BSD World Champ Team First Selection

The registrations for the GB Agility Team for the 2009 FMBB World Championships closed 15 September. Two dozen handlers with a total of 28 dogs registered an interest. In the end, two did not get the required qualifying places and two had to withdraw for personal reasons. Mike Bacon, Team Manager expressed the hope that they are all able to take part in future years.

So there were 20 handlers with 24 dogs who tried out for the 16 dog squad that will train throughout the winter. The first selection day was on 12 October and was facilitated and judged by Steve Croxford. The squad will continue with their own training and there are further official selection and training days in November and January to be held, with their kind permission of Rugby DTC, at their training venue, again facilitated and judged by Steve Croxford. The final team of eight will be selected at the end of March 2009 and will travel to the Czech republic for the World Championships in May. 

The team is managed by a committee with representative from WBSDS and the BSDA of GB who also sponsor the whole event from selection and training through to the competition. 

The successful 16 were, in alphabetical order of their handler's first name, the following:-

BSD Selection & Training

The BSDA of GB and WBSDS, joint sponsors of the Great Britain Agility Team for the FMBB World Championships, are pleased to announce the dates for the team selection events for the 2009 WC.

• First selection: Sunday, 12 October at  Steve Croxford's venue near Hinckley (Leics.)
• Training/Selection: Sunday, 23 November - date and venue TBC
• Training/Selection: Sunday, 25 January - date and venue TBC
• Final Selection: Sunday, 15 March - date and venue TBC 

The 2009 FMBB WC will be held in the Czech Republic a few miles North of Prague between 7-10 May 2009. It is anticipated that the team will leave early 5 May and return by 12 May. Dogs must have a pet passport that will allow return to the UK from 11 May.  

Full details of the selection process and registration documents can be obtained from the Team Manager Mike Bacon. Email mike_of_diamonds@yahoo.co.uk or ring tel. 01934 833525

2009 BSD World Agility Championship News

The 2009 FMBB BSD World Championships will be held from 7-10 May in the Czech Republic at Roudnice Nad Labem which is about 15 miles north of Prague. It is most likely be a two day journey each way so it is anticipated that departure from Kent will be early Tuesday, 5 May. Arrival back in Kent will be in the afternoon 12th May.

Further information about selection and training will be available at the end of June, following a meeting of the committees of the sponsoring societies the BSDA and WBSDS. 

BSD World Championships 2008 Report
by Mike Bacon, Team Manager

It was a very long journey to Slovenia for the GB agility team going to the FMBB Belgian Shepherd Dog 2009 World Championships. Eight  competitors and their dogs, and six  grooms made the two day journey. They arrived tired but in good spirits. Slovenia is a very beautiful country on the South Eastern (sunny) side of the Alps.

Unfortunately the organisers had to move the venue at the last minute from Ljubljana to Kocevje which meant a 1 hour + journey (approx 50k) to and from the hotel. We tried out some very scenic routes but did not see any of the 500 bears in the area. The new venue was in a very nice setting, surrounded by mountains and forest. The Slovenian organisers were very efficient, helpful, and always cheerful. The weather was just short of too hot for the whole of the competition.

Yet again the team faced the problem of wobbly flat jump cups with very light poles which were only 2.5 cm thick but  there was new challenge. The contact equipment had a rubber surface which, while being much safer than painted planks, allowed dogs that were used to it to do amazing running contacts. The times for the individual qualifiers - the top ten in each heat - were extremely fast. Our squad had to take a few risks to try to qualify and had some bad luck. So it was only Gill Raddings who qualified with Check for the final, but Sue Cuddon and Gimli were just 0.25 faults behind them.

Check did a brilliant jumping round but unfortunately had the first pole down in the agility. This spoilt Gill's concentration and they were eliminated shortly after.

The team had two eliminations in the first round (agility) which ruined their chances of real success. but they managed to finish 13th. Full details and the results can be found at http://www.fmbb.net/

In spite of this, the team spirit remained excellent and everyone involved learnt a lot and are determined to train harder and better and be even more successful in future.

Thank you
A special thanks must go to the event vet who treated Sian Harvey's Chico and Dave Leach's Rusty when they were ill. We were all very worried and he went out of his way to help. The competitors would like to thank the sponsoring societies Belgian Shepherd Dog Association of Great Britain and the Working Belgian Shepherd Dog Society as well as Steve Croxford for facilitating selection, trainers Andy and Helen Brown, David Munnings, Jo Frazier, Nancy Hudson and Tuff Stuff for their sponsorship and, of course, the FMBB for putting on the event each year and the Slovenian organisers for an extremely well run event.

2008 BSD World Championship Agility Team Selected

The second and final selection day for the 2008 Belgian Shepherd Dog Agility World Championships was held at Steve Croxford's venue near Hinckley on Sunday, 16 March.

The intention was to use the grass paddock as, up until Saturday morning, it was in a usable condition. Unfortunately continuous rain for 24 hours meant it was unsafe to do so by Sunday morning. Another option was to use a nearby field but with an increasingly strong and freezing wind, it would have been even worse there.

The entries have to be sent in next week so the options were to cancel and go on the first selection day results or run in the sand arena. The decision was made to use the sand arena. Steve adjusted the courses accordingly, keeping the key FCI elements although in a smaller area. Many of the features seen at previous BSD world championships were included in the courses. All together this made for a very tough text.

A points system similar to the one used for Agility Warrants was used with double points for Agility, but interestingly the results were the same as those done on a straight faults and time basis.

In the team representing Great Britain and the individual competition are

Also qualifying for the Individual competition are:-

The substantial amount required to send the team is raised by the Belgian Shepherd Dog Association of Great Britain and the Working Belgian Shepherd Dog Society who jointly manage the whole enterprise.

Many thanks go to the ring party -

• Ken and Sue Bowe - timing and scribing
• Yvonne Croxford - on the computer
• Margy Pratten and Sue Robertson - scoring
• And, of course, Steve and Yvonne for their hospitality. At the end it was standing room only in the kitchen.

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Semi-Finalists Chosen for BSD Worlds Team

The 16 BSD handlers to train for the British Team for the  2008 BSD Agility World Championships were selected on Sunday, 14 October 2007. The squad will be whittled down to eight at another event on 23 March 2008.

The arena and weather were perfect. Judge Steve Croxford set very challenging and interesting courses that were very 'FCI.'  The standard was very high particularly from those dogs and handlers with previous WC experience. The people new to event also did very well and now have a good understanding of what is needed to compete at this level.  The handlers and dogs that will train throughout the winter and attend a final selection day next spring in no particular order are:-

Mike Bacon will continue as Team Manager for the Great Britain BSD Agility Team.

A big thank you to Steve Croxford for facilitating and judging the events and to the ring party and organisers from the BSD Association of GB and the Working BSD Society for make the event run so well. Also well done to the ring party and organisers from the BSD Association of GB and Working BSD Society for making it run so well.

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