Ryton on Dunsmore

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="097d2c03.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Linda Topliss</B></FONT>    |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Linda Topliss"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id108.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Training Days"><U>Training Days</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Profiles"><U>Profiles</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id156.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The French Connection"><U>The French Connection</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id152.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Demonstrations"><U>Demonstrations</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id48.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Otterhound"><U>The Otterhound</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Training Tips"><U>Training Tips</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id58.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Top Dogs"><U>Top Dogs</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Diary"><U>The Diary</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id50.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Poetry Page"><U>Poetry Page</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Working Trials"><U>Working Trials</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Whats on"><U>What's on</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fun"><U>Fun</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id52.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Captions"><U>Captions</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Notice Board"><U>Notice Board</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Letters"><U>Letters</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id157.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Switzerland"><U>Switzerland</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Guestbook"><U>Guestbook</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Food 4 Thought"><U>Food 4 Thought</U></A>   |   <B>Ryton on Dunsmore</B>   |   <A HREF="id66.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crufts Photos"><U>Crufts Photos</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id105.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crufts Story"><U>Crufts Story</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id83.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crufts Two"><U>Crufts Two</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Newark Show"><U>Newark Show</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="All About Dogs"><U>All About Dogs</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Canine Supporters Charity"><U>Canine Supporters Charity</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Greyhounds"><U>Greyhounds</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="My Links"><U>My Links</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id112.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LDTC"><U>LDTC</U></A></div> <div> Ryton on Dunsmore</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>HEELWORK TO MUSIC and FREESTYLE COMPETITION</B></div> <bR> <div> The eighth National Pedigree Advance - Heelwork To Music and Freestyle</div> <div> Competition - held at Connexions, Ryton on Dunsmore, Coventry on Saturday 12th April 2003</div> <bR> <div>  The weather for the day of the competition was very warm, quite unseasonably so. When I arrived inside the venue it seemed to be stiflingly hot, and I was glad that my classes weren't till the afternoon.</div> <bR> <div> With a sense of disappointment I realised that I had missed Barry Bray with his Beardie, He had apparently given a very good performance. I can remember him doing a super pairs with Ann De Rizzio and thinking he was a good artiste.</div> <div> Still I was lucky enough to witness the stunning performance of Neil Short with his Goldie, this was a wonderful sight the handler and dog so well in tune with each other - it was a performance that I felt could so easily grace a much higher class.</div> <div> By no means did I see all the routines, but outstanding to me were (not in any particular order) Ann De Rizzio with her sheepdog performing to Greased lightning, Hetty van Hassel with her Border Collie performing to Harry Potter - this one was very special I thought, although Hetty said her dog had a self inflicted sickness and therefore wasn't as energetic as usual.</div> <div> Tina Humphrey with both her dogs - this young lady definitely has an aura, when she walks into the ring there is complete silence born of respect, and the crowd were not disappointed, Margaret Jessop who won advanced Heelwork To Music with the legendary Bobby - what a partnership this has been and Mary Ray who won Advanced Freestyle with her Border Collie.</div> <bR> <div> During the day I was speaking to a lady from the French Press, she informed me that there were three different French Press reporters there, I had been contacted a long time beforehand by Julien Fernandez, so it was nice to meet him in the flesh and we arranged to meet at my home in Derbyshire where they could have an interview and pictures of not only me and my dogs, but also Margaret Jessop who trains with me and her flexible goddaughter Emma.</div> <bR> <div> Overall, although my dogs and I didn't pull any trees up I was pleased with them all, Ricky the Rottweiler did not like the venue at all in the morning, and totally refused to practice any moves inside, even at dinner time when we were able to have a practice in the ring. I had almost made up my mind to withdraw him, but decided, as we were there we would `suck it and see'; when his music came on he was fine, I was proud of him. Guy my German Shepherd was a little like the curates egg, good in patches. Last to work was my Murphy - this dog is just a little treasure, he gives all and more besides to me, I am so very lucky to have him.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>