Co-sponsors of the 2023 Winning Out Certificates


The Sew What Split Pairs Final
By Gemma Hanekom

What a fantastic final! Our judge Martin Posnette had built a wonderful course which left dogs on level pegging regardless of size but it still was very fast and exciting!

First to run was the Small pair of Bex Surplice and her partner Kathryn Whalley. The pair set off and completed a fantastic double clear... only to find the timing had failed! They opted to re-run at the end.

Next up was Lu Carter and Wendy Clay, another pair of Small dogs. They ran an awesome double clear which definately gave the others something to aim for! Greg Derrett with Detox and Karen Laker with her baby Torro were next. Torro was first with a lovely clear followed by the crazy Detox. D was running well but hit the weaves so fast she couldn't stay in properly. What a shame as it was looking good! Jenny Willis and Di Graves were in next. With a fluid and smooth double clear, they pipped the half pints to take the lead, both handlers making the course look easy!

Lucie Hinchley and Leila Stretch ran another fantastic double clear placing them 3rd, followed by Gemma Miles and Hilary Denyer with another good run and into 4th!

Lu and Stu Carter were looking good with Spooks and Riff but 5f a piece put them out of the running. Chris Brown and Debbie Styles followed with more clear rounds, just not quite fast enough to earn a top spot. Sue Choux and Sally Jones earned a double E. Then Mr Laker sadly got an E pushing him and Karen out of the places.

Our Junior and penultimate pair Alex Finnie and Lizzie Landwade earned a unfortunate E and  a clear, followed By Wendy Clay and Roger van de Laarschot with the same. Could Lu & Stu Carter snatch the lead with their experienced dogs Tyke and Storm? Sadly no, an Elimination put them way down.

Last to run was our Small pair who ran first- Bex and Kathryn. Could they take a trophy? They gave it their all and yes, they flew round taking 3rd place!

What a fast and exciting final. The sun shone. The Beer flowed and cheering and shouting made the final fun. Both sponsors, competitors and supporters had a wonderful end to the day!

Thanks again to Martin for judging.

1st Place- Di Graves & Jenny Willis

3rd Place- Bex Surplice & Kathryn Whalley

Results

Place

Handlers and Dogs

Faults

Time

1

Jenny Willis with Key & Di Graves with Clay

C

46.275

2

Lu Carter with Tassle & Wendy Clay with Scout

C

46.590

3

Bex Surplice with Swift & Kathryn Whalley with Jerry

C

49.280

4

Lucie Hinchley with Dodger & Leila Stretch with Madison

C

49.448


The Dog-Games Beginners Steeplechase Challenge Final
By Lucie Corrie

The Beginners Steeplechase Final, sponsored by www.DOG-GAMES.co.uk, was held on 23-24 August at Staverton August BH Show in Cheltenham. The event was held at the end of the day once the rings had finished, and across two days to encompass all heights competing. It was designed to provide a competition for beginners over Steeplechase courses – jumps and tunnels only, with the emphasis being on fun and confidence building.

To qualify for the final, those competing at Beginners level in Steeplechase competed at seven heats across the country, where the top three from each height were invited forward. The finals were judged by Martin Posnette who has a reputation for lovely fast flowing courses and he didn’t disappoint us in the final.

On Saturday, the Toy and Standard dogs ran with the former going first. The excitement was building and some stunning runs really set the benchmark for the Toys with only two seconds separating the top four. A couple of handlers took short cuts at the end, missing a vital tunnel and thus being eliminated in the rush for the finish line, but it was Lynda Stokes and Charlie, a Bichon Frise, who pulled out all the stops, beating Tracy Ryan and her young dog Lily into 2nd by 0.35 secs.

Toy Dogs

Handler Faults Time Place

Lynda Stokes with Charlie

C

26.53

1st

Tracy Ryan with Lily

C

26.98

2nd

Ryan Hayes with Wish

C

28.5

3rd

Sharon Arnold with Della

C

28.54

4th

Anna Rayne with Isla

C

29.39

5th

Jan Tucker with Magic

C

30.23

6th

Gillian Knowland with KT

C

30.45

7th

Sue Tanser with Molly

C

32.32

8th

Christine Bailey with Coby

C

36.79

9th

Sue Brunton with Poppy

C

37.69

10th

Next up were the Standard dogs, with Sorcha Price and Ceili setting the pace with a clear round in 28.69 secs. Lucy Waldron and Missy ran 7th in a cracking time of 25.57 so the following handlers knew they had to run fast to catch her. It was Andy Sandercock and Kyp who had the speed and accuracy, going clear and winning the class in an amazing 23.11 seconds, despite best efforts from David Penfold and Iris Richard running 19th & 20th who came really close, finishing 2nd and 3rd.

