Talking Dogs Rally Mini Trial 8th September
On Sunday 8th September, I hosted and judged a mini Talking Dogs Rally trial at Monkchester Community Centre, Newcastle Upon Tyne. Mini trials are fantastic for those just starting out in Talking Dogs Rally. They are small events, often focused on just one level, though not always, and with smaller numbers of entries.
For this trial, we had Level 1, Veteran Level 1 and Puppy. To make the day run smoothly and to minimise course changes the Level 1 and Veteran Level 1 were the same courses and for puppy a few stations were removed. Due to space limitations (we were in a community centre), the only people in the hall were the competing team and myself judging. This arrangement helps to calm competitors’ nerves, as there are no spectators to add pressure. However, I do love it when there’s enough room for an audience because everyone is always so encouraging. That said, I heard that everyone was very chatty out in the car park, and the level of support was fantastic. That’s exactly what I love about Talking Dogs Rally – the sense of community and supportiveness.
Teams navigate a course with numbered signs indicating different exercises to perform, they compete against their own previous scores rather than each other. Rosettes are awarded to teams that score 170 points and over (out of 210)
- Good rosette: 170 - 179 points
- Outstanding rosette: 180 - 189 points
- Ace rosette: 190 points and over
In total, we had nine teams participating. It was lovely to welcome Claire and Wendy who braved Great North Run traffic and came up from Darlington.
Claire with Maisie, Lily, Indi and Clover - yes that’s right, Claire entered 4 different dogs! That is no mean feat, especially as it was only Claire’s second trial. Although the rounds are relatively short (A few minutes usually) working different dogs is always hard and with it being a small trial Claire was non stop. Throughout the day Claire’s handling went from strength to strength and in total she came away with four Outstanding scores and two Good scores. Plus Claire and Maisie got their Level 1 Title.
Gemma and Dreya - Dreya is my dog that Gemma works and trains, so she had the added task of keeping Dreya’s focus on her and away from me. Gemma handled this very well and they came away with two Outstanding scores.
Georgina and Devon - This was the first trial for Devon and several years since Georgina has entered a Talking Dogs Rally Trial. They both took it in their stride coming away with a Good and an Outstanding score
Wendy and Jax - Wendy and Jax have only recently started doing Talking Dogs Rally and this was their first trial and in a new environment. Wendy managed her nerves well and they came away with two Good rosettes
Jude and Florence - This was Florence’s first trial and she handled it like a pro. Jude’s experience at Talking Dogs Rally was clear and they gained an Outstanding and an Ace rosette
David and Hamish - This was Hamish’s last trial at puppy level (Puppy is from 6 months to 18 months) as he’s almost 18 months old. This age can be a challenging time as many dogs are going through adolescence, but it wasn’t a problem for Hamish expertly handled by David. They gained an Outstanding and an Ace rosette as well as their Puppy Championship.
Congratulations to all teams.
