RAT Tales August September 2022 Part 2

Raven relaxing while mom(Glenda Specht) reads

RAT Tales

August September 2022

Part 2

RAT Trial Updates

Brags!!

What it means to be

a RAT Member

RAT Trial Updates/Wrap ups

July 30-31 RAT CPE Trial

Trial Wrap from Corey Thorpe

I just want to thank everyone for all the support this past weekend. In spite of the unforgiving temperatures, I think everyone had a great time and I had many people thank me for not canceling. How ironic is it that we had to cancel in December for snow and ice and then we experienced the extreme opposite for the dates that we rescheduled for? Let’s hope that the weather will be more cooperative in December 2022!!

I need to recognize my committee for the rockstars that they were! Sherry Bodin, Karen Ricketts, Susan Perry, Pam Diemond, Laura Crandall, Micki Lagrou, Christie Woolsey, Lisa Weber, Angie Atkinson, Cheryl Parker, Debra Sweat: YOU ARE ALL THE BEST!!! I literally could not have pulled this off without you! And special shout-out to a few newer members: Leanne McKillip, Natalie Baker and Donna Murphy: you ladies eagerly stepped up and worked hard all weekend learning new jobs! You were everywhere! And special congratulations to Sandy Cox and Nick Nick on earning their CS-ATE on Sunday!

Again, thank you so much to everyone that came and played with your dogs this weekend! It was so much fun and I can’t wait for the next one!

Corey Thorpe
Trial Chair

Sept 2-3rd RAT NADAC Dog Days of Summer

Trial Wrap up from Kari Hammargren

RAT NADAC Dog days of summer trial Labor Day weekend at Argus was a great trial.
Best trial committee ever
Co-Chairs: Patti Cavin and Kari H
Trial secretary: Beth Gideon
Course builders: Nancy, Mike and Courtney Roller
CRS: Melinda King. New member Leanne McKillip stepped up to try this position and was great at getting volunteers for each class.
Awards and ribbons: Kathy Swan
Hospitality: Anne Seethoff
Equipment Mgr and timers: Tim Evans

RAT NADAC Dog days of summer trial Labor Day weekend at Argus was a great trial.
Best trial committee ever
Co-Chairs: Patti Cavin and Kari H
Trial secretary: Beth Gideon
Course builders: Nancy, Mike and Courtney Roller
CRS: Melinda King. New member Leanne McKillip stepped up to try this position and was great at getting volunteers for each class.
Awards and ribbons: Kathy Swan
Hospitality: Anne Seethoff
Equipment Mgr and timers: Tim Evans
Hauling Trailers:Teddi and Cathy, Cathy also filled in for doing the raffle

Everyone worked hard to make this trial fun, and relaxed, the weather was pretty close to perfect.
We had a great judge Denise Gosik from CA and she brought some really nice courses for us to play with our dogs.

NATCHES Awarded:
Kathy Swan and Missy Platinum 2
Nancy and Bertie- Versatility NATCH 3
Cathy Percy and Kleo NATCH 12
Kathleen and Becca Versatility NATCH 3

We chose a non profit, NW Battle Buddies for our ribbon exchange. They train service dogs for local veterans with PTSD. We had an amazing outpouring of support for this including cash donations totaling $414 for this non profit.

Everyone seemed to have a really nice time and enjoy winding down the summer playing agility with our dogs.
Patti and a great crew of volunteers helped on Thursday before the trial, clearing equipment from a camp at Argus and we had lots of great helpers stay for tear down at the end of Sunday.
All in all it was a great trial with lots of laughs, smiles and fun with our dogs which is what agility is all about, with the exception of Patti. She had gotten Covid a few weeks earlier and was feeling better but still testing positive so she didn’t get to come play with her dogs and see all her hard work organizing the trial and see how smooth and efficient it ran.

We will get planning for next year,

Kari Hammargren

RAT Brag Board

BRAGS!!!

Annett Kuhls with Vibe

EROMIT’S GOOD VIBRATIONS-VIBE

Vibe is turning 1 year old on 9/19/22! Where has the time gone?

Vibe has completed Performance Manners, Sports Prep Obedience, and 12 weeks of Agility Foundation Classes with Karen Beatty Massey our Trainer and we are moving on to Novice Agility Class shortly to expand her sequencing of obstacles! I am very pleased with Vibe’s engagement, focus, and work-ethnic.  She is very sweet & friendly yet always ready to play whatever “game” comes along her way!

