HTM Team GB Celebrate with Westglen

HTM Team GB visited the Westglen Training Show on Sunday.
Westglen had made a fabulous Congratulations Poster with photos of the team included

Karen presented Kath Hardman with a Thank You present
for being "a great Team Manager"




Then everyone at the show posed for this superb photograph

 

The Team were happy to display the flags, cups, rosettes
and an enormous cake they brought for everyone at the show.

What a lovely cake - enjoyed by all

Allan Brown captured some lovely moments on camera - Kay Dunn

Erin Sykes

Nala Hindson

Kes Sykes

Chip Dunn

Goldem Maid "Dunn"

Jenny Knudson's sweet Sheltie

TWO GOLDS FOR HTM TEAM GB

Team GB put in three great performances on Saturday for the Heelwork To Music Championship.

Team GB - Karen with Fly, Lesley with Angus and Kath with Amber WON the OPEN EUROPEAN HEELWORK TO MUSIC TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP.

The Top Ten Handlers and Dogs from the day's competition then performed once more to determine the Individual Title.  The scores from the Team performances were carried forward and Karen, Lesley and Kath with their respective "dance partners" were all placed in the Top Ten.

KAREN AND FLY WON THE OPEN EUROPEAN HEELWORK TO MUSIC CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!

Freestyle Day (Sunday) saw Kath with Spice and Amber and Lesley with Angus compete in the OPEN EUROPEAN FREESTYLE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP where they were thrilled to take FOURTH PLACE.

Once again, the Top Ten Handlers and Dogs from the day's competition then performed once more to determine the Individual Title.  Lesley with Angus and Kath with Spice were delighted to be placed in the Top Ten therefore they competed once more.   Kath with Amber were just outside the placings.

Lesley with Angus finished in very respectable 4th place and Kath with Spice finished in 7th place in the Individual Competition.

THANK YOU FROM ALL THE TEAM FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ALL THE MESSAGES OF GOOD LUCK AND CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Lots of photographs to be uploaded once the Team arrive home.  Check this link for full reviews of both days competition.

Unfortunate News

Unfortunate news from yesterday.   Kathleen Stubbings has informed the Kennel Club that she has had to withdraw from Team GB and the forthcoming Championships to be held in Denmark next month.

Team GB now stands as follows :
Heelwork To Music Team:
Karen Sykes – Iatka Spring Spangle HTM A Ex (Fly)
Kath Hardman – Stillmoor Lady In Red FCI HTM WCh 2010, HTM A Es, FS I Ex (Amber)
Lesley Neville – Choxxstart Dream Angus FS A Ex, HTM A Ex (Angus)

Freestyle Team:
Lesley Neville – Choxxstart Dream Angus FS A Ex, HTM A Ex   (Angus)
Kath Hardman – September Spice FS A Ex (Spice)
Kath Hardman – Stillmoor Lady In Red HTM A Es, FS I Ex (Amber)

The competition alllows a team of four dogs to compete with the highest 3 scores counting towards the Team Total  - so Team GB is still able to compete as a full team in both HTM and Freestyle.

Local Press Article

The Derbyshire Press contacted HTM Team GB for a photo and details of the forthcoming competition.
The Team hope that people will support them by raising the funds needed for travel, accommodation, competing and the compulsory veterinary treatment needed before the return journey.

Team GB Announced



Lesley with Angus, Kath with Spice and Amber and Karen with Fly

The Danish Kennel Club has accepted the Great Britain Team entry for the 2011 European Open Championships. The teams were selected carefully and are comprised of the following members:

HTM Team: Karen Sykes – Iatka Spring Spangle HTM A Ex
Kath Hardman – Stillmoor Lady In Red HTM A Es, FS I Ex
Lesley Neville – Choxxstart Dream Angus FS A Ex, HTM A Ex

Freestyle Team: Kath Hardman – September Spice FS A Ex
Kath Hardman – Stillmoor Lady In Red HTM A Es, FS I Ex
Lesley Neville – Choxxstart Dream Angus FS A Ex, HTM A Ex

The Final Competition Day

SUNDAY - the day of the Individual HTM and Freestyle World Championship Finals Carol Dodson and Clifton had drawn to be first into the ring where they performed a superb routine to Escala Compilation..

