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"SARGE:
THE 'BIG AIR' SHORTHAIR" |
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By Martha Veatch -
Kentucky As my husband and I were heading in to the "Dog Days" of summer, we were looking for ways to stay cool. It was during this search that we met an incredible German Shorthair Pointer. Greg and I had entered a local DockDogs competition in Paducah, KY with my Lab Henry and GSP Jack. There we met Amanda Tarasewicz and her beautiful Shorthair, October Sergeant Gunsmoke (aka "Sarge"). Sarge dominated the competition with his incredible jumps over 22 feet and won the entire event. Sarge is three and began competing with DockDogs in 2003 with owners Amanda and Dean. Since that time, Sarge has accumulated several first place wins and has become a crowd favorite. With his amazing jumping skills and the guidance of his trainer/handler, Tom Dropik, Sarge placed 1st in Redmond, WA in May with a jump of 23 feet. With this jump, Sarge became the only German Shorthair Pointer to qualify and compete in the Great Outdoor Games on ESPN in July. Tom, owner of SportMutt, started competing in 2001. Tom has competed in the Great Outdoor Games Big Air the past three years and was the Bronze medallist with his black Lab, Tucker, in 2001. Tom states that in 2000, Big Air was promoted on ESPN as a "filler" event. The event was a huge success and as a result, DockDogs was developed in 2002 to develop standards and maintain credibility of the competitors. In 2002, six qualifying events were held. 40 events, including the Championship Series and DockDogs National Championship, will be held in 2004. Approximately 1,000 teams consisting of one handler and one dog, compete in DockDogs events. In a sport dominated by Labrador Retrievers, only eight of these teams were German Shorthair Pointers, Sarge is currently ranked 6th overall in all breeds in the USA. According to Tom, the teams compete in "waves." A wave consists of two jumps. The handler positions the dog on a 40-foot dock and the dog leaps into the air for an object thrown by the handler. The jumps are measured via an electronic device. The longest jump is recorded and one leg towards a title is achieved. Sarge has earned his Master Jumper title (20-23 ft) and has two legs towards his Elite title (over 23 feet). Only three dogs in the history of DockDogs have an Elite title. Amanda states that Sarge trains 1 to 2 hours per day. Obedience, strength and conditioning programs are included in the training. According to Tom, Sarge has un-interruptible focus that is essential when competing in a large crowd (thousands may attend these events) or unnatural environments such as pools. According to Tom, there are three aspects of a successful jump: 1. Speed - maintained with focus, drive and confidence; 2. Lift - achieved with strength training and technique work; 3. Stride Work - Ability to hit the end of the dock. Sarge will be competing in the National Championship in October. They will also be bidding for a spot in the 2005 ESPN Great Outdoor Games and hoping to improve Sarge's overall rankings. You can get more information on training at http://www.sportmutt.com and more information on events at http://www.dockdogs.com . Amanda and her husband Dean reside in Wisconsin. Dean is currently deployed in Iraq with his US Army Reserve unit. They are the proud owners of two GSP's Sarge and Hope. In addition to DockDogs competitions, Amanda is interested in competing in agility; hunting tests and possibly obedience. Amanda create T-shirts promoting "Team Sarge" for the Great Outdoor Games this year with the proceeds going to the GSP rescue of Wisconsin & 477th Hearts and Minds Club. The GSP community can be proud of the incredible sportsmanship exhibited by this team and the wonderful disposition of Sarge. Follow Sarge's progress as he heads for the sky at http://www.sargethedog.com . |
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