Standard Dogs

Handler Faults Time Place

Andy Sandercock with Kyp

C

23.11

1st

David Penfold with Bess

C

24.85

2nd

Iris Richards with Jai

C

25.17

3rd

Lucy Waldron with Missy

C

25.57

4th

Steven Sieff with Leeloo

C

26.27

5th

Jan Sage with Lexi

C

26.75

6th

Collette Kinnersley with Ginty

C

26.99

7th

Annette Lowe with Roxy

C

27.28

8th

Phil Hedley with Dylan

C

27.85

9th

Shaun Hunt with Kit

C

27.87

10th

On Sunday, the Midi and Maxi dogs were ready to try their luck over the same course. The sun was just holding out above us. The Midi dogs were drawn first, and they worked the course well with many clear rounds despite those 'Spaniel' distractions – i.e. with noses close to the floor. It is quite a challenge to keep them focused on the jumps and tunnels! Again, the clear rounds were close, with only two seconds between the top five.

Zoe Dingle ran two dogs, doing really well to go clear in both, and putting her in 2nd and 6th position, but Vivien Watts with Tasha, an English Cocker Spaniel, put in a stunning round, going clear and winning the class in 31.4 seconds.

Midi Dogs

Handler Faults Time Place

Vivien Watts with Tasha

C

31.4

1st

Zoe Dingle with Penny

C

32.84

2nd

Karen Vaughan-Edwards with Archie

C

33.58

3rd

Wendy Botto with Bambi

C

33.62

4th

Andy Sear with Pip

C

33.69

5th

Zoe Dingle with Summer

C

34.83

6th

Jacky Luxton with Kiri

C

39.76

7th

Maureen Putt with Yoshi

C

44.11

8th

Nicola Jeynes with Meg

5

47.26

9th

Anne Rayner with Ruby

25.35

78.35

10th

Last up were the Maxi dogs who pushed round this course in some fast times, leaving only one second between the top five. There was some friendly competition between some experienced handlers and their young dogs, and the crowd really got behind them as they tried to beat their rivals.

A blistering time was set when Kate Howlett and Obi ran, 0.5 seconds faster than experienced handler Bridget Fletcher and Kye. The run of the night, however, was from Fiona Walker and Kenzie, who was happy to be running at all following a hard time with illness. Kenzie stretched out beautifully, shaving just under 0.2 seconds off Sally Jones and Rudi, and winning the class in style.

Maxi Dogs

Handler Faults Time Place

Fiona Walker with Kenzie

C

23.97

1st

Sally Jones with Rudi

C

24.11

2nd

Kate Howlett with Obi

C

24.55

3rd

Bridget Fletcher with Kye

C

24.92

4th

Linda Burton with Dylan

C

25.00

5th

Kim Hunt with J

C

25.34

6th

Ryan Hayes with Key

C

25.39

7th

Janet Griffin with Bryn

C

26.95

8th

Sally Jones with Indi

C

27.04

9th

Martin Wilkins with Kiz

C

27.08

10th

Thank you
UKA & the Staverton Team would like to say a huge thank you to Sally and Sean from www.Dog-Games.co.uk who supported and sponsored the whole event. We look forward to another great year ahead. Thank you also to those who helped on the night to make the finals run smoothly, and special thanks to our judge Martin Posnette.

The Dog-Games Beginners Steeplechase Challenge 2009 Heats will be announced shortly. Please see the UKA website for details www.ukagility.com


2008 Games Challenge Final

The first Games Challenge Final, sponsored by Kim Hunt, was held on 12 July this year at the Derbyshire Agility Club Show in Derbyshire. This totally unique final is held over two rounds of competition under UKA games rules - firstly a Gamblers course and secondly a Snooker course. The total results from each round are added together and the winner is the competitor who has the most overall points in the fastest time. This years Judge was Lee Amos.

There were some fabulous prizes to be won and they were on show prior to the event. Every competitor was to win a rosette a toy for their dog and some treats, too with placed rosettes to 8th. The runner-up received a beautiful engraved trophy with a photograph by John Ord actually within the trophy and a goody bag full of toys and treats for their dog. The Winner received a larger similar trophy and photograph by John Ord and  a bigger goody bag and best of all and unique to this competition they also were given a voucher with a choice of 50 different adventures days. The Judge, Lee, received a beautiful cut class whisky tumbler as a thank you for providing such brilliant courses.

