Sign up to Help at the 2012 Briard National Specialty, September 14-23 in Pittsburgh, PA.

Please take a moment to sign up to help out at the 2012 Briard National Specialty, September 14-23 in Pittsburgh, PA. It promises to be a good time with good friends and fellow Briarders. For more information about the Specialty, you can go to the BCA National Specialty website by clicking on the following link: 2012 BCA Specialty

To sign up, go to: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0F45A8AB2BAB9-2012

Thank you in advance for your help. Pam Freund Volunteerism Chair

BCA 2011 National Update

Dear Fellow Briarders,

We know you are anxious for information on the 2011 BCA National in Greensboro, NC, and the show committee has been working to fill in all necessary details that will enable you to make your plans accordingly. We are appreciative that so many of you are willing to work on bringing the National to fruition . Due to the fact that we are working within an infrastructure of multiple all-breed shows, some events will be offered by the all-breed clubs.

The host hotel will be the Clarion Greensboro Airport Hotel(http://www.clariongreensboro.com/). The room rate is $74 per night, including a full hot breakfast each morning. The hotel has a shuttle service to and from the airport(including dogs)There is motorhome parking available, and the hotel management is looking to provide us with a hot water bathing area. The hotel is approximately 15 minutes from the all-breed show site, where there will be 5 days of shows prior to the National. The show committee will assist anyone needing rides back and forth to the show events. There will be extra crates available on site for those who might need them, and we will have an area for grooming reserved for Briards.

The schedule of all-breed, agility, and the specialty events is as follows. PLEASE NOTE that the all-breed shows are at the Greensboro Coliseum. The National will take place at the host hotel, the Clarion Greensboro Airport .

ALL-BREED DOG SHOWS: MB-F Superintendent(REGULAR CLOSING DATE of JULY 27, 2011)

Wednesday, August 10, 2011 : Danville Kennel Club
Thursday, August 11, 2011 Danville Kennel Club

• Special Events: Puppy Group 8/10, Bred-by Group 8/11

Friday, August 12, 2011 Greater Hickory Kennel Club - Briard Club of America Supported Show, hosted by Atlantic States Briard Club

• Special Events: Sweepstakes(pending approval), Puppy Group

Saturday, August 13, 2011 Carolina Kennel Club - Briard Club of America Supported Show

• Special Events: Puppy Group, CERF and Cardiac Clinic, CGC

Sunday, August 14, 2011 Carolina Kennel Club - Briard Club of America Supported Show

• Special Events: Puppy Group

List of judges (Pending AKC Approval) :

• 8/10 Capt. William Daugherty(CT)
• 8/11 Mr. Kenneth Rayner(NJ)
• 8/12 Mrs. Cathy Daugherty(CT)
• 8/13 Mrs. Sheila Cann(ENGLAND
• 8/14 Ms. Virginia Lyne(CANADA)

A brief background of the judges at the all-breed shows:

Captain and Mrs. Daugherty are breeders of Belgian Sheepdogs for 30 plus years, and have judged and exhibited in the US , Canada, and internationally. Mr. Kenneth Rayner has a long and successful history in German Shepherd Dogs, as a member of a family immersed in the fancy. Mrs. Sheila Cann has been involved in Briards virtually since their recognition in England, and has judged both club shows there, as well at Crufts. She judged the 1996 MOBC Regional, and has attended 5 BCA Nationals. Ms. Virginia Lyne is a popular all-rounder from across the border, a successful breeder of her chosen breed, the English Cocker Spaniel, and judged all over the world, and received a high number of votes in the 2011 judges balloting.

