Can You Dig It Summer Show 2016

This weekend we were in Cheadle for our three day Can You Dig It Summer Show.

It takes months and months of planning and organising and weeks of heavy graft leading up to the show to make it happen. From taking entries and emailing out confirmations to mowing the grass and rolling the field. There's a lot of hard work done by a small amount of people before we even get dogs and people onto the field.

After weeks of heavy rain with little let up everyone knew it was going to be muddy, and the rain continued to come down in showers on the Friday. But the ground held, although we were all resembling a slightly unglamourous spa treatment by the end of the day, and a certain instructor could be heard complaining about "trench foot". 

None the less spirits were high, the dogs and handlers safety was paramount and only a few people needed a tow or push off the field. Come to think of it... it was the same instructor complaining about trench foot who also needed a tow off the field... The rest of us found this highly amusing of course.

With the show over for one day and the remaining campers onto the field without much issue we settled down, cracked open a can of cider and successfully ordered pizza to a field in the middle of nowhere.

Saturday morning arrived and it certainly felt good to roll out of bed and straight into the show. Best commute ever. The ground had dried out slightly overnight and superhero Nick jumped in the tractor and rolled the field to help the day parking area.

There was some great competition in the rings with some cracking runs from beginners at their first ever show and some impressive handling happening in the advanced class.

Outside of the ring a tombola was being held in aid of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, plus we donated the funds from the practise ring and the have a go flyball to the charity throughout the weekend. In the end we successfully raised £180 for Hearing Dogs! Amazing. 

Having recovered from her trench foot and getting stuck in the mud, Katie ran a Have a Go Flyball session on the Saturday and Sunday and we saw lots of people enjoying the chance to try a new sport. Katie had their dogs successfully retrieving a ball over a few jumps and even doing box turns after just a 10 minute session.

On the Friday and Saturday we ran pairs and team agility classes. Everyone was having fun with their friends and their dogs and some teams were formed from people who didn't know each other. In true Dig It spirit they all joined to have a blast with their dogs.

On Saturday night we moved the rings and secretaries marque onto fresh ground and were grateful of the help from the campers to get this done quickly. Kathryn Stickney taught some fantastic workshops, more cider was opened and chinese food was successfully delivered to a field in the middle of no where.

As it was going dark and we left for bed a slurred out-of-tune rendition of "I Will Survive" filled the campsite followed by hysterical laughter and then silence. Sounded like a good time was being had and it certainly gave a few of us a chuckle!

We were on fresh grass on Sunday and with no rain since Friday the ground held out with only minor mud issues here and there. 

Everyone was cheerful and happy and headed home after a very enjoyable weekend. The comments on our facebook page and agility group since have been overwhelming, with lots of praise to the organisers and team and thanks to the judges, ring managers and helpers who are a vital part to the running of an agility show.

It was great to have the support of Canine Magnetix and The Howl Emporium there and overall it was a brilliant weekend. Thank you to everyone who came along, competed, helped out and made the weekend what is was. 

The first ever Rally Competition at Dig It Dogs

Over the last few months Dig It has been holding monthly Rally-O classes, covering Level 1 to Level 3. Everyone was doing great so we decided to have a little competition for those who wanted to have a go at competing in Rally O, to put all of their hard work into practice. 

Therefore on Friday 23rd October Dig It Dog Training Club hosted their very first ever 'Have a Go Rally Competition'. It wasn't an official Kennel Club Show so judging was relaxed and it was a huge success, with 18 participants taking part in our Level 1 course, designed and judged by Julie Nelson. 

It was a fun and relaxing evening with everyone on two and four legs really enjoying themselves. All of the participants went home with a certificate for taking part and those with qualifying scores were awarded a rosette. The first five placements were given numbered rosettes.

I would like to thank Julie Nelson for designing the course and judging, Sheila and Joy for scribing and Lydia for the beautiful rosettes. I would also like to thank everyone else who attended to participate, we're looking forward to running another "have a go rally competition" in the new year, covering Level 1 and 2.

