The Hoopers World Championships 14th – 15th September 2024
View the slideshow for the wonderful pictorial story of the success of Team France Hoopers, in particular, the 3 participants partly sponsored by Club Grande Daze Agility for the fuel for their journey. It is important to give some team sponsorship where possible as it promotes the welfare of animals through the shared activites of people and their dogs. Club Grande Daze Agility emphasises that rescue dogs and older dogs and more mature people can benefit from the exercises and training involved in Hoopers.
A big THANK YOU to all the contestants, Top Kebab and all the helpers on the Fun Day on Saturday 8th June. It was a glorious day and donations and money raised will help the Rescues in the Centre. The funding will go towards special diets, vets bills and general care needs. THANK YOU from Peter and Myself and all those animals in our care – Woof, woof, chirp, cheep, squawk, baa and miaow. (see below – After the effort – the rewards)
This year we celebrate our 10th year as an animal rescue and our work continues. Since January we have had more dogs and owners achieving a Certificate for Good Behaviour, Bovril, Sasha, Finn and Poppy. Several dogs are undertaking training courses to pass the grades to allow them to compete in Agility Competitions.
Bovril, Sasha, Finn and Poppy are amongst the many who have happy homes where they enjoy loving companionship. Participating in training for agility and/or obedience has given them confidence with other dogs and people. They are all socialized – a far cry from fear, abandonment and loneliness.
See the poster below for our latest Agility Games. Please note that spectators/supporters are welcome. However, entries are only allowed from those in official Agility Clubs. This years event will be held in the sand-school at Grande Daze Centre.
This year will be the first time that some of the dogs who have passed through the grades will be able to compete. We wish everyone the best of luck and thank everyone for their efforts.
Kodie and Roo are the latest to have achieved their Grade 2. Updates and more information on the agility events can be seen on the Facebook page Club Grande Daze Agility.
After the effort – the rewards
For those of us of a more mature and sedate pace we have Hoopers, click the link Hoopers
We have re-homed hundreds of dogs, held dozens and dozens of fundraising events. Our onsite shop ‘Boîte-Box/Bric-a-Brac’ opened in 2018 and continues to receive donations to provide bargains for all those who visit and have a browse.
We are grateful to all those who participate in events, support us with donations. buy things from our shop, assist us with exercising the rescues and cleaning and maintaining areas of the Centre.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE EXPECT TO MEET MORE NEEDY ANIMALS IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS BUT LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATION.
We go forward to the next years with new plans and ideas which will be posted in due course. THANK YOU ANITA AND PETER
We all enjoyed this event and have some lovely memories.
ANITA’S REPORT OF A WONDERFUL VISIT TO JERSEY
Fleur with Denise
Hera
Kodie
Luke
Roxane
It seems only right that I start my report with our Rescue Dogs, Fleur and Luke.
FLEUR – Denise and her late husband, Alan Belson, gave Fleur, a Terrier Cross, her forever home. So as not to be out done by Denise’s other dog Pip, she began her agility career as soon as she was in good health. Fleur, who is approximately 9 years old, has gained many awards here in France and came up trumps with a 1st, 2nd & 3rd at Jersey.
We are so proud to have these veterans on our team . They prove to people what can be achieved with a dog who had a really bad start in life. She wasn’t an easy dog to train but Denise has never given up on Fleur. Well done to both of them . Above all, we run agility for fun – winning is a bonus! The Experience of Competition and the story of a Rescue dog
LUKE – the 7 year old Fox Terrier was given his forever home by Helen. It hasn’t been easy training for this pair as Luke was afraid of verbal commands. To gain his confidence we used a clicker, which proved very successful as communication and enabled Luke to overcome his shyness. The see-saw was the greatest challenge and as you can see, with Helen’s patience and encouragement, this particular piece of equipment is now no obstacle! Helen and Luke have worked very hard to gain their Agility Pass (here in France you have to pass a test before you can compete). It was fitting that this pair should go to Jersey. WOW – did they do well! Every day Luke gained 2 awards and some days he bagged 3! This is a magnificent feat and I, for one, am very proud of them. You can read about Luke here THE PROGRESS OF LUCKY LUKE aka MR. FOX
Knowing rescue dogs the way I do, understanding the pain and fear they may go through worries me greatly. Seeing these 2 dogs achieving so much lifts my spirits and they go to the top of the class. Well done!
OUR YOUNG DOGS
As I explained earlier, to compete in France requires passing a test, but how do you get the ring experience that is needed? – be lucky enough to go to Jersey.
ROO, the 18 month old Poodle, is owned by Helen and the pair gained their first ring experience in the huge Jersey Boot Camp! Helen was brave enough to run Roo as well as Luke. Roo got round all of the Agility Courses and now eagerly awaits the 2023 season when he can gain his Agility Pass. I wish them success and a wonderful, happy agility career together.