Clifton showing his beautiful Paw Work. They competed well scoring a cumulative total from Friday and Sunday of 54.73 and finished the individual competition in 5th Place.

Kath Hardman and Amber had drawn to run 10th. They performed yet another superb routne to the music No More Tears (Enough is Enough) but would their performance be enough to keep their first place reached in the Team event on Friday? Amber was well focussed on Kath and Kath knew they needed to perform as well or better than Friday to keep the lead. Happily they did just that and finished with a total score of 57.40, winning the First Ever Individual World HTM Championship Title.

Following straight on from the HTM Competition was the Individual Competion where Michelle Dodson was the representative of the Great Britain Team.Tamar looked so happy performing - he seemed to be smiling in parts - maybe he knew this was to be his last competition as Tamar was to be retired directly on his return home. They finished in 7th position with a grand total score of 53.00. Well Done Tamar - and of course Michelle!

The three judges with champagne at the ready, congratulated all the finalists as they were welcomed into the HTM Arena.

Individual HTM World Championship

1st Kath Hardman with Stillmoor Lady In Red W Ch HTM 2010, HTM A Ex, FS I Ex 57.40
2nd Anja Christiansen with Faehunden's Queeny Las 57.10

3rd Vanda Gregorova with All That Brandy Gentle Mate 56.20

A very happy partnership with trophy, rosette and certificates.

Individual World Freestyle Championship

1st Thierry Thomas with Ubac - 57.47
2nd Vanda Gregorova with All That Brandy Gentle Mate - 57.00
3rd Alena Smolikova with Dapper Dame Black Chervers - 56.80

The presentation in the Main Arena - one dog press reported that there were 19,354 dogs entered at this world Dog Show and the only time the National Anthem of Great Britain was played was when Kath Hardman and Amber received their winners' bouquet in the Main Ring.

The proud GB Team Members receiving their bouquets in the Main Ring

The HTM Team World Championships - won by Denmark 81.14

2nd Place Great Britain 78.47 - 3rd Place The Czech Republic 73.03

The two Individual World Champions gather again for one more photo call!Celebrations over, the vet was the team's next port of call. The dogs had to be checked for fitness to travel home, given tick/flea treatment and wormed - then their passports signed and stamped - in all the right places!!! A small marquee had been erected close by to the HTM Hall just for this purpose. There would be a lot of dogs travelling home the next day.

The vet and assistant completing the necessary paperwork to get their pets home. Luckily the Team had been told that they could provide both their own wormers and Flea/tick treatment - so this saved more money - but they still had to pay for a consultation for each dog.

The final morning in Denmark - Jack the very Lucky Team Mascot sits in pride of place with the Team's Trophy.

The Practice Day - Thursday

The Team arrived at the venue for the 2010 World dog show early as Jenny had been invited to demo her reserve HTM routine in the main arena.

It was a short walk from the Car Park to the HTM/FS Arena but the Team were pleased they had taken their sturdy trolleys.The Team stuck together like glue for their first venture into the massive venue. Main Sponsor of the event was Eukanuba.Ted had a short break taking in the scene and the atmosphere! On getting there, the team began setting up camp in the HTM teams' area! Cages, cards, bunting and pictures all filled the HTM Team GB area, giving it some colour and throughout the 4 days received many compliments about it! One person saying we have heard about this decorating the area from Crufts!

The Main Arena - all ready for the show to begin..Jenny and Tom in the warm up area.Jenny’s demo went very well and being in the spotlight performing her routine was somewhat of a new thing! Tom did not bat an eyelid and was on true Tom form! The routine even had some coverage on a local Danish TV news programme who were explaining about the World Dog Show and the events taking place there. The team returned to the HTM Hall waiting for the allocated practice times in the HTM competition ring. Each team had a HTM and Freestyle time to practice in the ring. There was also a warm up ring just behind the competition ring which was very useful throughout the whole competition.
The team’s times were used effectively walking through their routines, floor plans and checking movements on the ring’s red carpet.

Whilst the HTM competitors were preparing for the start of the competition there were other events going on in the World Dog Show and some of the team saw the Obedience and Breed showing too. It was amazing to see some breeds that we do not have in this country, or maybe not very often!
Thursday night there was a prearranged Team dinner where some of the competitors had a a chance to dine together, getting to meet other Team members.