Well done to the following people who were placed:

1st - Angela Wilson with Lily
2nd - Leslie Thompson with Kibo
3rd - Angela WIlson with Willow
4th - Rachel Richards with Chip
5th - Rachel Richards with Daisy

The next Rally O Classes are to be held on 21st November and 5th December, please email enquiries@digitdogs.co.uk to book on.

To find out more about Rally visit our website here: http://www.digitdogs.co.uk/training/rally-obedience/

Tracy

Winter Is Here!

Our Winter Series shows at Alsager Equestrian Centre started this month!

This year we are keeping the shows to two rings only and have limited entry numbers to allow for a suitable finish time, car parking spaces and to release pressure from the exercise arena.

Well it was a little weird at first! Where is everyone?! It's a bit quiet! It was compared to last Winter, but it was perfect! The day ran like a dream.

Also new for Winter 2014, a sexy new scoring system! Katie and Ruth took scoring duties for November and there were lots of excited sequels and high-fives happening as they figured out the ins and outs of working the new program. Lydia wasn't quite so keen on the high-fives...

Big thank you to The Undesirables and FAB Agility Club for running the two rings. There was a fair amount of rivalry between the two parties, who could finish first, who had the better ring. Midway through the day The Undersirables presented a list of demands to Lydia; massage chairs and hot water bottles to name just a few! These were quickly denied with an effective Computer Says No.

The atmosphere at Dig It Winter Shows are always great and everyone was in high spirits and having a lot of fun. 

A few club members were bringing out their young dogs for their first shows or training in the ring after their first summer of competing. Sarah and Lola managed a 1st place at their first ever show! It's so exciting to have seen this dog progress all the way through the Dig It Obedience classes, from Puppy to Gold and then into the Agility ring! Deb and Beanie pulled a 1st out of the bag and everyone took cover while Lou and Paddy went for a Jumping run... he always manages to complete about 20 extra obstacles on his 100mph lap of the course! 

A lot of people are now progressing up the levels from previous Winter Series and some secured their final win this month to now move up. Don't forget: 2 wins in Agility or Jumping and you go up! The Intermediate and Advanced competition is starting to get really exciting.

Thank you to our Judges; PJ, Audra, Rob and Bex and to all who were involved in making the day a success, as always.

We'll see you next week for the December Show!

Awesome August: Can You Dig It Show

This year is flying! August already! The first Sunday of the month brought another of our Can You Dig It Shows.

The weather forecast had been dubious but thankfully the rain held off all day. Lydia set out the Jumping courses and Nigel very kindly offered to judge for the whole day, rather than just for the afternoon as had been previously arranged. Lou Cadman made a rare appearance to a summer show and judged the Agility for the whole day. The course standards were very high, challenging the more experienced handlers to find the fastest lines while keeping it very much do-able for the less experienced handlers and dogs.

Beginners Agility - Lou Cadman

There were many talks and whispers of "this is my first show" heard throughout the day and we are always very proud and pleased to do our best to support and encourage agility newbies. As well as the first timers we also had a good range of experienced handlers showing us what they can do in the Advanced classes. Vic Royle got a little more than she bargained for when she asked for some cake and nearly ended up wearing it. Smiles and laughter all round! There was a real family spirit about this show, as there is at all Dig It events!

3 years on from this photograph and still the same club atmosphere, only now we have a sit on mower!!

A big, massive thank you to Sharleen Toller who kindly baked some delicious cakes to give to helpers for free! There was even a glutton free cake! Poor Sharleen couldn't run her dogs, but despite this she was still seen scriming for well over an hour. 

Ash was a busy bee scoring in the caravan and the results were quickly rolling out. Deb's face was a picture of shock and amazement when we announced that Beanie had won a class! Sue Bebbington rocked up late with Mia and only went and won her Jumping and Steeplechase classes with storming fast times! Mia the tiny pocket rocket! 

Cake, chuckles, lovely judges, lots of beginners, whippet zoomies and an early finish all made for a very very enjoyable day!  Thank you to everyone who contributed to make it so. 

Joyful June: Can You Dig It Show

A lovely quiet show this month for our unaffiliated Can You Dig It Show. The weather decided to kick start June with a glorious sunny day and pale, white legs appeared for one of the first times this year.

