August 2014 Challenge

Top Dog Agility Players (TDAP) will publish each month at least one course or game to which any agility player in the world is invited to compete. These are the challenge courses. Scores for every dog who plays, no matter where in the world they played, will be rolled up into results as single event.

The Secretary’s Pick challenge course for the month of August, 2014 are published below! Whether you are a big club or an individual with a nice big back yard… set up these courses and play with us!

All dogs who play are eligible for agility titles awarded by the TDAP. These titles are described in Our Rules!

First Round Game: Steeplechase

Briefing

This is a simple numbered course. The scoring basis is: Time, Plus Faults.

Follow the numbers, keep the bars up, hit the paint. And have fun.

Second Round Game: Time Warp

 

Briefing

This is a simple game, run like a standard course. The Scoring Basis is Time, Plus Faults, Less Bonus. There is an opportunity on this course to earn a 50 point bonus which is subtracted from the Time, Plus Faults part of your score: If you can stay on the opposite side of the containment line through your dog’s performance of obstacles #12 through #15, then you will earn a 50 point bonus. Note that the bonus is not lost for any faults in the distance challenge.

Secretary’s Pick

The course will be used for the league challenge.

This is a standard course. The scoring basis is Faults, Then Time. Follow the numbers, keep the bars up, and hit the paint. And have fun.

Challenge League

For the fun of dog agility competition we are creating team league challenge. At this time an agility team is five dogs and five different handlers. A team will combine their scores on the monthly Secretaries Pick challenge course. The high scoring team each month wins.

To illustrate how a league event might work with lots of dogs: The premier event at Queen City Dog Training (August 5, 2014) will begin with two qualifying games or courses (the first two shown above). The five top scoring dogs, when their scores for the first two rounds are combined, will be designated the league team for the final round.

Even though everybody will get to play the final round (the third course, shown above); only the scores of the league team will count towards the league score.

The Agility Show

We’ll be filming the premier event at Queen City Dog Training (August 5, 2014). Hopefully within the week we will be streaming The Show on the internet. Everyone around the world who competes on the challenge course will get to compare their own efforts with the stars of the Queen City program.

At the same time, just so we don’t leave anyone out, we’ll make space on our Facebook page for everyone who competes to link to a YouTube of their pups performance!

League0001

 

Questions comments & impassioned speeches to Bud Houston Houston.Bud@gmail.com. Visit the web store at: www.dogagility.org/newstore. Please note that the web store carries The Book of Agility Games. This is an important reference for any club who plays the variety of games that we’ll play in Top Dog Agility Players.

The YouTube Agility Challenge

This is a test presentation of event results linking individual records to YouTube recordings. We’re excited by the possibilities. The month isn’t over yet; and we expect results from other quarters.

These results are from the League Challenge, the final round we ran at Queen City earlier this month. The experiment surely wasn’t perfect. Our novice camera-people missed some of the performances. And two of the final team runs were missed. But the world isn’t perfect.

Sharon Lafuse, Garnette, Belgian Sheepdog, 0, 45.36, 1, http://youtu.be/TAsEQqLsJk4

Brenda Gilday, Bella, Miniature Schnauzer, 0, 52.89, 2,  

Marsha Houston, Katniss, Mix, 0, 84.49, 3, http://youtu.be/BvP9M6IEwPs

Catherine Berberich, Penny, Lab, 5, 44.57, 4,  

Cindy Ponyah, Molly, Jack Russell Terrier, 5, 51.68, 5, http://youtu.be/js1BXalmHAs

Marsha Houston, Phoenix, Border Collie, 5, 55.38, 6, http://youtu.be/a_QS4dtFWdQ

Jane Dewey, Tattle, Sheltie, 5, 65.14, 7, http://youtu.be/IjON8CI9Ufc

Chris Puls, Dazzle, Malinois, 10, 54.19, 8, http://youtu.be/aY3u7TxW8WM

Linda Schwartz, Zorro, Schipperke, 10, 60.17, 9, http://youtu.be/IfWroW2UP7I

Diane Carr, Drifter, Border Collie, 10, 60.51, 10, http://youtu.be/sJdRewBbpzI

Ruth Ann Stewart, Coyote, Poodle, 10, 71.47, 11,

Catherine Berberich, Erik, Lab, 10, 75.61, 12, http://youtu.be/gKbtsfF8Zys

Brenda Gilday, Leela, Border Collie, 15, 50.88, 13, http://youtu.be/i3Vd3vNYn4M

Erica Behnke, Tressel, Brittany, 15, 60.23, 14, http://youtu.be/sfMjXCo31TA

Bud Houston, Kory, Border Collie, 15, 75.64, 15, http://youtu.be/zV6ZQk6cwcE

Kandy Robinson, Frenzie, Border Collie, 25, 74.79, 16, http://youtu.be/gpdJDjamfB0