I have also started Barn Hunt with her to get her used to loud and busy trial environments.  We have been taking Barn Hunt training classes to learn how to hunt for RATS in Tubes! Vibe has entered 2 trials so far and she is really starting to understand what we are looking for! She has finished her RATI Title which is her instinct test and worked really hard at the last trial for 2 NOVICE 1st Place Q’s, and a “High in Class” for Novice Medium Dogs! I am looking forward to ongoing adventures with VIBE!

Cathy Pinick and April Stanke

April with Tiffany and Cathy with Wilson recently branched out from ASCA to include NADAC in our trialing. We had a great time at ZAP’s NADAC trial at Argus the 13th & 14th of August. The dogs, who are becoming great trialing buddies, ran well that weekend. Tiffany earned 9 Q’s and finished 2 titles with Wilson earning 5 Q’s and finishing 2 titles. We loved their beach backdrop for pictures. I wish I could have convinced Wilson to keep the sunglasses on.

Corey Thorpe & Moose

Moose got his C-ATCH at the Snobounders CPE trial on 8/7/22! We now begin the long haul towards his C-ATE.

Kerstin Erhart and Phantom

Phantom qualified and got a 1st place on his ASCA Open Gamblers run on 08/21/22. On 08/23/22 he got his second AKC Pre Trial leg to complete that title for Sheep Herding. And on 09/04/22 he qualified and got 3 first places in his two Tunnelers runs and one of his Standard runs at the RAT NADAC trial.

Bonnie and Melinda King

Bonnie finished the Summer Toss n Fetch season with some pretty great results.

  • Top Scoring Team for our disc club this season
  • Ranked 208th out of 2,672 teams competing worldwide
  • Promoted to Master division

Bonnie has loved playing with her discs since she was a little pup, so this is pure fun for her

Steed & April Relaxing (?)

Sally Nickelson with Steed and April

Steed was on fire at the super fun RAT Dog Days of Summer Trial. He had 6 Q1 and 1 Q2. He ran one jumpers run at 5.43 yps, and his slowest run in 2 days was 4.5 yps. He had a couple of NQs, but that was just Steed having fun with off-course tunnels. Not bad for 12.75 years old! April is starting to mature. Not a lot of Qs, but she had perfect startline stays in all 11 runs, perfect contacts, and generally ran with me all the time. A couple of bobbles, but we managed 4 Qs, and she moved up to Open Touch and Go.

Susan Cole and Calamity

Susan and Calamity have been accepted into Barn Hunt Nationals in Missouri the end of October. Calamity has been on fire: two clear Crazy 8 runs (all 8 rats in under 2 minutes), one high in class in Master’s B beating 39 other dogs of all sizes with a run of 1 minute 37 seconds (her first ever), and achieving her Crazy 8 platinum silver 2nd (5000 points), RATX (elite Master’s with 10 runs under 2.5 minutes), and RATCH2 the last 2 months.

We have gotten in a few agility runs here and there, and she is getting consistent in doing the teeter and weaves, so we are hoping for a good CPE trial by MudPack in October. Looking forward to seeing my agility friends then! Susan & Calamity

Susan Perry and Natie

Natty and I earned a NATCH (NADAC Championship title) at the ZAP trial on August 13!! Good girl!! YAY us!! (Picture on the chair)

At the Rascal Runners ASCA trial last weekend, Natty and I earned an ATCH (ASCA Championship title) (September 5th)! I’m super proud of my girl!
(Picture on the teeter)

What it means to me to be a RAT Member by

Sandy Cox & Nick Nick

As I sit here writting, I want you all to know – this is NOT the first time I have been personally touched by RAT members’s generosity and help with my dogs, this is just one example!

I have seen RAT members many times help others and encourage others whether they are club members or not!

Nick Nick got his Cs-ATE at the RAT CPE Trial at the end of July – Many many thanks to RAT members and non rat members who helped him get his Cs-ATE:

As I struggled with physical problems I had a lot of help:

Pam Diemond, Sally Nickelson, Len Salonen, Eric Sanford, Michael Vorkapich, Corey Thorpe, Stephanie Dubick….who ran Nick Nick when I couldn’t and encouraged me when I was not as perky!

In addition I was very shy about telling anyone how close we were to Nick’s last major title as Nick Nick is 12 1/2. But …Pam Diemond found out and literally pulled a pole and a Cs-ATE Ribbon out of now where!

Thank you everyone for being such wonderful people and team mates!

Thank you Cheryl Parker for taking the pictures!!!

Hug your friends, your dogs, your family and may you all be happy!!

RT Editor

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