18 Saber Tails Summer 2017
Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America
The 2017 National started off with two agility trials on
Tuesday April 25
th
. The trials had drawn a good entry of
42 runs at each trial. One of the pit falls of an outside agil-
ity trial is you are at the mercy of Mother Nature. The day
started off with overcast skies and a sprinkle of rain here
and there. As the day went on the rain and clouds left
to be replaced by the sun and temperatures in the low
80’s. Not ideal for doing agility but the dogs and handlers
made the best of it.
Trial #1 Time to Beat was run first followed by Trial #2
Time to Beat. Then Standard Trial #1 and Trial #2 and last-
ly Jumpers Trial #1 and #2. Having two trials in one day
makes for a very long day for the dogs and handlers who
are also working to build the courses. Local Trial Secre-
tary Tina Eastman was a great help in getting several of
her local agility club members to come out and help with
course builds.
A short lunch break was taken after all the Standard class-
es finished. Pizza and soda was brought in by hospital-
ity chair Michael Edwards for lunch in the club house.
After lunch, spectators and participants took cover from
the sun under a couple of large trees close to the ring to
watch the last of the day’s runs. Then back to the club
house for presentation of the Regional and National class
placement rosettes and trophies along with the High in
Trials. Congratulations to all the participants and winners.
Agility is designed to demonstrate a dog’s willingness
to work with his handler in a variety of situations. It is an
athletic event that requires conditioning, concentration,
training, and teamwork. Dogs and handlers must negoti-
ate an obstacle course while racing against the clock. It
is a great form of exercise for both dog and handler but
most importantly— it’s a fun way to bond.
You don’t have to compete to enjoy agility. Many people
start the sport just for fun, only to get bitten by the agility
bug and become lifelong competitors!
The Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen (PBGV) Club of Ameri-
ca held its Annual Eastern Regional and National Agility
Trials on March 28, 2017, at the Piedmont Kennel Club
Showplace, Charlotte, NC. The site was outdoors on a
grass surface. This was particularly challenging for the
PBGV as they are notorious scent hounds—used for hunt-
ing small game. With the trial being held outdoors and
Regional High in Trial was won by “Ben”
PACH3 Brenda’s
Benson Of Pacar RE MXP9 MXPG MJP9 MJPG PAX3 PC-
MHX RHX Owned by Paul and Carole Urban and handled
by Paul.
National High in Trial was won by “Chili” MACH5 Clancy’s
Capsaicin Rush VCD2 RAE MXB3 MJB3 OF T2B RHX CGCA
Owned by Megan and David Esherick and handled by
Megan.
Vickie Willmann
2017 National Agility Chair
2017 National Agility Report
By Vickie Willmann
PBGVCA Regional and National Specialties Judge’s Remarks
Agility Trials
AKC Judge: Bob Jeffers – Odessa FL
the grass being wet—this was a great challenge in and
of itself for these small hunters; however, their instinct to
sniff was overcome by great handling from experienced
agility trainers and handlers. Great runs were had by all
who competed – from Novice to Master level…What a
“Great JOB”!!!
There were 11 Master/Excellent, 3 Open, and 4 Novice
dogs that ran very challenging courses in Time 2 Beat,
Standard, and Jumpers with Weaves classes. The qualifi-
cation rate was very good for an outside trial.
High Scoring Dog
High Scoring Dog in Trial was awarded on the basis of
the highest score of 100. If there was a tie for the highest
score, then the dog with the most yards per second pre-
vailed. The winners of this prestigious honor were:
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