Newly qualified Judge PJ set out her Intermediate & Advanced Jumping course which the Dig It Instructors handled nicely. Katie & Bonny, Avril & Oakley and Avril & Dodger all managed 1st place in their classes. Sue & Rosie were narrowly beat in every run leaving them with three 2nd places from the day! Great to see some tight competition in the Advanced Medium runs.

Oscar Pet Food came along and kindly sponsored our Veteran & Anysize classes with some lovely prizes. Bex was selling some yummy homemade treats and running a tombolal, fundraising for her conservation trip to Mexico, not long to go now Bex! And of course we are always pleased to see Bret in the Brunch Box for some yummy lunch.

As the courses changed to Beginners Jumping we saw more success from Sue & Mia, earning 1st place and Katie & Milo getting 2nd! Plus Luna, not to be outdone by big brother Dodger, had a cracking run (helped by Adele of course) in Beginners Agility. 

Quiet entry numbers brought an early finish to a fantastic, relaxing day. It is nice to see people coming to Dig It when there is so much choice for shows over the summer nowadays. We hope that everyone enjoyed themselves! Next month is UKA!

Easter Eggility Show

Easter Weekend is a busy time for agility shows which makes our little competition perfect for new or experienced competitors looking for a gentle day.

Our combined Intermediate and Advanced courses gave the competitors the perfect balance of small sections of handling mixed with smooth, skill testing parts. We had a large entry of new beginners coming along for their first show and we were really pleased to see everyone getting involved and learning new jobs such as scriming! 

Newly qualified Judge Bex did a full day in the Agility ring and newbie Judge Nigel covered the Steeplechase. They both said they had a marvous time (honestly, we didn't force them to say that) and we look forward to seeing them in centre spot again soon. 

As the results started rolling in the chocolate started rolling out, with cream eggs and chocolate bunnies for those lucky rossette winners!

Instructor Holly and Indie had a storming time winning Agility and Jumping! Rachel & Daisy pulled off a 1st in Agility and a 3rd in Jumping and Sue and Rosie fought off some close competition to get a 1st in Steeplechase! 

Ruth was there with her camera and got some great shots, except for the short rain break in the middle of the day. You can see all of the photographs on our Flickr page! 

http://www.flickr.com/people/digitdogtrainingclub/ 

Not long after a hearty lunch of burgers and bacon baps from The Lunch Box, the day started to come to a close around 2pm. A gentle day finished in style and rumour has it that a certain Dig It Chairperson spent the rest of the afternoon having a well earned snooze! What bettter way to spend your Easter Sunday!

January 2014 Winter Series: Pudding Bellies

We welcomed January 2014 with our Winter Series Show. Everyone was running a little slower than normal and complaining about tighter waist bands, and I think even the dogs were feeling the effects of a big Christmas dinner.

We were very privileged to have Agility Champion Amanda Hampson judge the Jumping for us. She put out some challenging but flowing Advanced and Intermediate courses that were praised highly.

Karen Stubbs got the Agility started with Veteran and Anysize, followed by Beginners. Katie's Labrador Dave (known more commonly as Doofus) had 3 storming clears while being handled by Sally, and Sally had success with her own Veteran Collie, Bob, who won Agility. After all of that running she welcomed a "rest" by Judging in the afternoon. Rachel's dog Daisy was obviously feeling much better after her recent ill spell and she ran like the supersonic Whippet that she is! Nice to see the competitive Daisy is back.

Post-Christmas diets were ruined by the cheeseburgers and bacon baps (it's good to have a naughty day) and people were starting to flag as the day got later. Eventually the Steeplechase courses were laid out and those who stayed until the end ran it with great spirit. The Large ring was very competitive with friendly Advanced handlers watching each others time and seeing who had the fastest round. 

Avril's youngster, Dodger, won his class despite a tricky course and Sue had a break while Bex stepped in to handle Polly and had a blast running her Not For Competition. 

Lydia was missing from the show due to being on a sunny beach somewhere with a handsome man, but the Dig It family banded together strongly and kept the show running as normal (..hopefully..). We had some fantastic helpers and first time Show Manager Rob was enjoying himself so much that he carried on throughout the whole day! Thanks to Charlie for coming in the morning to show him the ropes.