Cindy Ponyah, Nikki, Jack Russell Terrier, 35, 55.28, 17,

Pearl Tsang, Simeon, Tervuren, 35, 77.71, 18, http://youtu.be/19mcVKbjddo

Shirley Harrison, Thistle, Border Collie, 60, 76.64, 19, http://youtu.be/LeATUJYDxe4

The number of dogs that ran the final round was roughly half of the dogs who showed up; many people bailed because they didn’t make the “team”. It’s a bit of an error in thinking, as this is the round that ultimately will earn the greatest number of Lifetime Performance points.  

It’s worth pointing out, again, that the League Team was selected before the running of the final round. As it happens this was not collectively the best performance of the dogs on the team for the evening. Indeed, the first place dog (Sharon Lafuse’s Belgian Shepherd Garnette) just missed getting a spot on the team.

It’s All About Me

As I do the editing of this file, I consider not including the video/YouTube of my own run with Kory. It was pretty pathetic. On the evening my arthritis has me nearly crippled and I cannot provide the minimum kind of movement that a brilliant distance working dog like Kory needs to be well directed. But don’t you know… it’s this human notion of self-reflection. We all have a story, an excuse, a brag, and a ponderable.

In a way that’s the magic of the YouTube recording. It’s trapped there, in amber, and forever.  Life, don’t you know, is like a movie that goes on and on. We take these snapshots of a moment in space and the overall movie is lost. It’s not the 35 year old man out there out-running a bunch of little old ladies with his pure-for-motion Sheltie. No, it’s the 60+ guy with arthritic knees running his compensatory Border Collie.

Everybody’s going to have a story. So… the YouTube stays.

Crazy Eddie

A course that is published by Top Dog is forever open to play. You must appreciate that “forever” is a very long time. You may run a two year old pup on a course today, and then run that same dog on the same course when he is seven years old. It allows the interesting prospect of comparing the performance of the dog on the course at two unique intervals in his life.

Let’s take this unusual event recording a step farther. Let’s say that in 20 years the dogs with which you competed on this course are over the bridge and you’ve moved on to a new generation of dogs. That’s what dog lovers do. Now, wouldn’t it be fun to compete on the same course or game with two separate generations of dogs?

The real complication of this is the data processing puzzle. Lifetime Performance Points are awarded on a fairly strict 1 point for every lesser score. Because the course is open for play “forever”… this means that a dog who earns 20 LPP on a course today might ultimately earn 800 points, or more, over the course of 10 years or so; even though he only ran on the course that one time.

How to Participate!

Anyone (club, group or individual) may set up any or all of the Challenge Courses. For results to be recorded for this event the courses must be run in the month of August, 2014, and results must be reported by midnight on August 31, 2014.

If you would like to play, these are important resources for you:

Top Dog Pup Registration Form (it’s free);
Scorekeeping Package for August 2014 Challenge Courses (Excel file);
Top Dog Rules and Regulations (Our simple system for scoring performance)

Blog021

Questions comments & impassioned speeches to Bud Houston Houston.Bud@gmail.com. Visit the web store at: www.dogagility.org/newstore. Please note that the web store carries The Book of Agility Games. This is an important reference for any club who plays the variety of games that we’ll play in Top Dog Agility Players.

Top Dog Agility Challenge

Queen City’s first Top Dog Agility League is in the books. The results stand as an open invitation and challenge to anyone in the world who’d like to compete on the same course.

All of the results are summarized down below. First I’d like to do a bit of analysis of the evening. This competition served as a great demonstration of several of the interesting attributes of Top Dog league competition:

An Entertaining Evening

Everybody was really into the competition and having a really good time. The club was a marvelous host. And there was no shortage of people to build courses and help with the conduct of the ring.

The Business Model

League play, as a slot in the schedule for the clubhouse has an interesting economy of scale. In a one hour slot the club could run as many as 40 dogs on a single game or course and still have time for a briefing and walk-through. A training class might be able to host 6 to 10 dogs.

