Local Dog Club Members do well in the U.S.

Judge Richard J. Lewis,Sharlot Caroe, Easy Ryder, Mary Ellen Whyte, Tess

Chris Davis

Pincher Creek's own Mary Ellen Whyte with her German Shorthaired Pointer "Tessa" and teammate Sharlet Caroe with Snowy Creek's Easy Ryder traveled to Great Falls/Missoula, Montana for the Electric City Kennel Club Dog Show this summer. Tessa won Highest in Class all three times in Rally Novice B competition, to obtain her US Rally Novice title three time straight. The duo moved up to Rally Advanced B, tied for 4th place, and then took High in Class the last day with 95/100.

Sharlet and Ryder obtained 4 combined scores in Rally Advanced and Excellent towards their American Kennel Club's AKC Rally® Advanced Excellent (RAE) title.

Caroe and Whyte train their dogs with the Cowley based Southern Alberta Working and Herding club. They started training with Judith Snowdon of Shadowbar Shepherds, who is now a licenced Canadian Kennel Club Rally judge.

Whyte and Tessa won three High in Class for Rally Novice B jumping, which is an exercise in pattern-following obedience. Each station has a different excercise, similar to horse show-jumping. Tessa obtained her U.S. Rally Novice title.

Easy Ryder was working towards his RAE title. The team of dog and handler does an Advanced pattern and Excellent pattern in the same day, to qualify in both levels. RAE titles are given when the team has done 10 consecutive patterns in each level on the same day. Ryder is #4 Rally Dog in Canada 2010 and obtained 4 RAE legs towards his RAE 1 in the U.S. He is working on RAE 5 in Canada.

Tessa and Mary Ellen Whyte
C. Davis photo