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 ©Tien Tran Photography. All rights reserved. Bramble and Valerie Pietraszewska by: Valerie — July 2006 |
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| Many CATS members will remember Steve Medved's,
Jack. Jack was an outstanding agility dog and all around loveable fellow.
Bramble is Jack's son. Bramble got every ounce of drive and enthusiasm
that Jack's genes had to offer. My adventure in learning with Bramble
began in the spring of 1997. I chose Bramble from the litter of pups
because he brought back the crumpled up newspaper that I'd thrown. Bramble
has always loved working and playing with me. Some people thought that
it was not a good idea for me to get a Border Collie because I frequently
got lost on course with my dog, Uli-man. This is true and I still get
lost on course, but I've gotten better! I say it's my anti-Alzheimer's
tool. When I started training Bramble as a pup, whenever there was another
dog moving, his instinct was to attack. When I trained him in class,
I had to remove him from the sight of the dogs working as he went into
attack mode. In time, Bramble transfered this attack into grabbing a
frisbee and tugging. For many years, at a trial, after Bramble's run,
I arranged for someone to meet us with a frisbee so he wouldn't go after
another dog. People who don't know Bramble from those early years can't
imagine that he was ever like that. Now his entire focus is on me, the
agility obstacles and the frisbee. Bramble is at his happiest when we
are doing agility or swimming and retrieving his frisbee. |
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| Bramble and I have had many teachers and
we've gone to many seminars and training clinics. All of them have helped
us along the way. There are two people though that have been our instructors
for many years and deserve a lot of credit for teaching us how to run
agility and had faith that we could get an ADCH. They are Kitty Arsenault
and Elise Paffrath. Bramble and I have spent many hours with them, training
and practicing. At trials, especially during the years when we needed
to get those last Snooker super Q's, they often helped me strategize
and walk courses. |
©Tien Tran Photography. All rights reserved. |
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| The last Snooker super Q that we earned was done in typical Valerie fashion. We had a perfect opening. Just before the closing my mind went totally blank. I stood for a few seconds holding my head in my hands with Bramble waiting for me. Although I wasn't sure, I thought that I must be near the end, so I turned and headed for the closing sequence. Bramble's speed saved the day. Bramble and I earned our ADCH at the 2006 CATS trial at Wheelock Park. That was sweet, but even better, our judge was none other than one of my first agility instructors and former CATS member, Paul Stolzenburg. |
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| Janet Langdon's Liesl now says that she
will marry Bramble. Picture the Hallmark moment: I have my ADCH and Bramble has his beautiful lady (he'll even share
his frisbee with her).
— Val and Bramble |
 ©Jen Spencer. All rights reserved. |
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| USDAA |
NADAC 2007: Handled by Heidi Konesko — Elite: Regular Agility / Chances / Tunnelers / Touch & Go / Weavers — Open Versaatility Award — Open: Regular Agility / Chances / Jumpers / Tunnelers / Touch & Go / Weavers — Novice Versatility Award — Novice: Regular Agility / Jumpers / Tunnelers / Touch & Go / Weavers (and only 1 Elite Jumpers Q short of the Elite Versatility Award!) |
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Page last updated 6 July 2008