Helping others to help others

Fundraising is defined by the dictionary as the process of promoting and gathering monies for specific causes or organisations. Many different techniques are used including jumble sales, raffles, running marathons, sponsored silences or doing agility!

If you are organising a fund raising event and want some support from the agility community, email us the details.

Super Dog Super Result

The weekend was wet with a capital 'W.' The ground was boggy within 30 seconds of driving over it. The agility show was cancelled, and I know they spent some time dragging caravans out of the camping/parking field.

Never mind, we thoroughly enjoyed it . It seems such a shame to me that it is virtually ostracised by purists, because we all started out just wanting fun with our dogs and this is an opportunity to recapture that and appreciate the joy of dogs whatever we do.

Anyway soapbox down. The Super Dog Test had a rehearsal Friday afternoon to prepare our dogs for some of the more testing equipment. It was also a time for checking we knew how it was going to be run.

The surprising thing for me was how time consuming actually doing all the exercises were. Each of us did them all, instead of taking turns at one exercise a time, and that meant the dogs were actually concentrating totally for at least 15 minutes. I think it was no wonder Boz was shattered at the end of each day. It doesn't mean that we didn't enjoy every moment ,and it was a great achievement to think that Boz attempted and succeeded in completing 17 very testing exercises.

Boz was fourth out of seven dogs that completed the competition - another had to withdraw owing to an injury being aggravated - and just out of the prize money. I later found out that two of the three higher placed dogs were WT Champions. We ended up with a score of 276 out of 500 points, plus we have the added bonus that we will have raised some money which I anticipate being in the region of £300-400 towards sending disabled children to their own opportunities to do something unique.

Everybody's dog was wonderfully trained and motivated and I watched a GSP do the fastest distance control positions in the world! 

Hope this gives you a taste. I think that its high time we reviewed our agility equipment and reconstructed the a-frame into one made of a water butt pyramid!

Techno-Agility

Philippa Armstrong has been doing agility for two plus years and one of the most defining thing about her agility is that she has recently changed to handling her two year old WSD Zippy from a wheelchair. She may currently be the only competing handler doing this.

Using a wheelchair has meant developing a new handling method, which is proving an interesting process as in many ways we are in uncharted territory. I learn a lot by trial and error and even more by listening to a dog who always does what I have asked her to, even when that was not what I thought I was asking her to do.  She is a long striding dog who likes her space, preferring to turn away from, rather than toward me.  I work on her confidence in and out of training, rewarding the behaviour I want. As her confidence grows she works faster and further away from me and I am learning to mirror what I want her to do from wherever I am.  

Nick Chettle of Lower Eastcott at a recent training session said, 'On the right day you have the potential to win out of Starters.' Now everybody likes a compliment and I knew my dog was working well so I smiled and said thank you.

A couple of days later I received the running order for my first show since retraining, to find we were in a class with 200 dogs. 'That¹s 199 handlers on foot, and me with my wheelchair¹, I thought, 'winning out of Starters, that would be impressive.¹  Back in the real world, let¹s hope one day will be the right day.

As well as competing I have been invited to give demonstrations at major canine sporting events and to represent Great Britain at the 2004 ParAgility World Cup.  All of which is a great honour and an opportunity to be an ambassador for disabled people.

I work Zippy using an outdoor powered wheelchair which turns on the spot and has a top speed of 4mph. I have found a faster, more responsive 'sports¹ chair which will enable us to compete more equally against non-disabled competitors; but am in a chicken and egg situation of needing the new technology to prove we are competitive in order to raise the money to access the new technology.

I am currently undertaking the task of contacting the local media, charities, canine organisations and sports funding bodies to try to raise the funds for the new chair. I have been touched by the response so far.  In contrast to the major funding bodies who are reluctant to consider agility a sport, local people have been both generous and supportive.  From individuals contributing £10 to larger charitable donations, all of which are equally welcome.

If anyone would be interested, or knows anyone who would be interested in sponsoring me,
please contact me at philippa.armstrong@lineone.net or on tel. 01803-867074.  

Boz Helps Give Kids New Lease of Life

East Sussex County Council employee Angela Lucas and her Border Collie, Bosworth (Boz), are in training to raise money to help fund special holidays for children with disabilities. 