BLAG is a Collie Cross Terrier rescued street dog who is about 2 years old. Blag joined the little canine family of Nadège a short while ago. He is at the very start of his training and Boot Camp was a great adventure! The pair have put in some wonderful work and now look forward to gaining Blag’s Agility Pass in 2023. They too are wished happiness and success in their agility adventure.
KAYOUS – My young girl – what can I say? Like all of our team and many of you, we missed time due to the pandemic. Boot Camp was wonderful for Kayous; she made a good effort and enjoyed her time in the ring. We have serious training to do but we will have fun and enjoy learning – that’s all you need.
Now to the novices of our team, ROXANE and Maryse, who made it to Boot Camp. The pair could be forgiven if they had been overwhelmed by the event; but they took it all their stride and gain a 1st and 2nd. Not a bad result for Boot Camp Guys! It’s wonderful, well done! The Experience of Competition and the story of a Rescue dog
HERA and Nadège are, like Fleur and Denise, an experienced pair in our team. Now 10 years old, Hera was bred by Nadège and is a true working Jack Russell Terrier. It is not easy to train a working terrier for agility but Nadège, along with Peter and myself, has spent many hours patiently guiding Hera’s hunting instincts into a fun time of agility. This duo did not disappoint and came up trumps with many firsts, making the Final and winning! A magnificent result! We are proud to have both of them in the Grande Daze team. Congratulations!
FINALLY
My boy KODIE
I have had the privilege of many wonderful dogs in my life. I have trained and “rehabbed” many many dogs.
Having enjoyed Agility for 38 years and watched the sport get FASTER AND FASTER, I have trained Kodie to work away from me – distance control. I have very bad arthritis in my legs now and wish that I was 20 years old again!
Kodie put in some wonderful rounds at Jersey; good enough to gain a place in the Final. All courses are numbered, 1-20, and you have to work your dog round with no faults. What a wonderful round – Kodie did all I asked and more. Then, handler error! I forgot NO 10, so, this year we didn’t win. Click to read about Dear Kodie!
Most of all I have the wonderful pleasure of working my dog with expert Judges looking on. Read A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE
Thank you one and all for a Super Four Days.
We all enjoyed this event and have some lovely memories. I hope that you have enjoyed reading my report and that it has given you an insight into what we try to achieve here at Grande Daze.
Over the years we have had many articles about people and their dogs. We are adding to those contributions to the website with 2 more stories about the experience of competing in the Jersey Agility Festival. One piece is by the newest member of the Grande Daze Team and the other is from a long-standing, seasoned participant in agility work.
The Novices of the Team – Maryse and Roxane
“My agility baptism in Jersey with Roxane These 4 days were intense and rich in emotion! Indeed the 15 courses, jumping and agility combined brought me an unparalleled experience, whether it concerns the memorization of routes, the management of the stress and unforeseen situations, dog handling techniques, all in a competition situation! For this premiere, I am proud of Roxane’s performances, even if I am aware that we have still many points to improve.” Maryse
Our seasoned veterans – Denise and Fleur
“Fleur came into my life nearly 8 years ago. She was at deaths door when Anita and I found her at the local refuge; she was riddled with mites that were eating her from the inside. This tiny bundle had no hair and was so small she fitted into the palm of my hand. We dressed her in two dog coats and placed her beside a radiator, it was early December and very cold. Anita could see what the problem was and returned the next day with a pipette of medication at the princely cost of 9 euros. Fleur then spent Christmas with one of the helpers from the refuge before coming to live with my late husband and I. It was necessary for her to be given another pipette of medication 1 month after the first by which time her coat had started to sprout.
It took almost 2 years to get her back into reasonable health. Now Fleur has to have a special diabetic diet and occasionally has minor epileptic fits which can be quite frightening. The mites had damaged her pancreas.
We started agility to strengthen her muscles and for fun. She has taken to the discipline and enjoys it on her terms which can be unpredictable at the best of times. Her enjoyment of agility has been displayed very recently at 4 day Jersey Agility Festival where she went from winning a 1st,2nd, and 3rd places in the show to being completely dumbfounded as to what an agility course was. The only answer is ‘she’s a terrier’, but as my husband said, nobody else could love her as we do. Fleur and I regularly compete in agility competitions here in France which entails passing tests before you can enter shows. I hope we can keep going for a few more years before she retires and joins Pip on the sofa.” Denise
Kodie won the 2nd part of his brevet in the latest round of the Agility Competitions. He and Anita made a clear round in the Grade I course and finished in 2nd place overall; one more winning event and he will go into the Grade 2 Class. And to add to this he got a 4th in the Open Agility. Kaos is next in line and we will report on her results in the future. Read about – Dear Kodie!
Luke and Helen did well maintaining their constant and steady 2nd place. Luke is Helen’s first agility dog and together they have learned the ropes. We have high hopes for them in Jersey. You can read Luke’s story – click THE PROGRESS OF LUCKY LUKE aka MR. FOX
Nadège and Hera are collecting points for a hopeful entry into the French semi-finals. Hera is 10 years old now and will probably retire from competitions next year. However, Izzie is a champion in the making.
