Heres the link http://www.obedienceuk.com/news/news_item.asp?NewsID=160

I'm of course biased in favour of England, but also I'm supporting for Speedy the Star Cairn from Switzerland

What do you think of the whole idea MM? Just curious. Presumably all teams are judged the UK way, or do they make allowances for individual countries' differing rules? Don't you think it gives the UK an unfair advantage if UK rules are used and the World Cup only ever is held here? If you look at the US, their heelwork is different as you know -I remeber a conversation with a woman who was complaining her biggest problem when working obedience was that her Malinois was too close to her body rather than heeling at her side with space in between dog and handler, and back home in Sweden about turns are done in a different way, and recalls are the recall and finish in one, the dog must not stop in front of the handler first. We had a Swedish woman turn up for obedience at a breed champ.show a couple of years ago and I remember having to explain to her how she'd need to do the recall and finish as two parts rather than one -then I forgot to say the RETRIEVE was the same, so she did the retrieve Swedish style with the dog going straight to her side for the present......oooooppps. 

Well the judge next year is from abroad(the USA I think)so we will see if they judge to the US standard in which case all the UK dogs & some of the european one will be hugely marked down

Actually the Golden Retriever Soupy did really well last year & worked the UK way !

I know this year's judge really well(she's a replacement BTW as Sandy is ill)& would have had more idea if she had been the original judge(LOL I would probably been part of her ring squad !)

I think as there are elements from the US & FCI that there is the opporunity for all the styles to do well. I think that allowance is given for the heelwork styles but I'll be in a better position to comment after I speak to Jan when she gets home

The directed retrieve is from the FCI & the retrieve over a hurdle & DC on recall from the USA

Most of the dogs are at the top of their obedience in the country of origin with good handlers who should be able to train their dogs to the level required

Oh dear, the Cairn has clocked up a bit of a score :(

Cheers MM -makes a lot more sense now! :) Be very interested to hear what else you can find out.

Speedy is lovely & in his owners words "if he wants to he can be brilliant"The swiss were great last year Taking part was far more important than winning to them ;)

& the winners are
Individual
Katy Girdler-Wales
Herbie Watson-England
Kim Innes-England
Guus Scholten-Netherlands

Team
England
Runners up Netherlands

Were we ever going to not win when the rest of the world sends their national fun team :D  Highly entertaining though and the one thing I really liked was the GSD that heeled in a style that did not seem bonkers to the obedience layperson :p
Speedy!!!!! What a star   Reminded me a lot of my Dandie Dinmont during our ill fated toy with obedience.  She would moozy slowly along on a recall looking with distain from left to right at the people and dogs sitting sittting to the edge of the hall with an expression that said I'm only coming to you because they look so dull

Was there ever a chance that we would not win when the rest of the world sends their national joke team :D  The one thing that made any sense about them was the GSD that heeled in a style that did not seem bonkers to us obedience laymen :p
Speedy!! What a star   Reminded me of my Dandie Dinmont during our ill fated flirt with obedience when she would moozy slowly down the hall looking from left to right with distain at the people and their dogs sitting to the side of the hall as if to "I'm only coming to you because they look so dull" :D

I think it is WONDERFUL for the general public to see you can do a lot with any breed. :) In Sweden we have a large obedience club for small breeds only.

Katy's dog is a Xbreed BTW :D

& a rescue!!!!! & katys FIRST ob dog,hes taken her from pre bs to ticket,& now world cup winners! fab!

I think it is admiral that they have a go with such diverse breeds I wish you saw more of that here :)

Perhaps if you went to a few obedience shows you would be very surprised i've had loads of other breeds entered & have won been placed under me

From a Newfie to a mini LC dachshund & of course there have been staffies tthat have won Ob CC's & even a Yorkshire Terrier who would have been  made up except for his handlers illness

We obedience people don't just have collies. perhaps they don't all end up in the top class but they are there(look at the inter regional competition & the Pre Beginners Good Cit satkes won by a NSDTR)

I have attended obedience classes with my Dandie and my Cockers and seen, and enjoyed, the variety to be found there but like you say they don't make it to the top do they? :)

OH and I were wondering, in the Sit-Stay where one of the dogs got up and a steward had to remove him from another dog that he attempted to hump, would the 'humpee' also be penalised for moving from position?

no visa wasnt marked. the dog that humped her was pestering her for at least two minutes before he tryed the humping,she was a angel to sit through that bless her. she only moved when the humping pro[per started.

Good. I thought it would be a bit harsh to penalise her for that when it wasn't her fault. :)

esp as she is a "england" dog!!!!! :D

I did obedience with one of my Pomeranian's many years ago at a training Club and they classed him as one of the top dogs, unfortunately I don't find enough time to do much obedience.  I would love to with my mum and dad's young Spanish Water Dog as I was told recently that she's too intelligent for the show ring and that she needs to be worked.  Maybe I could afford to put a bit more time into her and do that as she doesn't like people going over her, but enjoys the attention of people around her!