As it got darker and colder we eventually wrapped up for another late finish. Back to the Club to unload and Lydia's Dad, Rob, took center stage by organising the trailers and getting the equipment to and from the club. 

Thanks to all for another lovely show and what a great way to start 2014!

Christmas Show and Party

Our Christmas Show signals the end of the year and a time to be merry and high!

It was a quiet start with the jumping ring inside whizzing through Intermediate and Advanced classes. Onto the Beginners and we were pleased to see a lot of first timers. Lesley with Buster from Bex's agility class was one of these newbies and they only went and got placed in every class! Bex was really excited.

The Obedience Hall was transformed into a Fun Games Arena - Temptation Alley, Fastest Retrieve, Fastest Recall and sausages galore were enjoyed by over 50 dogs and owners alike.

Sue's spaniel Rosie had us all amazed as she ate (more like inhaled) a bonio in 4 seconds to be crowned the winner of Fastest Bonio. Even the labradors' couldn't keep up with that!

Diane's collie, Jess, won Fastest Recall in an amazing 1.99 seconds and Amy's Jess won Fastest Retrieve at 5.26 seconds. Arthur, Tess and Bella all tied at the Tennis Ball Catching with a huge 17 each.

There was punch, food and stalls for dogs and humans alike and we hear Judge Sally was on the mulled wine in the afternoon! Good job that wall was there to keep her propped up!  ;)

The traditional Fancy Dress competition was well-attended with angels, elves and a burnt Christmas Pudding! Diane and Jess returned to fight to retain their Championship and won it for a second year running!

Although consolation places were given to Woody and the Elf-Dogs for also having fantastic costumes.

The agility stayed very relaxed throughout the day with everyone in good spirit. Jenny's Poppet decided to aim for the "wrong" end of the tunnel each time during her run and I found myself running over a jump by accident, leaving Guinness wondering if we had switched job roles!

The day finished nice and early and we presented Lydia with her Christmas present, a canvas picture of her dogs (taken by Cat's Dog Photography) which she was very impressed with. 

Merry Christmas everyone and all the best for 2014!

Dazzling December : Winter Series Show

We welcomed December in with another Winter Series Show. As the sun rose on a new day the burger van was a welcoming sight for some of us who had arrived before breakfast!  Entries were limited to keep the show to two rings and it was much smoother to organise and manage. We had plenty of help and everyone had more space and room to relax.

The competition soon heated up with many Dig It Members taking home prizes! Rachel & Daisy had an amazing first show getting placed in every class and even taking home the 1^st in Steeplechase. Bex’s dog Gemma didn't let age stop her as she took home two 1^st and a 2^nd, despite being 11 years old! When the results were announced Bex reached a pitch of squealing that only dogs could hear! Avril & Adele brought out their "pups" for their first show and Luna took home a 6^th and Dodger a 3^rd! Also Dianne had a lovely run with Jess for a 2^nd place and Ella and Woody had two 1^st in Intermediate! Advanced is not far away for them!

Our Judges were fantastic and it was great to welcome some Kennel Club Judges who are fairly new to the position. Our shows don’t just cater for newbie dogs. We also had first time Judge Matt who thoroughly enjoyed himself and has promised to come back again. I guess we aren’t so scary after all. I particularly enjoyed his Steeplechase course (but that may be because we won it)!

Greyhound Gap brought along their fabulous cake stall which caused a lot of Christmas diets to be broken, or temporally put on hold, and the Agilitywear stall was busy handing out and taking orders (I am looking forward to getting my new Dig It hoody at the next show!). Oscars were there with some great dog goodies as well as Monkey Dog Wear with their amazing leads and collars. All of this shopping almost left no time for agility.

It was a long day and people were flagging a little as we reached the final Steeplechase classes. Well done to all of you hardy guys that stuck it out to the end! The atmosphere was friendly throughout and there were a lot of people supporting each other while course walking and competing, with the occasional friendly banter here and there.

With the second show now done winter is truly into the swing of things! Entries are filling up fast so get your butt moving if you haven’t yet entered our 2014 shows! The future is bright.