Good weather, good conditions, good sportsmanship, good dogs, and good training added up to a successful and enjoyable Rivanna Schutzhund and Police Club Fall Trial. Teams traveled from Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennessee, various parts of Virginia, and even Denmark to make this our largest trial ever!
Friday
Trial secretary Evette arrived with Herr und Frau Dittmeier a little before noon. After a quick lunch we got off to a good start with perfect scores on the
written exam from Rae and Robin. The trial then
began in earnest as seven teams headed down to the field for BH obedience. Our first pair set the tone for
the weekend. Both first-time handler Rae, with Diago, and Warren, with Czara, handled like pros and let
the judge see what fine dogs they had. In the next pair, Chuck, with Alonzo, and Robin,
with Juxley, Alonzo passed with flying colors, but English Bull Terrier Juxley showed his stubborn side and didn't
let judge Dittmeier enjoy seeing Robin and Juxley perform the way we've seen them. Keith, with Eli,
and Mike, with Gee then went out and passed with points to spare.
The last team, Ron S, with Aika, were paired with volunteer Kathy, with Riot SchH 3, IPO 3, FH1, Brevet. Ron and Aika showed that we saved the best for last. In his critique Herr Dittmeier said, "It's been a long time since I've seen a dog so well prepared for a BH." Way to go, Ron and Aika.
A few miles down the road at a local shopping center we discovered that our bike had two very low tires. Fortunately, Don was prepared with an air pump and the traffic portion got underway. The judge carefully tested each dog's temperament and all six dogs came through with no problems.
Friday ended where we began, back at the guesthouse. The handlers who were finished for the weekend relaxed, and those of us showing for Schutzhund titles in the morning tried to relax. We all enjoyed happy hour and a dinner featuring Armin's Schutzhund Village Lasagna and steak.
Saturday—Tracking
At 6:45 AM the three SchH 2 and two SchH 3 handlers drew for tracks while coordinator Armin
and track layer Chuck headed for the fields. Herr Dittmeier, the SchH 1 handlers, and
the rest of us
soon followed and found almost perfect conditions. Cool air and moisture-laden ground gave us a foggy
morning and heavy dew on the grass. The judge supervised the SchH 1 handlers as they laid their tracks, then
asked us to present our dogs for the temperament test. When the last dog finished it was time for the first
team. Eika showed us how it ought to look with a this-close-to-perfect 98 "V." Kathy walked
off the field with a very big smile on her face. Tammy had some difficulties, but worked them out and finished
with a passing 75.
Chief did a nice job on his SchH 2 track, but missed an article. He and James had to settle for 84 "G." Deer hold nightly conventions in our fields so, although she started well, Cala ran into difficulty with some game tracks, causing Scott a few anxious moments before she returned to work and finished well, earning 88 "G." Filou finished off the SchH 2 tracks. With hindsight it should have been clearer that he was showing the discomfort that would become obvious during obedience. He managed to get through to the end, however, passing with 75 points.
Now it was time for the SchH 3 dogs. Gorbi has always been a strong tracker, and he showed that he has only improved with age. He and Ron S walked off the field with 96 "V," the second excellent track of the day! Arnot also worked well making only minor errors but fumbling a little at the second article. He earned 94 "SG" and Ron H also left the field smiling.
Saturday—Obedience
Thank you, Herr Dittmeier, for being a fair and convivial judge, and for helping inexperienced handlers where they needed it. Thank you, Frau Dittmeier, for being such good company and putting up with our "trial nerves." Thank you, Evette, for working hard as trial secretary, from braving DC traffic Friday morning, to finishing the paperwork Sunday evening. Thank you, Dave Hooper, Chuck Lerner, and Doug Wendling, for strong, correct helper work. You insure that the titles earned here are really earned. Thank you, Chuck, for laying what must have been several miles of tracks. Thank you, Armin, for organizing the trial, coordinating the tracks, and preparing feasts Friday and Saturday night. And, of course, for the training we successfully tested this weekend. Thank you, Kathy, for providing pictures to remember the event. And thank you to all the competitors and spectators for good sportsmanship and for pitching in and helping when we needed it.
| Schutzhund I | ||||||
| Dog | Handler | A | B | C | ||
| Eika vom Dragonerreich | Kathy Males | 98 | 88 | 90 | 276 | SG |
| Tammy vom Hatzbachtal | Greg Tygard | 75 | 77 | 90 | 242 | G |
| Schutzhund II | ||||||
| Dog | Handler | A | B | C | ||
| Cala z Tehelne | Scott White | 88 | 90 | 94 | 272 | SG |
| Trold Chief | James Laney | 84 | 93 | 86 | 263 | G |
| Filou vom Sonnenhugel | Ron Angst | 75 | 62 | Pulled, dog ill | ||
| Schutzhund III | ||||||
| Dog | Handler | A | B | C | ||
| Gentel vom Mutzbach | Ron Sensenbach | 96 | 85 | 89 | 270 | SG |
| Arnot vom Tiefen Teich | Ron Harris | 94 | 80 | 91 | 265 | G |
| Begleithund | |
| Dog | Handler |
| Aika de Zennevallei | Ron Sensenbach |
| Alonzo de la Mancha | Charles Lerner |
| Baron vom Patson's | Christiane Merk |
| Blitzstrhal von Moeller Hoff | Paige Branham |
| Czara vom Jagarhaus | Warren Smiley |
| Diago vom Jagarhaus | E Rae Irvine |
| Encel vom Cathedral | William Carter |
| Excalibur von Herrshaft | Keith Jenkins |
| Fenix vom Haus Listowel | Robert Vosik |
| Gee vom Gregory | Elbert Gregory |
| Ghost Drigon v Frolich Haus | Heather Haudenshield |
| Orkan von Hainpark | Butch Spangler |
| FH 1 | |||
| Dog | Handler | A | |
| Ascomannis Gina | Lisa Schuller | 85 | G |
| FH 2 | |||
| Dog | Handler | A | |
| Ax vd Kiwi's | Michelle Testa | 32 | M |
| AD | |
| Dog | Handler |
| Diago vom Jagarhaus | Tom Irvine |
| Ehriot vom Dragonerreich | Fiona Winkler |