The Queen City Team Score

From the first two rounds of the competition the five dogs with the best combined score were “picked” as the Queen City Challenge Team. These were the results (the last bit of each line was each dog’s overall placement against the field):

• Brenda Gilday, Bella, Miniature Schnauzer, 0, 52.89, 2
• Catherine Berberich, Penny, Lab, 5, 44.57, 4
• Chris, Puls Dazzle, Malinois, 10, 54.19, 8
• Diane, Carr Drifter, Border Collie, 10, 60.51, 10
• Brenda, Gilday Leela, Border Collie, 15, 50.88, 13

The combined score of these five dogs was actually more impressive in either of the first two rounds. But that’s the way it goes. The way a league competition works is that the Team dogs must be selected before running the competition. Under the rules of the league… you can’t just take the top five scores and call that your team (if you run more than 5 dogs).

The Judge can compete!

Our judge for the evening was Brenda Gilday. Not only did she expose this interesting feature of Top Dog competition… but she managed to get two dogs onto the team.

The Team was not dominated by Border Collies!

The relaxed rates-of-travel used by Top Dog gives considerably more weight to the “Clean Run”. That being said, the first two games were basically Time, Plus Faults, and yet the team consisted of a Miniature Schnauzer, a Lab, a Malinois, and two Border Collies.

The Agility Show is being edited by Sharon LaFuse. We hope to have it published by the end of the week. We had a little difficulty with the camera. In the final round we missed filming both Bella (the Miniature Schnauzer) and Penny (the Lab). We’re hoping that somebody outside the ring recorded these. This was supposed to be the YouTube Challenge, after all. Our camera-person got to compete too. I think her brain was exploding just a bit. Her dog Garnette actually won the Steeplechase… and won the final round. But he tanked Time Warp, and so didn’t get onto the Queen City Team.

YouTube Links ~ If you were one of the competitors and you have a YouTube recording of your dog in any of the courses and games we ran on the evening… please send the link to me: Houston.Bud@gmail.com. We’re working on a technology that will allow you to open your record online… and provide the link yourself.

Results from Steeplechase

This was a Time, Plus Faults game. Results are in order of placement.

Sharon Lafuse, Garnette, Belgian Sheepdog, 0, 36.39, 36.39, 1

Catherine Berberich, Penny, Lab, 0, 39.64, 39.64, 2

Brenda Gilday, Bella, Miniature Schnauzer, 0, 48.57, 48.57, 3

Chris Puls, Dazzle, Malinois, 5, 46.95, 51.95, 4

Diane Carr, Drifter, Border Collie, 15, 38.62, 53.62, 5

Bud Houston, Kory, Border Collie, 5, 49.53, 54.53, 6

Brenda Gilday, Leela, Border Collie, 10, 45.17, 55.17, 7

Pearl Tsang, Simeon, Tervuren, 5, 52.7, 57.7, 8

Marsha Houston, Phoenix, Border Collie, 10, 48.56, 58.56, 9

Cindy Ponyah, Nikki, Jack Russell Terrier, 5, 53.79, 58.79, 10

Maryann Chappelear, Scout, Shetland Sheepdog, 5, 54.67, 59.67, 11

Cindy Ponyah, Molly, Jack Russell Terrier, 10, 49.9, 59.9, 12

Jane Dewey, Tattle, Sheltie, 10, 51.47, 61.47, 13

Ruth Ann Stewart, Coyote, Poodle, 5, 61.08, 66.08, 14

Maryann Chappelear, Mira, Shetland Sheepdog, 15, 54.89, 69.89, 15

Pearl Tsang, Elle, Tervuren, 25, 54.37, 79.37, 16

Marsha Houston, Katniss, Mix, 10, 70.21, 80.21, 17

Terrie Ralenkotter, Seti, Basset Hound, 5, 77.55, 82.55, 18

Catherine Berberich, Erik, Lab, 20, 72, 92, 19

Ruth Ann Stewart, Homey, Toy Poodle, 20, 76.31, 96.31, 20

Kandy Robinson, Frenzie, Border Collie, 45, 51.37, 96.37, 21

Bonnie Smith, Saraphina, Papillon, 50, 54.04, 104.04, 22

Ruth Ann Stewart, Mojo, Toy Poodle, 25, 80.87, 105.87, 23

Shirley Harrison, Thistle, Border Collie, 45, 77.4, 122.4, 24

Ruth Ann Stewart, Memphis, Toy Poodle, 30, 93.05, 123.05, 25

Linda Schwartz, Zorro, Schipperke, 40, 99.89, 139.89, 26

Results from TimeWarp

This was a Time, Plus Faults, Less Bonus game. Results are in order of placement.

