anyone have any advice for this challenge please???

What you want to know?

well do people still do silly patterns (always seemed pointless to me) or do you just ask for basic up & down & triangle.....do you still do all that ducking & diving either side to see if you can make the handlers look like they are synchronised swimmers???? It was all in vogue last time i judged the handlers......whats the usual form nowadays

It compleatly depends on the judge.  Some do some don't.

Personally I only ask for a triangle and up and down.  Most of the time you can find the excellant, good, poor, bad and awful handlers from that. :)

The ducking and diving (AKA shadowing) is still done now and again (checks to see the concentration on the handlers0 However the other week at the adult handling finals I had the judge weave in and out the dogs so fast I though I was going to fall over from a spinning head.  IMO how that judge did it was totally unnessecary however doing it at a nice, calm speed is still done (you know just poping to one side of the dog then going back, not weaving in and out of the dogs like a boder collie going though agility weaves!!!!!!!

Silly patterns are still done with some of our judges who come from and follow that way of handling. Others do it at top level to split of a couple of handlers.  Each pattern (T, L, Triangle, Up ad down and circle) have their reasons for being used.

Figures of 8's are very very very rare now but are great training tools for changing hands and commands :)  but not in the ring!

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, U, V, W, X, Y & Z don't seem to come up at all any more!!!! :D

I still believe that a triangle and up and down along with seeing how the dog is stacked by handler and how well teeth are shown you can normally judge a class and get each of your placings! :)