NATIONAL SPECIALTY -Caper Dog Shows Superintendent(EARLY CLOSING DATE JULY 20, 2011)

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Monday, August 15, 2011

• AM: Obedience/Rally - Judge: Mr. Ted McCall, NC (pending AKC approval)
• PM: Puppy and Veteran Sweepstakes - Judge: Michele De Tour, MA (pending AKC approval
• PM: All Parade Events After Sweepstakes

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

• AM - Judge Mr. Stanley Saltzman, CT (pending AKC approval) - All Regular /Non-Regular Classes for dogs/bitches
• There will be a 2 hour break before breed, stud dog, brood bitches, and brace
• Junior Showmanship: Mr. Larry Sorensen (pending AKC)

Wednesday, August 17, 2011 BCA Herding Instinct Test
              Tester: Gerard Baude
              Norton, NC

AGILITY TRIALS

Thursday, August 11, 2011- All-Breed Agility Trials, Concord, NC
Sunday, August 14, 2011 Carrabus Center

ACTIVITIES FOR THE NATIONAL:
Friday: BMT Speaker
Saturday: Educational Evening for Members
Sunday: Judges Education (Afternoon), Annual Meeting PM
Monday: Awards Banquet
Tuesday: Briart after completion of judging

Others events are in planning, but among them are a puppy match, a charity miniature golf tournament, a charity golf match for the real golfers among us!

A website will be up shortly which you will be able to visit for updates on the planned events.
We look forward to seeing you in August, and thank you in advance for your participation and efforts in making the National an enjoyable and successful event.

Sincerely, Joshua Greenberg, Show Chair 2011 BCA National

Tia Is An Agility Dog

~ Submitted by Sonia Thompson  Nightwind's Definitely Maybe made her agility debut this weekend at the ACK Chuckanut trial in Lynden. She proved herself to be an agility dog! She earned 3 Q's and 3 first places (one Q and one 1st place were duplicates of a run during which the timer crashed, so except for the fact that she did another perfect run, actually they didn't count . It was her FAST run, and we did the course differently on her second run, yielding a higher score). She dropped a bar on her Jumpers run, so she didn't Q, but other than that her run was perfect, including 4 perfect sets of weaves. I am very proud of her.

Bobby Titles Yet Again!

Bobby (Briard x OES) and Iris were at a big 2 ring Agility trial last weekend. Besides 2 qualifying runs, Bobby also got his Master Jumper title at 9 1/2 yrs of age. It was a very distracting and loud environment and Iris is proud of how well he handled it. Video link of his run to follow.

Good Weekend!!!

Story by Iris Bergen. Bobby, my 9 yr old Briard x OES, was in an agility trial last weekend. I am very pleased with how he ran. Fast (for his standard), clean and with enthusiasm. He had a qualifying run in Masters standard and jumpers. Most impressively also a steeplechase run! So far it has always been a time issue. In the standard, he was the only one in the veteran class to Q! This is a qualifying run in Masters Jumper (click on link below). It looks easy, but it had it's own challenges. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU7F0_aSEgY

We also brought Felix out Saturday and Sunday afternoon. He behaved very well and waited very quietly in his crate even when other dogs came right by his crate. Felix is too young to be trialed, but I thought better to get him used to the atmosphere. Helen Moulden came out Saturday and I showed her my boy. She seemed quite pleased with how he is turning out. Felix came from Veronique Mauroux of Briards de Guerande, Quebec. His parents are Vraiment Belle de Guerande x Grinzing's Aurore Boreale. Felix' registered name is Deux Felix de Guerande.

Briard x OES Seal of Approval

Here Bobby, Iris Bergen's Briard/OES-cross, is on an A-frame that was rubber coated with agile grip at a recent agility trial on Vancouver Island, B.C. It was a windy day. Sunday they even got to run on it after a heavy rain shower and Iris and Bobby love it!!!

