Agility Dog Association of Australia Ltd

From the ADAA Chair ... October / November 2007

All I can say is WOW!! The Grand Prix was a fabulous event (see the separate Grand Prix Report and Results). The Grand Prix Committee again lifted the bar from previous events. The camaraderie was fantastic, and the cheering and egging on for the Steeplechase lots of fun, as were the ooh’s and ah’s for the Weave Pole Challenge, of course both enhanced by the two new digital displays that were purchased just prior to the event. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of the Grand Prix (especially our New Zealand judges Peter and Karen de Wit), and congratulations to those who placed in the Challenge Events, but special congratulations to those who achieved their personal goals during the weekend.

As Chairman of ADAA I regularly ask myself is the organisation heading in the right direction, can the Board maintain longevity and deliver on the variety of wonderful projects that will benefit our members, are we meeting our member’s needs. My assessment of our success is based on my observations of members at competitions, emails/correspondence received direct from members or as commentaries posted to a variety of forums, information and feedback from other organisations, feedback and discussions with other Board members and even how much time is spent on tasks that have a tangible and productive outcome. Certainly the Board acknowledges that it doesn’t always “get it 100% right” and there is definitely a risk of becoming focused on things that have gone wrong. But certainly every action and decision taken has been done with the best of intentions for all members and I think it is very rare that we could have done a better job than we did at the time. We too learn from each of our endeavours and that is why, when we look back over the years, ADAA has been able to grow and develop. Thank you to those members who quietly email/write after various events with a kind word, it really does help us to keep going with the end goal in mind – having an organisation that provides an avenue for people to participate in International Agility. Then there’s another (and sometimes the same) small group of members who volunteer in the background and make the load lighter and easier to bear. I’m not even sure that the majority of members even know who they are, because they just get on and do the work. Finally there is all of the rest of ADAA’s members. We don’t hear much from you, but do get lots of satisfaction and joy from watching you at ADAA outings, enjoying your time with their canine companion(s).

Speaking of people who contribute to ADAA. It was my great pleasure to announce elevation of Cathy Reade as a Level 1 Judge at the Grand Prix. Other than the initial training weekend, Judges Training is pretty much a self-paced programme, with lots of “on-the-job” training to ensure that our Judges are given all of the appropriate skills in a supportive environment. As we grow our pool of Judges, it reduces the load on existing Judges, which I know they welcome.

I have had some concerns expressed to me regarding members continuing to compete with injured dogs, especially after they had been prescribed treatment by a veterinarian. Members are reminded that a dog that has been administered drugs and/or supplements, purely as a means of allowing them to compete, may not be entered in any ADAA Competition (Regulation 17). It is not intended that this encompasses preventative measures for the general health and well-being of the dog, however if you have a dog under treatment (or are unsure), please obtain appropriate veterinary advice/ clearance.

May you enjoy your training with your dog and achieve your goals.

Cathy Slot
ADAA Chair

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