Our most senior team member, Denise and her little rescue Fleur continue their enjoyment getting around the courses and gaining many noteworthy results. Denise has already achieved great things with 2 previous rescue dogs, the most recent being Pip who retired at the end of last season. You can read about Pip – click THE RETIREMENT OF PIP
We are very proud of all our team members and, in particular, Denise who may retire at the end of the year; we hope that she will change her mind when the end of the year arrives.
Everyone is looking forward to the Jersey competition in a few weeks time. The Jersey event will be posted on the website.
What a wonderful experience it is to have a rapport with your dog! When that rapport goes beyond a ‘master and servant’ type of relationship into an activity that is shared it is magical, one might even say – spiritual. The relationship between animal and human is obvious to us all when we see, for example, Mountain Rescue dogs or a Guide Dog for the Blind. When it is for the sheer joy of sharing an activity that is pure fun it is taken lightly, simply because it is, enjoyable!
Working a dog on an agility course has all the elements of the skills and building rapport as the ones used to train the examples given above. Such relationships have been built between Anita and the dogs who have come into her life, but especially, with her beloved Collie dogs.
It may sound frivolous to put working dogs and having fun together but take that a step further and you realise that frivolity has benefits in that agility is an educational tool to socialise, teach good manners (obedience) and share the exercise of the body and the brain.
Since she was 13 years old Anita has worked with Collie Dogs and as she says, “Agility is in her blood”. She loves the Collie breed with a passion and knows that they are very clever. For Anita, agility is a fun game, “It’s you and your dog and a set of tasks!”
When in the UK Anita and Peter were members of many organisations. For many years Anita was Secretary and Peter was the Chairman of the Mid-Downs Agility Club. They were at the forefront of the first Agility Competitions held at Crufts and, in fact, Peter made equipment that was used at the earliest events.
Coming to France for this animal loving couple meant that building up a business to earn a living and creating a charity to rescue the animals took precedence over Agility Competitions. Thus for 10 years this activity was put on hold.
In Anita’s words she has, “always been fortunate to have the kit, as Peter makes it!” The agility equipment is used to help the rescued dogs who come into their care. The dogs are given focus and the chance to stretch their legs, gain rewards for their effort and focus, use their brains and receive positive attention. In this way the troubled animals are rehabilitated and develop into happy well mannered pets.
Finnegan was the first dog Anita trained to compete in Agility events in France. There are many tests and rules in French Agility which were new for Anita and along with Finnegan she learned the ropes and the pair won many rosettes and accolades. Finnegan has now hung up his boots and it is Kodie’s turn to race around the circuits and fly the flag for Grande Daze. You can read about Kodie in Dear Kodie!
Anita has had to find a way to match Kodie’s speed and enthusiasm, she distance instructs him!
Dear Kodie, as Anita refers to him, entered her life when he was 12 weeks old and she loved him from the moment she set eyes on him.
An English lady living in France bred Kodie by accident and couldn’t find a home for him or his litter siblings. For Anita this was a happy accident and she helped the lady find homes in the UK (pre Brexit) for the rest of the litter. The lady was loving towards her dogs but was, comically, naive about how to keep her adored pets; she remarked to Anita that she had put a pair of knickers on the bitch to stop Kodie’s dad’s ardour! Anita, as Grande Daze Rescue, organised the spaying and castration of the adult dogs in order for this kindly, innocent lady to continue to care for her 2 Collie dogs with the surety of no more ‘happy accidents’!
Finnegan, Anita’s champion agility dog and first French Agility dog, is now in his more mature years and has hung up his boots. As Finnegan has aged, Anita has found that the years have slowed down her own swift easy movements; her body doesn’t want to run any more. French Agility Competitions have many tests and rules different to those of the UK and Anita learned these with Finnegan.
Kodie has stepped into Finnegan’s role and he is fast and moves with swift grace around the obstacles. To continue to enjoy her passion for Agility, Anita has had to find a way to match Kodie’s speed and enthusiasm, she distance instructs him around the course. At times Kodie has been far ahead of Anita and if she hasn’t been quick enough to tell him the next task – he has found one! This is very different to the partnership with Finnegan who would always be at Anita’s side but old age and lack of speed let them down. Anita is concerned that at times she lets Kodie down; she is aware that with his speed the accuracy of her instructions is of the essence and the pair must be synchronised.
Kodie is now 6 years old and has been doing Agility for 2 years but 2 years competition experience has been lost due to Covid 19. The Agility Competition schedule has now returned to normal and the distance instruction work is improving. In fact, points are racking up. On Sunday, 17th July Anita was happy to report that the pair worked together superbly well and the feeling was fabulous! “I love to watch all dogs and owners form this bond – it is pure magic! That’s why I do what I do.”, Anita Edwards, 2022. Read A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE
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