Road Trial Play Day
071407
Overview

Our first official club event was a big success. A special thank you to the large group that worked hard to make it happen. With 11 or more Dalmatians in attendance and four horses, there was more than enough to see and do. The event started out with a demonstration by Donna Gump, acting judge, and Cathy Raver, acting exhibitor. Each person that attended was provided a bound reference book provided by Kathy Wosnak. The discussion guide in the reference book included a visual of each acceptable performance and possible sources of penalties. The live demo was narrated by Gayle, whose experience from multiple judging assignments allowed participants to see the correct execution of the exercises as wall as some incorrect behaviors by the exhibitor. We hope that the manual and demo will help in future Road Trialers prepare.

After the demonstration, participants were encouraged to join in activities going on simultaneously in each end of the arena. There were obedience games in one end led by Cathy Raver which were easy and simple games focusing on off lead and distance obedience, the way dogs must ultimately be able to perform the Road Trial exercises. Cathy gave excellent tips on ground work and included hand outs for each exercise in the reference manual.

In the other end of the arena, Gayle supplied a very gentle horse, Coal, and invited everyone to climb aboard and give the hock and long sit or down a try. Some of the Dalmatians were a little reserved but after only a few minutes with the big black dog, they were sniffing and even trotting beside the horse. Everyone was surprised that their dog was unable to find them at first when they mounted. Plenty of photos were taken and everyone - including the horse - had a wonderful time.

After everyone was done playing obedience and giving their Dalmatians a try on the horse, we retreated to the shade tree. Beth Bauer, DVM, was on hand to talk to us about conditioning and health issues to prepare for a Road Trial. Beth has been a Road Trial vet for several events, plus is an avid rider herself. She gave us several pointers on the vet checks and how to make sure that handlers complete the vet checks to their dogs’ advantage. A hand out was given on preparing a first aid kit for traveling with your dog. This sparked a lot of discussion on medication, doses, and when to give medication. The informative and valuable information was also supported by handouts in the reference manual.

After the seminar we sat in the shade of these wonderful trees and ate lunch together. This allowed us to get to know each other more and to exchange stories. Fellowship and laughter was had for all. A special welcome to all the newbies to the Dalmatian world.

The newest kid was given the opportunity to be exposed to new things. This event provided a wonderful foundation for the new show dog. Many of the conformation dogs will continue on to AKC performance events. Many conformation exhibitors would like to move to the performance events but are unsure how to get started. With their busy show schedule, it is difficult to attend formal classes regularly. The play day allows these members the opportunity to learn in a relaxed atmosphere.

Our presenters for the day: From left to right Cathy Raver Gayle Riggins Beth Bauer DVM Donna Gump

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