In order to qualify for the final any competitor - regardless of their dog’s jumping height or the level at which they compete - has to win three games classes throughout the previous year. Therefore, all the competitors eligible for this final managed at least three wins in games classes during 2007.

This year, 24 dogs and handlers qualified for the final with 14 of them taking part as follows:-

Handler

Dog

Height

Breed

Selena Short

Zoe

Maxi

Huntaway x Border Collie

Greg Derrett

GT

Maxi

Border Collie

Amanda Applegate

Yogi

Midi

Working Cocker Spaniel

Bob Griffin

Mikko

Midi

Kromfohrlander

Jane Goodison

Freckle

Midi

Cocker Spaniel

Jane Tatum

Buzz

Midi

Miniature Poodle

Jane Tatum

Jaggers

Midi

Miniature Poodle

Roger Brown

Kim

Midi

Crossbreed

Paul Hinchley

Fagin

Standard

Springer x Collie

Tace Allen

Oakley

Standard

Kelpie x something

Chris O’Leary

Pipkin

Toy

Jack Russell

Judy Wills

Tilly

Toy

Border Terrier

Leanne Degaris

Holly

Toy

Border Terrier

Lee Harfield

Bonnie

Toy

Yorkie x Patterdale x Pom

The Drama of a Final
This final was not short of drama with one competitor, Paul Hinchley and Fagin - the last to go in the first round -   dramatically falling over just before the finish line in the Gamblers. Paul made an amazing recovery to finish in the lead

Greg Derrett and GT, the favourites to win the competition, had probably travelled further than anyone to a UK final, landing back in the country from Canada the previous day. Still suffering from jet lag, he missed sending his dog over the finish line, thereby having missed the gamble and forfeiting all his points in that round!

The only thing to mar a perfect final for organiser Kim Hunt was the fact that the two competitors who had dashed from the Rugby show arrived 12 minutes after the final had begun and, therefore, sadly were unable to compete under the Games Challenge rules.

The Competition
The fourteen remaining finalists where certainly ready to do battle in this amazing competition.  What the Games Challenge does, is open the competition up to everyone regardless of dogs height and speed and is more of a challenge to the handlers ability to figure out the best possible course for their dog on which they can gain the most points possible.

The Gamblers Course 

Course Time Opening Sequence 30 seconds Gamble Time A-E 15 Seconds

The challenge commenced with the Standard height dogs followed by Toys, then Midi and finally, the Large height. After the first round the competition was wide open with the scores as follows:-

First Round Results

Handler Name

Dog

ROID

Points

Time

Gamble Y/N

Amanda Applegate

Yogi

8

24

50.43

N

Bob Griffin

Mikko

7

23

41.74

N

Chris O'Leary

Pipkin

12

27

46.17

N

Greg Derrett

GT

13

0

 

 

Jane Goodison

Freckle

6

23

45.53

N

Jane Tatum

Buzz

3

24

45.82

N

Jane Tatum

Jaggers

5

26

46.71

N

Judy Wills

Tilly

10

23

44.49

N

Leanne Degaris

Holly

11

22

45.17

N

Lee Harfield

Bonnie

9

22

53.88

N

Paul Hinchley

Fagin

1

31

49.88

N

Roger Brown

Kim

4

22

49.88

N

Selena Short

Zoe

14

29

42.17

N

Tace Allen

Oakley

2

25

46.25

N

 The Snooker Course

Course Time 48 seconds. Maximum score possible 51

With everything to play for, it was clear that every competitor was going to give it their all and with the heights running order reversed and the competitors sorted into highest place running last it turned out that the running order meant Paul Hinchley was now the very last handler to run. Nothing was certain and everyone had to do well in the Snooker round to have any chance of winning!

The whole crowd were keeping score so they knew just what was happening throughout the final, they had score cards to fill in, and as the score could not be announced in the commentary for fear of giving the other competitors hidden out of sight an unfair advantage on those who ran earlier they were given the scores on a white board. So the tension began to mount!