HTM Team GB - the Cabaret Night

Tuesday 27th April 2010 - the Big Fund Raising Event. Held at The Kennel Club Building, Stoneleigh. A beautiful evening - and an enthusiastic audience. What could be better?

The Team were proud to be introduced into the ring wearing their HTM Team GB uniforms to open the show. Jackets supplied and designed by "Crazydogs" with a superb Union Jack Paw Print on the back, featuring the four Main Sponsors of HTM Team GB - Rugby DTC, Belgian Shepherd Dog Association of GB, Paws N Music Association and Canine Freestyle GB.Many thanks to Dave Ray who gave up his time and supplied the PA equipment and great commentary throughout the evening.

All photographs featured on the blog are thanks to Allan Brown, who was kept busy from the moment he arrived!

Firstly the GB Heelwork to Music Team were introduced.
Gina Pink with "Bailey" Daradala Piccolo HTM I Ex German Spitz

Carole Dodson and "Clifton" Kinaway Doctor Watson HTM A Ex. FS A Ex. B Ex Border Collie

Kath Hardman and "Amber" Stillmoor Lady In Red HTM A Ex, FS I Ex Border Collie

Then was the GB Freestyle Team - Michelle Dodson and "Tamar" Karmarda Doctor Foster FS A Ex, HTM I Ex
Jenny Deakin and "Tom" Shepwood Morning Sunrise FS N Ex, HTM I Ex Border Collie

Sadly missing from the evening, due to work commitments, was Penny Draper with Delark Gavotte FS I Belgian Shepherd (Terveruen). She was in our thoughts though!

Each member performed a routine or two - this is Jenny and Tom - they are the Reserve Dog and Handler for HTM, dancing to "Sing Sing Sing" by The Spitfire Band. Jenny loves this track and is avid fan of Strictly Come Dancing, where she first heard a version of track. Jenny has already qualified, with this routine, for the 2011 dfsCrufts semi-finals to be held in January 2011 by Rugby Dog Training Club, one of the main sponsors of Team GB .

Followed by Carole Dodson and Clifton - the Reserve handler and dog for Freestyle performing a "Pirate" routine. Clifton got a big cheer from the audience when he found the treasure!

Gina with Bailey performing an HTM Routine. Bailey and Gina performed to some very moving music - demonstrating all the different positions which the HTM team will need at the Champs.

Michelle and Tamar - performing a Freestyle Routine to "Busker Alley". The track is from a musical and tells the story of a busker called Charlie who spends his life entertaining the crowds on the streets of London.

The team was very honoured and grateful that Mary Ray also joined in the night's entertainment performing her 2010 DFS Crufts routine.

Kath Hardman also joined in with another of her dogs, crossbreed Spice with their Crufts 2008 winning Freestyle Routine to "If I Only Had A Brain". This helped show how GB also has some great non-pedigree dogs working in the sport.

This was followed by the very popular auction which raised over £500. Thank you to everyone who bid for items and those who gave items for the auction.

After the short interval, Michelle and Tamar completed another Freestyle routine, performing to "Another Cup Of Tea". The crowd, mesmorised by the storyline, could see how much Tamar loves this routine - this team were placed 3rd with this routine the first time they ever performed in the Crufts Freestyle Finals.

Kath and Amber performing a Heelwork To Music routine to "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)" by Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand. A piece of music which lends itself to Heelwork To Music with its forever changing of pace and phrasing. Kath and Amber have already qualified for the DFS Crufts 2011 Semi Finals with this routine and they were placed 2nd at the DFS Crufts HTM Final held in March 2010.

And Jenny with Tom performing to Pencil Full of Lead by Paolo Nultini.

An upbeat number that leaves Jenny rather breathless at the end!!! Tom won't be – shows Jenny up!
Jenny is a secret (not anymore!) country and western fan from her many trips to the USA in her childhood and where her Dad now lives for most of the year! This is where the theme of this routine was inspired from…

And to close the evening's entertainment, Carole and Clifton took to the floor performing their Crufts 2010 winning HTM Routine to "Escala". Carole’s interpretation took us into the world of a Russian Secret Agent, which does not know whether to run and hide or stay and fight. But of course she eventually is saved by her trusty dog Clifton!

Once again - thank you to everyone who supported this event.