Brenda Gilday, Leela, Border Collie, 5, 50, 33.32, -11.68, 1

Diane Carr, Drifter, Border Collie, 0, 50, 45.03, -4.97, 2

Catherine Berberich, Penny, Lab, 0, 50, 45.93, -4.07, 3

Cindy Ponyah, Nikki, Jack Russell Terrier, 0, 50, 48.44, -1.56, 4

Maryann Chappelear, Scout, Shetland Sheepdog, 0, 50, 53.34, 3.34, 5

Cindy Ponyah, Molly, Jack Russell Terrier, 0, 50, 53.39, 3.39, 6

Chris Puls, Dazzle, Malinois, 0, 50, 53.92, 3.92, 7

Brenda Gilday, Bella, Miniature Schnauzer, 0, 50, 54.41, 4.41, 8

Marsha Houston, Phoenix, Border Collie, 5, 50, 52.57, 7.57, 9

Bud Houston, Kory, Border Collie, 10, 50, 53.22, 13.22, 10

Sharon Lafuse, Garnette, Belgian Sheepdog, 0, 50, 63.27, 13.27, 11

Shirley Harrison, Thistle, Border Collie, 5, 50, 58.95, 13.95, 12

Kandy Robinson, Frenzie, Border Collie, 15, 50, 53.42, 18.42, 13

Pearl Tsang, Simeon, Tervuren, 5, 50, 64.15, 19.15, 14

Erica Behnke, Tressel, Brittany, 5, 50, 64.64, 19.64, 15

Maryann Chappelear, Mira, Shetland Sheepdog, 5, 50, 83.84, 38.84, 16

Pearl Tsang, Elle, Tervuren, 40, 50, 61.42, 51.42, 17

Catherine Berberich, Erik, Lab, 5, 50, 97.05, 52.05, 18

Marsha Houston, Katniss, Mix, 30, 50, 76.71, 56.71, 19

Ruth Ann Stewart, Mojo, Toy Poodle, 0, 0, 61.87, 61.87, 20

Linda Schwartz, Zorro, Schipperke, 10, 0, 60.98, 70.98, 21

Ruth Ann Stewart, Homey, Toy Poodle, 15, 0, 69.21, 84.21, 22

Ruth Ann Stewart, Coyote, Poodle, 5, 0, 83.35, 88.35, 23

Terrie Ralenkotter, Seti, Basset Hound, 10, 0, 83.93, 93.93, 24

Bonnie Smith, Saraphina, Papillon, 35, 0, 60.13, 95.13, 25

Ruth Ann Stewart, Memphis, Toy Poodle, 15, 0, 87.15, 102.15, 26

Results from Standard Course, the League Challenge

This was a Faults, Then Time game. Results are in order of placement.

Sharon Lafuse, Garnette, Belgian Sheepdog, 0, 45.36, 1

Brenda Gilday, Bella, Miniature Schnauzer, 0, 52.89, 2

Marsha Houston, Katniss, Mix, 0, 84.49, 3

Catherine Berberich, Penny, Lab, 5, 44.57, 4

Cindy Ponyah, Molly, Jack Russell Terrier, 5, 51.68, 5

Marsha Houston, Phoenix, Border Collie, 5, 55.38, 6

Jane Dewey, Tattle, Sheltie, 5, 65.14, 7

Chris Puls, Dazzle, Malinois, 10, 54.19, 8

Linda Schwartz, Zorro, Schipperke, 10, 60.17, 9

Diane Carr, Drifter, Border Collie, 10, 60.51, 10

Ruth Ann Stewart, Coyote, Poodle, 10, 71.47, 11

Catherine Berberich, Erik, Lab, 10, 75.61, 12

Brenda Gilday, Leela, Border Collie, 15, 50.88, 13

Erica Behnke, Tressel, Brittany, 15, 60.23, 14

Bud Houston, Kory, Border Collie, 15, 75.64, 15

Kandy Robinson, Frenzie, Border Collie, 25, 74.79, 16

Cindy Ponyah, Nikki, Jack Russell Terrier, 35, 55.28, 17

Pearl Tsang, Simeon, Tervuren, 35, 77.71, 18

Shirley Harrison, Thistle, Border Collie, 60, 76.64, 19

How to Participate!

Anyone (club, group or individual) may set up any or all of the Challenge Courses. For results to be recorded for this event the courses must be run in the month of August, 2014, and results must be reported by midnight on August 31, 2014.

If you would like to play, these are important resources for you:

Top Dog Pup Registration Form (it’s free);
Scorekeeping Package for August 2014 Challenge Courses (Excel file);
Top Dog Rules and Regulations (Our simple system for scoring performance)

Blog020

Questions comments & impassioned speeches to Bud Houston Houston.Bud@gmail.com. Visit the web store at: www.dogagility.org/newstore. Please note that the web store carries The Book of Agility Games. This is an important reference for any club who plays the variety of games that we’ll play in Top Dog Agility Players.