Club Schutzhund Rive-Sud’s 2007 Retrospective
2007 was a year filled with incredible blessings for Club Schutzhund Rive-Sud (CSRS). On April 28th and 29th the club held a spring trial. Six dogs and five handlers tested their mettle on a cool and rainy weekend. Gaston Landreville of Club Estrie passed his BH with Jana von haus Welbergen and Jocelyn Houle of Club Cyno-Sport walked away with top honors in the Schutzhund III category with his dog Ede vom Kalberhofsgarten.
On July 22nd, the club celebrated its 20th year anniversary, quite an accomplishment when you consider that most marriages don’t last that long! These twenty years of service speak volumes about founding member and president Sigi Klein’s dedication and passion for the sport. The afternoon was spent chatting, eating and celebrating with past and present club members. Sigi provided a feast fit for kings that afternoon and Frank, our head trainer created a wild and flavorful punch that I suspect was spiked with an addictive substance because people kept lining up for more! The current club members showed their appreciation to Sigi and Frank’s selflessness, dedication and support by presenting each of them with a personalized and framed caricature created by Andrew Contofalsky, son of club members Marian and Katarina. That young man has talent and a bright future ahead of him! Both caricatures are proudly displayed in the clubhouse.
Club members participated in five trials this year starting with our own spring trial in April. Our very own Ding Yuan entered his two dogs, Quattro von der Roderburg and Enjy von der Herbstzeitlosen, in the SchH III category and obtained a score of 240 with Quattro.
At the regional championship in May at Club-Cyno sport, CSRS club members Frank and Caro von der Leonbergerstrasse and Ding and Quattro von der Roderburg tried out in SchHIII category. Both did well with scores of 259 and 256. In addition, members with dogs too young to try for a Schutzhund title instead participated in a Sieger show. Isabella, Marian and Natalie all finished in the top three for their age class. Our dogs are not only talented they’re eye-catching too!
The trial in June at Club Estrie Schutzhund proved to be a major high point for Ding Yuan as he and Enjy von der Herbstzeitlosen obtained a SchHIII title. The CSRS club celebrated that special event with lots of bubbly!
In August, Frank, Caro and Ding and Quattro took part in the National Championship in Orangeville, Ontario. The weekend was tough on everyone. Not only were the stakes high, would they make Team Canada or not, but the heat was brutal and unrelenting topping out at 40 oC. Unfortunately neither Frank or Ding were selected to represent Team Canada at the 2007 World Championship, but Canada was very well represented by Ralph F. Gilby, Mario Lamarche, Mike Bauer, Tim Bulloch and Frank Mazzulla with Raino Fluegge as Team Captain. We were all thrilled to have such a talented delegation represent Canada in Bratislava. CSRS member Isabella Oxsengendler showed her dog, Picasso von Amalaberg, and garnered a third place ribbon in their category, the only Canadian bred dog in the top three for that class.
September in Trois-Rivières Québec was the first of three milestone events for Isabella and Picasso as they achieved a BH. Two weeks later at a trial hosted by Club Schutzhund Petite Nation, Isabella and Picasso peddled and trotted like crazy to achieve an AD. Isabella’s only complaint was a sore backside that lasted well into the next day but she agreed it was a small price to pay.
October’s Fall Trial and NE Regional FH Championship trial in Shelburne Vermont hosted by Schutzhund Club O.G. Boston turned out to be the crown jewel of the 2007 trials for CSRS. Sigi assisted judge Reinhold Walter by translating the judge’s performance reviews to participants and audience members. The trial began on a nervous note for CSRS team member Marian Contofalsky and Varo z Jirkova Dvora who were participating in their very first trial to obtain a BH. They both aced the BH and did their club and head trainer proud. That was just the start of a stellar weekend. Isabella and Picasso sailed through their SchH I title and garnered the highest score in tracking, the highest score in protection and the highest score at the trial. Wow!!
Frank and Caro were awarded first place in SchHIII and received the highest score in obedience. Not content to rest on their laurels, the next day Frank and Caro achieved an outstanding accomplishment: they obtained an FH. Frank could not have been prouder of his and his club members’ performances. The CSRS club ended the year on a positively high note, which will sustain them until the first trial in 2008. In the meantime new club members Natalie, Andrew, Adam, Carla, Mike and Patrick are preparing for a year of firsts in 2008. All of them will be eligible to compete in their first trials and, with Frank’s help and deft training, confidently carry on the legacy started in 1987 by our good friend, supporter, cook, handy-man and president, Sigi Klein.
Article submitted by Natalie Szokoll
