Events

May 18th was a carting kind of day, and our Northwest Club hosted a fun and successful event. Ruth Nielson and Jennifer Brightbil, our welcoming and supportive judges, along with our wonderful volunteers, set the tone and created a positive environment. We were very lucky with the weather, as our test day was sandwiched between days of heavy rain. But on the day itself, we enjoyed partly cloudy skies with sunny breaks and mild temperatures. All the dogs approved of the conditions and had a great time working with their people.

Entries included four Leonbergers, two Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, a Mastiff, and a Schipperke. The resident squirrels at the park were an ever-present distraction, derailing some of the dogs. Two Leonbergers were entered in the Excellent division, with one of them passing while the other found the squirrels too irresistible. However, he managed to perform the exercises once he was hitched and realized he was supposed to be working.

In the Open division, there were two Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, a Mastiff, and a Leonberger, with the Mastiff achieving passing scores. In the Novice division, we had a Leonberger brace team, a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog brace team, a Novice Veteran, and a Schipperke. In this division, the Leonberger brace team earned passing scores.

It is always fun to watch the dogs and their handlers navigate the maneuver course, working together as a team with lots of encouragement and mostly happy smiles. So much can be learned by observing others work with and manage their dogs—and conversely, by watching the dogs respond to their people and surroundings.

Frontier Park is a great venue for drafting, as it provides excellent opportunities for freight hauls. There are large rocks to pass between, a long narrow barn with stalls on each side, gentle hills, and trees for turning around. In addition, there are many varying surfaces—grass, paved paths, rocky dirt areas, and gravel.

Many thanks to our awesome volunteers. Some drove many miles to arrive bright and early to get everything set up and then made sure the day flowed smoothly. Thank you to Maria Nelson, Mark Nelson, Lise Brandhagen, Jessica Hayes, Chris Hayes, Don James, Anne Olson, Junko Ferguson, and John Woodruff.

The day ended with a hearty lunch, awards, and time to relax and visit before it was time to clean up and head for home.