Snooker Results

Handler

Dog

ROID

Points

Time

Amanda Applegate

Yogi

 

38

46

Bob Griffin

Mikko

 

51

43.99

Chris O’Leary

Pipkin

 

8

14.31

Greg Derrett

GT

 

48

48.11

Jane Goodison

Freckle

 

9

24.39

Jane Tatum

Buzz

 

9

50.95

Jane Tatum

Jaggers

 

44

50.81

Judy Wills

Tilly

 

38

47.21

Leanne Degaris

Holly

 

8

17.57

Lee Harfield

Bonnie

 

46

51.04

Paul Hinchley

Fagin

 

51

48

Roger Brown

Kim

 

33

65.31

Selena Short

Zoe

 

26

31.19

Tace Allen

Oakley

 

51

45.7

With some fantastic handling from all competitors, it was really down to the last two competitors to decide who would win. Tace Allen and Oakley were the penultimate pair to run and put in a stunning full point round which put them into the lead. Then we had Paul Hinchley. After his dramatic first round, he needed to have the run of his life to get full points in order to have any chance of winning.  He set off at a heck of a pace. Suddenly Fagin decided he was truly a winner and put on an incredible burst of speed on the closing sequence, leaving the crowd holding their breath right up until the final black when the crowd erupted cheering Paul onto the finish and victory!

Wow! Spectacular! I doubt this could have been a better final had the competitors followed a script.


Winner Paul Hinchley and runner up Tace Allen with judge Lee Amos
Final Scores

Handler

 Dog

Gamblers

Snooker

Total

Paul Hinchley

Fagin

31

51

82

Tace Allen

Oakley

25

51

76

Bob Griffin

Mikko

23

51

74

Jane Tatum

Jaggers

26

44

70

Lee Harfield

Bonnie

22

46

68

Amanda Applegate

Yogi

24

38

62

Judy Wills

Tilly

23

38

61

Selena Short

Zoe

29

26

55

Roger Brown

Kim

22

33

55

Greg Derrett

GT

0

48

48

Chris O’Leary

Pipkin

27

8

35

Jane Tatum

Buzz

24

9

33

Congratulations to everyone who put on a stunning performance and especially to Paul who was so delighted. It is doubtful his feet have yet touched the floor!

Thanks to all - the crowd for supporting the final, the photographer John Ord for providing lasting memories of this final, the wonderful ring party who ensured the final ran so smoothly, and our judge Lee Amos for providing such challenging courses and excellent judging and, most of all, the competitors for their terrific spirit and their dogs for answering the challenge to work so well for them.

Here's to 2009 so get out there and win three games classes. Who knows you could be a winner, too.

Photographs by John Ord Photography


Trophy Pet Foods
The Trophy Pet Foods Team Steeplechase Final

The Trophy Pet Food Team Steeplechase Final was held at the Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge on Saturday, 16 August after all the rings were finished. Luckily for judge Shaun Hunt and all the competitors, it had stopped raining.

This is the first year that a Team Steeplechase has been run with five heats held throughout the country with the last one being at the UKA Cornwall show prior to the final. The top two teams from each heat qualified for the final.

Each team is made up of three dogs which can all be the same height or to the same plus one of a different height. The course is split into 2 sections A & B, which may intertwine and must be run in the order ABA so that every team will cover the same distance. There is a baton change between each dog. It was interesting to see that out of the 10 teams which qualified there were 7 different height combinations.

The first team to run were Confused.com who unfortunately had one of their dogs eliminated. The second team Play Your Cards Right, the only one made up of two Midi dogs and one Toy dog, went clear in 75.96 seconds. This set the standard for the bigger dogs.

Another three teams all had eliminations and one had 10 faults. Hazel's Hopefuls and A Gem of A Team both had 5 faults so it was all down to Paul & The Girls with 2 Standard dogs and a Toy dog who went clear but in a slower time of 86.15 secs. The next team on the line was the very competitive Donyatt Dogs who really went for it and completed the course in a blistering 70.72 secs but unfortunately had a dropped pole for 5 faults which put them into 3rd place.

Bob and Cyd Griffin of UKA Cornwall would like to congratulate the winners and thank the finals judge Shaun Hunt for setting an excellent course and especially thank Trophy Petfoods who sponsored the whole event and gave engraved glass decanters to the 1st and 2nd placed teams, rosettes to 5th place plus finalist rosettes.


Winners: Rosemary, Jane & Angela
Results of the Final

Place

Team

1

Play Your Cards Right

  • Jane Tatam with Jaggers

  • Angela Williams with Ten

  • Rosemary Anson with Jack

2

Paul & The Girls

  • Paul Hinchley with Fagin

  • Judy Wills with Tilly

  • Joan Teague with Nell

3

Donyatt Dogs

  • Linda Roberts with Bo

  • Angela Williams with Pi

  • Andy Sandercock with Kyp

4

A Gem of a Team

  • Marilyn Needs with Gem

  • Iris Richards with Ellie

  • Julie Prettejohn with Cleo

5

Hazel's Hopefuls

  • Lauren Jeffery with Amber

  • Rachel Draper with Konnor

  • Lisa Jeffery with Misty

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