October 6th-8th, 2006
Day Seven
JENNIFER CRANK AND GUESS GO SILVER!!!!!
Sunday has arrived, our final day of competition for the AKC/USA World Team sponsored by Eukanuba and Clean Run Productions started with Medium Dog Individual Standard. The Basel tram system was very busy this morning on all routes to the arena. There were supporters from many countries and some countries team members who had the chance to talk while riding into the arena this morning and extend their good wishes for the days competition. It was a nice way to start the day. By 8:30 am the Arena was completely full.
The standard course for the morning was designed by Judge Mia Laamanen. The course time was 43 seconds for 179 meters (196 yards) or 4.56 yards per second. As with all the Standard courses this weekend there was no table obstacle.
This morning we had running for the USA Jennifer Crank who wass in 9th place after Friday’s Jumping round and Karen Holik in 16th place. The Standard and Jumping rounds are added together to determine the overall winner in the Individual competition.
Karen Holik and Sizzle ran 1st and were putting in a strong show when as they were exiting the downside contact of the dog walk they were called for a refusal. The crowd (as noted by their booing and whistling) felt it was an odd call. Under FCI regulations a dog can be called for a refusal if it stops anywhere on the ground for 3 seconds. Without this call Karen & Sizzle would have been Bronze Medal winner for the Medium Dog Individual Competition. Their total combined time was 73.17.
Jennifer Crank and Guess had all the skill, speed and determination today and the little bit of luck one needs at this competition. They laid down a picture perfect run with a time of 38.42. She was in 1st place for about 4 runs when the eventual Gold Medal winner Jari Suomalainen of Finland with his Kooikerhonje finished with a total combined time of 72.78. For many reasons 7 of the 8 competitors after Jennifer faulted. This gave our AKC/USA Team Members Jennifer & her Shetland Sheepdog, Guess with a total combined time of 72.50 the SILVER medal for the Medium Dog Individual Competition. The Bronze Medal winner was Patrick Krier his Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, combined time of 73.37.
As is tradition many from the USA stands poured onto the arena floor to celebrate with the Jennifer and the team. Jennifer’s mom was the first on the arena floor to get he American flag to run around the arena with the team. Jennifer and Guess had their pictures taken a thousands times & Jennifer even did a quick interview with a local news crew. Jennifer took the semester off from college so she could focus on this competition and it sure paid off for her.
The USA is very proud of Jennifer Crank and Guess and Karen Holik and Sizzle for their outstanding runs today.
Small Dog Individual Standard
The next challenge for the day came for the Small Dog Individual competitors. This course was also designed and judged by Mia Laamanen. The course measures 182 meters (199 yards), SCT is 44 sec and YPS is 4.52.
Dee Anna Gamel and Kelsi tackled this course first for Team USA. International travel seems to suit them just fine. They had a lovely clean run working smoothly as a team. Their final time for the standard course was 39.03
Melanie Del Villagio and Dara worked as quick as possible thru the opening but as Dara went to enter tunnel #6 she had a spin at the opening that incurred a refusal call. The rest of the course was worked especially the #10-#11C sequence that caused many teams to have refusal and wrong courses at that point on on the course, but no problem for Melanie and Dara.
Barb Davis and her young dog Rock-It showed they had what it took to be at this event. Being an experienced World Team competitor Barb was able to work with Rock-It quickly and cleanly thru the course. There was not a misstep for this team. The opening was a slow one for all teams due to the 270 at the #2, but it seemed to be just what Rock-It needed to show his talent at clean turns and driving out of the technical opening. After jump #3 it was smooth and fast sailing to the finish line. They started in 19th place over all – by the time everyone had run they finished 7th overall. Their time on the course was 38.94 for a combined time of 73.09.
The mealists were: Gold, Martin Eberle from Switzerland with Pebbles, a Minature Poodle - combined time of 68.23 ; Silver, Svetlana Turnanova from Russia with Osborn, a Spitz – combined time of 71.76 and the Bronze Medalist was Svetlana Kreslina from Latvia with Hearty a Shetland Sheepdog who had a combined time of 71.80.
The final runs of the day will be for the Large Dog Individual Standard dogs.
Large Dog Individual Standard
Large Dog Individual Standard was the last class for the 2006 FCI Agility World Championship The AKC/USA Team had 4 dogs to compete on this course. The course was designed by Judge Peter Kindle and is 180 meters (197 yards) and SCT was set at 44 seconds. This makes the yards per second a quick 4.47.
Gerry Brown and Sterling got the 1st look at this complex course. Gerry did a lead out even with the #2 jump between it & the #3 tunnel to get Sterling well set up for this sequence. That worked very well. Sterling picked up more speed after the dog walk and found the wrong side of tunnel #6 on her turn form #5. Unfortunately in this competition a wrong course is an elimination.
Juice pulled Marcus Topps into the ring so she could get her chance at this course. Marcus worked easily thru the course directing Juice as they went along. Juice ran with her normal fervor and seemed to have completely adjusted to the surface. They ran clean with a time that held as the second fastest on this course. That was the fastest time on the course to that point.
Next up for the USA was Carrie Jones and Jive. Jive started out fast in the opening sequence and then ran the dog walk with a split second look at Carrie as she was in the down contact. After that the 2 of them made this course look easy – even the #8-#11 sequence. Many dogs swung wide & entered the weave poles on the way to the Teeter. Jive never even considered them – just turned cleanly with Carrie holding deeper back as they made the turn. They finished with an excellent time of 43.06. Carrie and Jive finished 20th over all.
Sitting in 9th place coming into this final round were Linda Mecklenburg and Stellar. Stellar was ready to go and they put in a flawless round. The cheering of the crowds, the air horns, the cowbells just made him run even faster to the finish line. They finished at a time of 40.22 which moved them into 2nd place with 8 more dogs to go and a combined time of 75.54. When we were all done Linda and Stellar placed 9th out of 167 teams with 2 clean rounds. There were only 19 teams that had 2 double clear rounds for the Large Dogs.
After all of the dogs had finished running the Gold Medalist was Sarah Lorentzen of Denmark with her Border Collie, Simic. They had a total time of 72.36
The Silver medal went to Anna Eifert of Hungary and her Border Collie, Nevian with a total time of 72.97. The Bronze Medallist was Sylvia Vaanholt and her Border Collie, Amazing Gill of Germany. Their total time was 73.74.
This completed the competition portion of the 2006 FCI Agility World Championships. The winners will all be awarded their medals at the closing ceremonies which also include a parade of the 34 countries as they bid a farewell to Basel, Switzerland and the good time they all had here.
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