email protected]
County Durham Northern Mutt’s “N” Music
HTM/Freestyle weekly classes Contact Sue Leyland for full details.
Tel 01388 663222 Email [email protected]
Essex
Essex Paws DTC
Small friendly group training on a Tuesday evening in
East Hanningfield.
For further details contact Louise on 01268 771255 or
South East
Canine Performers hold regular training classes throughout
the South East including Ashdon, Chiddingstone Causeway,
Longfield, Northiam and Upchurch.
For further information on any of the classes please contact
Louise Ince on 01322 668955 or e mail
Anglesey Small active HTM group meets Monday evenings and some
Wednesday afternoons. Details from Margaret Booth –Tel: 01407 720057
Lancashire/Merseyside/Greater Manchester
HTM/Freestyle 1st and 3rd Wednesday in the month (also occasional 5th Wednesday)
Held at: Chain Lane Community Centre, Chain Lane, St Helens,
WA11 9HB 8pm – 10pm
Positive Reinforcement training for fun and competition Progress Awards held regularly
Contact Lynda Edmondson 07974 797217 [email protected]
Wiltshire Alimagic K9 Services, Monthly HTM & Freestyle workshops at Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire. All classes are limited to 10
handlers and places must be booked in advance. No previous training or knowledge of HTM is required and are suited to people working Starters and Novice or just for fun.
For more information and workshop times and dates please
visit www.alimagick9services.co.uk Email [email protected]: 07765660514
Swindon/Wiltshire
"Swindon Dog Dancing School", meet at St. Andrew's Church Hall, Raleigh Avenue
Weekly .classes and workshops for competition (Starter/Novice) or just for fun
Sessions limited to 8 handlers. The floor is matted and the hall has wheelchair access.
For further details phone 01793 349172 Email [email protected]
Are you involved in a Training Group not listed?
Please send your details to be placed in the next Newsletter.
If any of the above training sessions are no longer running, please let us know so we can keep this list up to date
Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire
K9 Training with Jackie de Jong Specialising in Heelwork to Music and Freestyle
Pet Training and Behavioural Issues One to One Sessions
Fully Insured Contact Jackie on 01773 713328
07980 555354 [email protected]
Let’s Get Together—Training Groups
24
1st Belgium
Jules O'Dwyer
with Fjurdyhoeve
Flynn
2nd France
Thierry Thomas
with Ubac Du Mas De La Rabeyrine
3rd The Slovak Republic
Monika Olsovska
with Arsinoe Z Rise Wa
4th Switzerland
Yvonne Belin
with Alice,
Jewel del Mulino
5th Scotland
Heather Smith
with Moonlight Magic
Dancer
6th England
Sue Betteridge
with Glenalpine Katie
7th South Africa
Xandre Dearden
with Carnelian
Friendly Finn
8th The Czech
Republic
Vanda Gregorova
with All That
Brandy Gentle
Mate
9th Denmark
Emmy Simonsen
with Littlethorn Feet of Flames
10th Sweden-
Carina Persson
with Obetets Pop
11th Wales
Malinda Kerr
with Dashing Dray
12th Hungary
Nora Karlyik
with Besevari Szivarvanyos
13th The Nethelands
Grietje Wagenaar
with Fjurdyhoeve
Floyd
14th Germany
Carmen Schmid
with Sammy of
Upsala
15th New Zealand-
Karen McCarthy
with Azzaro Lady
Vienna
CRUFTS 2013
Saturday 9th March
International Freestyle Competition