Angela, who has been training dogs for over 15 years, works at Sorrel Drive, a resource centre for children with disabilities in Eastbourne.

This summer, Angela and Boz will be competing in ‘Superdog 2004’, a gruelling test of agility and skill held during the All About Dogs weekend. The pair are seeking sponsorship to help children with severe disabilities go on specialist activity breaks.

The breaks, which are not funded by Social Services, are an additional service for children with disabilities.  By providing specialist support and equipment, they allow children to take part in activities ranging from canoeing to abseiling – experiences they would otherwise not normally be able to enjoy.

As well as giving children a holiday to remember, the weeks, which cost over £400 per person, allow parents and carers to have a break knowing that their child is in safe hands.

During the competition, Angela and Boz will be awarded points for their performance in each exercise, and are asking people to sponsor them 2, 5 or 10 pence per point.  The maximum score they could achieve is 500.

The tasks are not easy however, and as well as completing various obstacle courses, Boz will have to prove his restraint by retrieving sausages and lying still alongside a plate of food, while Angela drives away in her car.

Angela, who has worked for the Council for eight years, said: 'The difference these breaks make to children’s lives is amazing and we are training hard to make sure we get as many points as possible.'

Angela and Boz will be competing at the event in Brentwood on 8-9 May.

If you think it’s a good cause, please contact Angela for a sponsor form by ringing 01323-762024 or by emailing angela.lucas@eastsussexcc.gov.uk. You can also find her at some shows between now and 8 May.   

 Alternatively you can download a Sponsor Form here.

Up & Running for Chiltern Dog Rescue Society

Phil Arnold is a member of Aylesbury CTS. He is currently involved in a charity event to raise money for the Chiltern Dog Rescue Society in Chesham.

I am running the London Marathon on Sunday, 18 April and rather than collecting straight sponsorship, I have devised a simple competition in which participants guess my exact finishing time. The person who guesses closest to my official time wins a bottle of champagne which my father-in-law is donating and some vouchers. All the other pertinent information is in the attached file.

To enter my competition and help raise money for Chiltern DRS,
download an entry form here.

164 High Street, Watford WD17 2EG
Tel: 01923-222205
Email: watford@upandrunning.org.uk
Web: www.upandrunningwatford.co.uk

Angela Lucas and her dog Boz (Touchango Supanova) is one of the six finalists chosen to take part in the prestigious competition Superdog 2004 at All About Dogs 2004. After hearing about the competition, she wrote to the organisers saying that she had won in working trials, agility and obedience and wanted the chance to be able to put all those specialist groups together. She will be competing on behalf of all those people, like us. who like to do some special activity with their dog.

Angela hopes to raise money for Activenture, an organisation which sends children with disabilities on special week long holidays. The children really enjoy the holiday and, of course, the families get a chance to recharge their batteries from caring for them the rest of the year. Trouble is each one costs over £400, and the families can't afford to pay it all, so her team tries to raise funds.

She has hit upon the idea of getting Boz sponsored by the number of points he gains - and there are a lot of them (about 600.) She is getting in touch with as many people and companies as possible, asking them to sponsor them. Boz could get 17 points or could achieve 550. No one will know until the day but they are already in training.

Here is a selection of some of the seventeen difference exercises competitors may have to do.

• A down stay for ten minutes out of sight. Owner to drive dog to stay site, food to be left 3ft away and once stay commences, owner to get in vehicle and drive away.
• Retrieve article out of a skip, but also to go over and return over obstacles like two way see-saw water jump and hurdle.
• Send away and redirection.
• Full agility course (Senior level)
• Temperament test on the move - dog to be touched by person running towards them.
• Dog to ignore distractions during recall to handler.

As well as this unique title the winner could also take home for first place a £300 cash prize, a 17” silver challenge cup, and a beautiful commemorative plaque. Second place will receive £200 cash prize and a commemorative plaque while third place will receive £100 cash prize and commemorative plaque.

Superdog 2004 is being staged at the hugely successful All About Dogs event to be held on 8-9 May at The Brentwood Centre Showground in Essex.

If you would like to sponsor Angela and Boz, email her on angela.lucas@eastsussexcc.gov.uk.
She is also looking for a bit of assistance in training.

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