Merlin's Magicians March 2011 Newsletter
March Newsletter
FERRYSIDE NEWSLETTER MARCH 2011
A real roller coaster of a month, the interest in Flyball has exploded and we have been snowed under with requests to join. A good percentage of the people started early in the month are still with us and we have high hopes of the ones just starting too. We have a list of another half a dozen going to come along in May! If anyone had told me when I started Merlin’s Magicians that we would have to put people on a waiting list I would have laughed hysterically..........but it has come to pass. We are so very busy Sundays; Sarah shares the training with me, and we are planning to do an extra session as soon as the clocks change, this will Wednesday evenings just for competing dogs.
Our facebook page is a great success, thank you DebbieJ lots of interest, if you haven’t already do take a look.
We are taking two division teams and one Multibreed to Anglesey, Sarah has the unenviable task of picking the latter, she has quite a few dogs to choose from. The Ferryside team the ‘Magicians’ has more than enough to choose from but Ceredigion’s ‘Spellmaker’s are down to just four so will make up numbers with one of ours, the thinking is that it will be Pip as they do not have a height dog. Although it wasn’t on the schedule, Anglesey are doing Starters, I have entered us a team for the Saturday, this means we can give Thistle and Ishka a go prior to Sarah having to pick the Multibreed team on Monday. Lower divisions (includes us) are running on the Sunday so we’ll have something every day. Andrew has been prevailed upon to do a barbecue for us all one of the eveningsJ
I had a chat with Marjory the team captain of the Welsh Warriors, the team Sue, Liz and myself were with before Merlin’s. They have moved venue and now train at Bethlehem, near Llandeilo on Sunday mornings. I am putting a contact number for them on our training page, and we discussed that they might be able to put a team together to run with us at local displays. We also talked about joint training sessions occasionally in the summer. Good for both teams dogs
We have Agility Equipment now and are starting ‘Agility for fun’ The new weave sets from Agility Warehouse are excellent , just the spacing strips and poles means they will be brilliant for displays, reducing the volume for transporting of equipment for Fly Agility problem.
As we have agreed to ‘do’ the Kidwelly Carnival display 9th July which clashes with our choice of tournament, we have had to find an alternative tournament this is to be 16th July, Nantwich Cheshire. I hope enough of us can manage this.
The other alternative was Anglesey 30th July but this clashes with a party to which we are all invited to at Brenda’s – Beulah.........I’m for the party!!
We are doing a display April 17th at Margam Park. Billed as the Welsh Dog Whisperer, this is a Charity event with proceeds going to Many Tears a local dog rescue. Then May 8th we will be doing a display at a fun dog show at Pontadawe Arena. These plus the Llanelli Festival of The Dog on 29th May are about the maximum we can fit in with our tournament commitments this year. To keep up with events etc. Do visit our facebook page ‘Merlin’s Magicians Flyball Team – South and West Wales’ and join our group.
One of our new people is Tracey who has been doing BFA Flyball for many years up in Cleeveland, Tracey’s Mother who is very experienced was on a visit and came to one of our training sessions, we thank her very much as we gained a lot of valuable tips to help with our training.
New dogs and new people – Debbie with Roxy, so quick to learn they are coming to Anglesey to join our Starter team - Ginny’s Collie Dixie, has now mastered the box, at the moment she does a very funny run up, stop and ‘high five’ the box for the ball she will make a fast Flyball dog in time, and Ginny is a good box loader in the makingJ - Debbie (yes a third Debbie)has Katie, a pointer cross, very shy Katie is doing really well – Elaine with Pepper, a Blue Roan Spaniel cross is also doing well but typical Spaniel is apt to follow his nose occasionally!- Gemma’s Mickey, a Pip’ look alike’ Border x JRT. is taking to Flyball as if he was born for it – Richard with Thomas a fast learning Blue Merle Collie is keen as mustard (so is Thomas) – Debbie’s (Freddie’s Mum) Billie, the Springer cross, Freddie’s best friend is promising to be as good as his mate and will be having a go in starters at Anglesey.
We also have Sheila with Jess, a lovable loony Goldie! Tyler’s Bichon Oscarwho does amazingly well over the jumps fetching a small tennis ball.
We still have three new people to come this month, two missed the first session and Louise with her GS has not been able to come since doing the first session she is going to start again the end of March. Then we have a new group of enthusiasts to,’ give us a try’ starting 1st May. Following this we will have to wait a while before starting any more, we need to work on teams for the season’s tournaments. It is with this in mind we are to begin meeting Wednesday evenings with just team dogs.
Please anyone who can, come along to Margam Park 17th April, we really do need help for this first display of the season, we will be minus Mike who has had a shoulder replacement operation and is still in recovery, and Georgina will also be recovering from surgery. Mike left his trailer with me knowing he was unlikely to be able to come so, wish me luck folks I shall be towing it myself. Aaaaagh!!! To think I’d never towed anything before a few months ago. Sarah, thank goodness, has said she will help me load it and follow me along the route.
Read this on the BFA site: ‘a team in Belgium has just broken the European flyball record with an astonishing time of 14.92 seconds in less than a week after the American team "Touch and Go" broke the world record with a time of 14.86 sec. The time was acheived with the teams new dogs which were specifically bred for their speed and stamina. The dogs all from a new mixed breed
of Collies and Lurchers have now been officially registered as Lollies.’ I thought Phew! We’re quite happy with our 23.00 seconds and, as for breeding specifically for Flyball!! Most of our members dogs are rescues, then realised that it was April 1st!!!!
Keep smiling,
June
Ps. Since completing this newsletter we have entered a second team in the Multibreed, Anglesey. Teams will be in the same division and Sarah is splitting them into Ferryside & Beulah so that the dogs run with the dogs they train with. J
Beulah Bouncers (Ceredigion)
Well, practise season has started! We have been lucky so far as the rain has held off – it was even bright and sunny one day!
The dogs remembered what they had to do:
Trumps – hey, it’s flyball time
Jed – wow, I lurve flyball – hang on, not keen on this full height jobbie, think I will just go round or through the jumps instead of over them. Ah, you’ve lowered them, that’s better, I’ll go over them now! (tiny little creature that he is!!!)
Sadie and Alfie – woohoo, flyball again!
Bo – yes I CAN be superfast but I don’t want to! My brain has gone home so I am going to be silly.
Little Meggie and Deeze – superb.
Big Meggie – oh, do I HAVE to?!?!
And superstar, I can do this perfectly right from the start – Ishka! (Who then proceeded to knock Brenda flying as she was sooooo pleased she had done it).
We have had a few new dogs come along – they seemed to enjoy it and Angus in particular got the hang of it, just got a bit bored at times!
Jan and Lady came last week – bringing a very helpful young man with them! He thought he had come to watch but helped with the timings, holding dogs, and then as a reward was allowed to run Alfie.
Tally can get to us most weeks as boxloader which is really helpful.
Saturday 2nd April is the last Saturday practise until the nights draw in again. Friday at 6.30 from 8th onwards!
We are all getting ready for Anglesey – Brenda and Del have gone out and bought themselves new cars, I have bought a bigger caravan (well, could not really have been smaller!!), Sheryl is planning the latest design for her nails, and we are going to hijack a fuel tanker on the way there as the prices are so silly at the moment!
See you all there!