Lowering the Criteria
My only involvement in International selection was around this time last year when I was asked by my good friend Lisa Adamson to help her with meeting the qualification criteria for the 2007 World Championship trials. I was flattered ,Lisa was an agility goddess when I started out a few years ago, in Scunthorpe anyway, and whilst my ability as a handler and trainer had improved since then I doubted what I could offer in helping her to achieve the ultimate goal of representing your country . She told me she had a letter from the management outlining tests which must be passed on day one of the trial in order to progress to the competition the following day. I spent the day before wondering how I could help with what would presumably be complex drills replicating the terrors that would face the handler in the World arena, impossible weave entries, devilish tunnel placements, etc.
I need not have lost any sleep, my contribution to any potential success of the 2007 GB world team was providing the stop watch as Lisa ran her dogs over my contact equipment. I watched doubting that she would succeed and prepared myself for the explanation that I could not improve her performance in the 2 days we had prior to the trials. She grinned as I read back the times, “ no problem then ” she enthused, wiping away the sweat from her forehead provided by her enthusiastic sprints as she encouraged the dogs performance, the qualifying times had been met, only the final exercise to come, this too was completed well within the allocated time ,it consisted of steering the dog around 2 plastic cones , I had no doubt this would be successful, there were no poles to knock and even Cruise her wide turning dog had seconds to spare.
So my involvement ended there, both dogs were ready to take on the worlds best, their speed over the contacts and around poles in the ground, to the selectors at least, were comparable to the best the world could offer. There was one fatal flaw to this well devised plan however, my youngster now in his first season and not yet doing agility classes, as I considered his contacts too slow, also met the criteria , as would most decent G3 dogs. Surely we had read the ……exercise criteria wrongly, perhaps you have to stand still behind the equipment and not move I offered, maybe you have to move backwards while the dog is weaving, I was clutching at straws now as we re read the now crumpled piece of paper detailing the tasks, maybe the cone ….etc. No, despite my scrutiny for small print that would highlight our mistake ,none could be found and whilst I do not remember all the tasks I have 3 second dog walk and weaves ,firmly imprinted in my mind as the times the management considered would enable our trialists to compete with the best in the world. Anyone who has read my previous articles will note my views on agility videos but comparison with the competition can easily be made from these sources and by my reckoning those just making the qualifying times would start with a disadvantage of over 2 seconds on their opponents, Knowing this and being aware of the limited time available to fully assess the applicants why was the criteria set so easily obtainable ? surely the finite amount of time could be spent working with and watching those with a genuine chance of selection rather than with the agility equivalent of the talentless ……… who vainly parade in front of Simon Cowell each year.
Raise the criteria and raise the standard ,its simple, but unfortunately my observations proved correct when almost a whole day was taken with the contact and pole turning exercise which reduced the participants by a mere 2 dogs thus allowing any self delusioned handler prepared to inject rabies into their loved ones, to share their 2 minutes of fame whether or not their career clear round total ran into double figures or not, for those 4 x 30 second runs they could regale workmates ,grandchildren and ……of how they could have made it….if only etc.
As the manager peers from under his umbrella at the inevitable outcome, a defeat in a run off in the quarter finals to the technically superior Germans he comforts himself with the fact that we have nothing to learn, after all we gave Agility to the world, our weekly competitions are over subscribed and entries booming, we have the fastest growing league in the world, income to the Kennel Club never greater, the underacheivement will soon be forgotten ,no heads will roll, no ……will follow, he can look forward to preparing for the 2009 extravaganza, we will have a little more luck next time, we will think about selection next April time ,in the meantime enjoy the long sunny weekends. He is correct nothing will change, our home competitions will thrive, the attraction of the sport will continue and the performance of the national team on the world stage will improve or decline ……..
Lets imagine however that as the team mini bus drops the management at the airport on their way home that fleet street is already preparing an exclusive that will rock the foundations of British Agility and change the fortunes of the National team immeasurably, imagine a shock horror sex,drugs and rock and roll exclusive that leaves the previously accountable to no one management with no option but to resign their positions en masse.
The old boys network fearing mass exodus to alternative organizations and ……….
They discuss replacements and find no one remotely suitable but the cry for action is growing, 2010 Championships will be held in this country and it is imperative that a good performance is achieved, with home advantage the public expect no less than outright victory, and that victory will increase the standing of the sport leading to increased numbers of participants all adding revenue to the club, TV and prospective sponsors await the next appointment, cheque books in hand. There is no suitable replacement, all possible candidates are too old,too old or too old. The few fitting into the ever decreasing list are deemed too controversial or simply not interested,the clamour for action leads to the unthinkable, someone from outside the club, a foreigner , in a final act of desperation a representative is summoned to speak with the only suitable person to take the International team into a new era of success.
Mr. Juan Gilberto is approached, Juan was born in the same town as the England football manager Fabio Capello ,they grew up together and are great friends, he is known to be a great admirer of his countrymans techniques and one must expect to see similarities
