AKC/USA World Agility Championship Team
Oslo, Norway
Day Four — September 27, 2007
The day started early with breakfast and a 7 a.m. departure from the hotel. It was a three-mile ride to the beautiful Ol-Amfi arena. The team quickly unloaded the dogs and crates and headed into the arena wanting to get started with check in.
After the veterinary checks and paperwork were completed, the dogs had to be measured. All dogs measured in the correct jump heights, and the team headed to their wardroom (locker room) to get ready for practice.
Each country is allowed 17 minutes to acclimate the dogs to the running surface and equipment. This year an electronic table will be used that beeps when the dog gets on and beeps rapidly at the end of five seconds, signaling the handler to go. The beep is very loud and can be heard over the crowd noise. Handlers were relieved that the loud beep did not seem to cause the dogs any stress.
The running surface is a long artificial grass that caused the dogs to slip on the first couple of turns. But the dogs quickly got their feet back under them and proved to be up to the task of doing whatever the handler asked.
Team Captain Sharon Anderson and Coach Nancy Gyes stayed at the Ol-Amfi for a captains meeting where rules and running order were discussed. The rest of the team members took their dogs for a walk to cool them down before heading back to the hotel. The rest of the day would be spent checking out the shops of Hamar, keeping in mind that everyone was to turn in early because competition starts early Friday morning.
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