Tessa's Up and Coming Agility Career

submitted by Carol Wolfram I was at an agility trial March 27-29. A PWD person filmed one of Tessa's runs because he thought she was soooo cooooool! Not a great run because we missed the weave entry but check out her contacts and the weaves! Since we already blew the run I tried sending her to a jump right after the table while I started a lateral move but while she could do that in class it was abit too much for her in excitement of competition. We are still a green team but I felt a lot of potential in us this weekend. She got one Open JWW legand one Exc A Std leg both with first places. The video is of Sunday's Exc AStd run. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5_BBqllrbw&feature=channel
The agility people in the northwest pretty much know about Briards since it isn't unusual to have several running at trials. This was an all breed dog show as well so lots of non agility folk were wandering around and yes, they were inquiring about the breed while watching her. It was really funny because Tessa stirred a lot of interest when she ran. On Saturday she hit the weaves so hard that her hind left leg/loin area kind of got stuck in the poles. I was at the head and the front kept weaving while the back end was trying to break free of the pole. Tessa just stretched longer and longer until all of a sudden the rear broke free of the pole and was like a slinky catching up with the front. She never popped out of the weaves. You can see in the video from Sunday that she got caught up a bit in those poles as well but nowhere near as long as on Saturday. I think it has to do with the fact that the spacing between the poles varies from trial to trial. These were 24 inch weaves. I hope that as we get more experience together that Tessa will begin to realize that the weave poles aren't always the same distance apart. At any rate, all weekend long people were commenting on the Briard with the fabulous weaves. I was casually chatting with some people while we were watching runs (Tessa was in her crate) and a BC was running. One of the people said wow what great weaves and another said forget those weaves did any of you see the Briard do the weaves?Amazing! LOL! I got to mention that I saw that Briard do weaves every week because she was my dog.

A HERDING EXTRAVAGANZA, Plano Texas Oct.24 - Nov.1

The BCA Nationals Herding Clinic (Oct. 24 & 25) is fast filling!!! If you have any desire to attend, email Mary Weir. The cost is $200.00 for 2 days of C course herding with PNWBC's own Carol Wolfram and Mary Weir as clinicians, over 200 head of sheep and acres of practice courses. Be ready for the trial on Mon and Tues Oct 26 and 27 and have fun with the herders!!!!!! For more information about the National go to the 2009 BCA National page.

Agility at Elma & Ridgefield

At the Portland Agility Club Trials held at Ridgefield, Tessa finished her Open Standard title and moved up into Excellent where she had some great runs. No Qs yet but boy did she show she was ready for that class. Carol ran her January 3 & 4 in Open FAST for the first time and she earned her first two legs! Carol overheard the judge on Saturday as Tessa exploded through the weaves. A single exclaimation of "DAMN!" Afterwards the judge came up to me and commented on the fabulous weaves.

Lark put in some great runs and the last two weekends of trials and Carol reports: "it felt like we actually clicked. She missed a double Q two days by knocking a bar but the other days we did double Q. Just to give you an idea of the competition here, one day Lark was 17 seconds under standard course time (on a standard course) and that wasn't even good enough for a placement. We have some really fast dogs out here!"

With Lark's double Q she now has 14 total and over 700 points!!!! Go Pacific Northwest Briards!!!

Carol ran Tessa in Open JWW and her first time in Exc Standard the last weekend in December at Elma. A friend filmed the runs and posted them to youtube (see links below). This was their first day out after being snow bound in their house for 10 days. Carol said she had one crazy Briard at that trial!

The JWW run had Tessa heading for an off course with a bar down but other than that she was pretty good. It looks like Carol quit the run at the end but actually Tessa cleared the last jump then Carol slowed and Tessa just shot over an extra jump. Watch the run http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfxnu0OovhA

In the standard run Carol said "I was an idiot at the weave entry and didn't remember she is really a green dog. She then proceeded to have two bars down on the rest of the course. It is a bit like driving a Ferrari in that she responds so quickly to the slightest twitch on my part. Nice and yet not so nice........ " Watch the run http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ja7PSwxjV8

BTW, that isn't Tessa doing all the barking!

Dante Gets His 3rd Q!

Helen Moulden of Sidney B.C. reports that CKC-CH. Aladax's Sorcerer CDX AGNCH "Dante" finally got his 3rd Starters Q in AAC Agility. Now they are in Advanced and Masters. However, Helen says "he slipped off the teeter in practice and refused to get on again so we may have started something else!"

Dante's qualifying score was for the Agility Association of Canada. In AAC you have to get three perfect scores to move to the next level to get Standard titles. The levels are Starters, Advanced and Masters. Now Dante is in Advanced Standard. Games titles are scored separately. Starters Games require one qualifying score to move to Advanced. Then two qualifying scores are required to move to Masters. Separate titles are available for Team and Steeplechase. Dante runs Masters courses in Jumpers & Snooker.

CKC only offer Standard runs and Jumpers with Weaves. The levels are Novice, Intermediate and Excellent. Here Dante runs at the Intermediate level. The rules are much the same for AKC.