Have to say thought it was wonderful. Haven't laughed so much when watching Speedy, Bless.
Becky

for me,Derrick the BMD stole the show (he was on the same tream as speedy) he was great,
speedys cool,that dog does have comic timing! but the whole round was quite painful to watch.REALLY felt for his handler.

I never saw a more cheerful woman :)  The clearly treat the activity with a more laid back aproach abroad

she was great,but hampering the dog with her flapping arms!
our team,do take it seriously.Of course they do want to do well.
cant wait till next year when there is a american judge

Hampered!!!!!!..........Speedy!!!!!!! :D :D

that dog DOES have comic timing!

I thought it was brilliant seeing the different breeds taking part. Made a wonderful change.

yes it was good.actually the airdale from swiss could be seriuosly good!

Is it regarded as desirable, I wonder, in these other countries to have your dog wrapped around your leg as I notice their's were not doing this.  I can't see what it is for really, thinking hair and dribble :) so I wonder, if they dropped that sort of things, maybe even penalised it together with a few other things that seem to favour the collie like sitting with the neck moulded round the pubic bone of the owner on the fetch :D we might see the possibilty of it being more general breed obedience competition ;)

no its not desirable in other countries!only ours! the rule is the dog must keep  resonably close to the handler. BUT it should also be consistent. so it wouldnt be docked for being 4 inches away.IF it was for inches away ALL the way around!

there is GENERAL breed obedience in the inter regionals on thursday,when you are only allowed two collies per team!
we had a great dane,BSD,rottie,goldies,GSDs,PJRT ,beardies & varius Xs this year & in prevoius years have had shelties,corgis ,poodlesetc. none of this is EVER shown

So by dropping just the leg wrapping thing etc the foreign teams have opened up the sport to all breeds without the need to exclude collies from special classes.  Has there ever been a movement within the "management" of obedience in the UK to move it that way or do you think they just like it as a pretty much Collie hobby?

no,you mis undersatnd. your dog does not have to touch your leg to do well. we have other breeds working ALL levels in this country,including ticket.
personally i LIKE my dog touching my leg,but i dont like it taken to extremes,with dogs leaning on really hard & not being vertical.
it is DEFINTALLY not just a collie hobby!
plus there are loads of crap collies competing in the uk,who dont work anywhere near your leg.

for instance when ive judged corgis,its IMPOSSIBLE for them to work as close as a collie,so as long as they are resonalby close & CONSISTENT then thats fine!

All judges i know love judging other breeds,

i will add though. the collies LOVE obedience,they LOVE the training, which is why they tend to do well.
my dog will train allday everyday if he could.wheras my friends who have other breeds,shelties & B.Ts have to be more "inventive" with their training& motivation.

So what, would you say, is the explanation for the non domination of the collie in the foreign teams?

maybe they dont like them? not everyone does for some reason

also in some countries to do well in ob  you dont have to "win" you simply have to do well to qualify, abit like our WT,this imo does maqke competition less fierce & people tend to stick with their breed,as they can easily be successful!

however personally i love the UK ob, & so do other countrys (such as holland)

just to clarify, are you saying that dogs in this country don't have to wrap themselves around your leg? I just can't see the point of that. You'd never really want to walk down the field with a dog stuck to your leg. would you?

You certainly wouldn't want your dog walking like that when it was wet and muddy - nor presenting the retrieve of shot game so close either!

lol people will get maked for a through the legs present!

yes im saying that! but if you tain your dog to work 2 inches away from your leg (ie not touching you) it MUST stay that didtance all the way around. ie it must be consistent.

my friend has two C only shelties, & another friend has a BT that she works in A & B.
at shows ive seen loads of small breeds work beautifully not glued to the leg, BUT their position was consistent (ie NOT like sppeedys)

we had a great dane,BSD,rottie,goldies,GSDs,PJRT ,beardies & varius Xs this year & in prevoius years have had shelties,corgis ,poodlesetc. none of this is EVER shown

Yes it is a GREAT shame! Especially as the novice indivdual winner was a Malinois. :D

oh & it was brilliant! wiped the floor with the novice class imo! FABBY!

It wouldn't matter which country's team she was in! :D

no of course not. At a normal show you wouldnt get docked (by most juges) if you dog was interfered with.
it was really difficult,because at the same time that was happening,blimin dereck (BMD) decided to make friends with the irsih collie next to him,then thought better of it so just sat REALLY close to him instead. THEN one of  the audience must have made a noise dropped something riht behind jazzy (herbies dog) the belgium dog &the french aussie. the aussie just legged it & the beligum dog sttod up. jazzie jumped but didnt move (bless him)

katie (the winner from wales) is a friend of mine. shes a brilliant handler & gets rescue dogs. Tam is a lovely dog,shes done really really well with him.i cried when she won!

generally the dogs from england,scotland,wales,belguim & hooland & NI work the same

& Eire,USA,france ,switzerland work differently!

the test is set out so different exercises from each country is used.

next year there is a judge from america. now in america,you cant touch the dog at all. next year should be interesting!

Somebody I know in the US was complaining about her problems with her bitch (liter sister of mine) that wouldn't do heelwork slightly away from her, only close to her leg and she'd lose points for that.