The video was shot in “slow-motion” HD and is AWESOME! Check it out!

Czech FLYBALL Championship 2011

SLOW MOTION MOVIE
4.9.2011 Mladá Boleslav

You do not need any translation to understand this movie. It is shot by flyballers at the Czech National Flyball Championships.

In Flyball, it’s a small, small world.

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Artist: HIM
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-Chris

You may have been reading the recent post about NAFA’s Breed Challenge Proposal. You may have also, as a fellow flyballer commented to me yesterday, ‘gotten lost’ in all the subsequent comments and wonder ‘what is the real or main issue’?

To me, the real issue is the existing Rule as published in the rulebook regarding CRN registration. All the other issues that surround the topic of breed challenge relate directly back to the rule.

Basically, without quoting directly, the rule says a dog may be registered as a breed of the owner’s choosing as long as the breed itself is recognized by one of the breed registries (eg., AKC, etc.). What the rule does not say is that the actual ‘dog’ must be registered to one of the organizations, nor does it say that the dog must have breed papers or any other type of verification of its designated breed.

This is causing a dilemma for NAFA leadership as well as existing flyball participants and new folks considering getting a CRN for their new flyball dog.

I think NAFA is trying to fix the problem in an ineffective and inefficient way. They are putting the cart before the horse so-to-speak. In my opinion, NAFA must first change the Rule. In order to do that, they must also make a decision to change course for the flyball community. Do they want to now require breed papers for a CRN registration or do they want to continue to allow breed designation without any proof.

I sent them a request for consideration at the August BoD meeting. I suggested some wording that reflects the way the existing rule actually is at this moment. I also suggested perhaps the Board may be able to come up with some better wording than mine. I posted it on the previous article.

The Board had some questions about my submission and I posted that on the previous article as well.

Some of the words being discussed due to the current dilemma are: breed, purebred, look-a-like, mix, cheater. To me, they each relate back to the existing Rule that is published in the Rulebook. Many flyballers have discussed in the previous post that allowing look-a-likes has always been one of NAFA’s strengths in the dog sport world. They commented they like the fact that flyball is not akin to the show world and that imperfect dogs are allowed to play and be recognized.

Take my husky-look-a-like, for example. For 10 years (well, actually 11 this year), she has been registered as a ‘mix’. Back when I registered her CRN, I thought in order to identify her as a Siberian Husky, I had to have pedigree papers. She does not have them. She came from a shelter. The day before yesterday I found out that NAFA allows (based on the existing Rule) a look-a-like to be registered as a breed specific dog. In combination with this new revelation, other people also think she is a Sibe; e.g., a fellow flyballer (or two), a line judge asked if she was a Husky several years ago when circling our lineup dogs on the timesheet, my neighbor’s 6-year-old son upon meeting my dog the first time said ‘that’s a husky, right?’

So, ok then, I’ll try an experiment; and, according to the Rules, I’ll change her from a mix to a Sibe. The change was almost instantaneous and she now shows under that breed in NAFA’s database. I’m going to have to try very hard to remember to list her as a Sibe and not a mix at my next tourney (after all I’ve been calling her a mix for 11 years).

If I were a conformation expert, would I say she is a perfect Sibe? Absolutely not. Would I say she is a purebred? I don’t know. She has most of the attributes and she looks like one based on her size, coloring, markings, etc. But, her ears don’t always stand upright and her tail is curled most of the time. I think these are both non-perfect traits in the conformation arena. But, then, again, I don’t really know her background completely and I definitely don’t have papers on her.

Am I a cheater? Definitely not. I believe I am going by the current Rules as published. After all is said and done at the Board meeting during their review of the Breed Challenge Proposal, if NAFA decides to change their Rule and require papers or other proof, I think I will change her back to mix. I want to abide by the rules at all times.

Besides, I don’t really care about her breed. I was experimenting for the benefit of flyball. She is the perfect-husky-look-alike-flyball-dog for me and I am very blessed she shares her life with me!

Linda

I recently posted something to my friends on facebook and it gave me the idea that it would be worth sharing. The incident took place at a tourney this past weekend (August 20-21, 2011).

It was so cool! There were (I originally thought 7 or 8 and was quickly given the correct count) nine…yep, 9 of them at the tourney. Nine junior handlers. They were as someone else commented ‘awesome’ to watch handle.

My team’s start dog handler, I hope no one minds if I use his real name, Quinn, even got a .000 once. Whoo-hoo!

At the end of the tourney, each junior handler was recognized for their participation and it was something I have never seen at a tourney before. That many all at one time. It was absolutely wonderful to have shared in their successes during the weekend and I look forward to being able to witness something like this again!

I think I have to add it to my previous list What I Like About U!

Linda