James Wellbeloved/APDT “Tails of Achievement” Awards Finals 2007
The second James Wellbeloved/APDT “Tails of Achievement Awards” on September 1st 2007 proved to be another wonderful event in our calendar, providing laughter, tears, a truly enjoyable day out, and a real celebration for the 15 finalists, their proud owners and trainers, representatives from the APDT, celebrity guests, and the James Wellbeloved team alike.
In first place were 12 year old crossbreed Blake and his owner Debbie Back from Swindon (APDT trainer Stella Bagshaw); second were two year old yellow Labrador Kimmy and his 10 year old owner Stephanie Jeffries from Somerset (APDT trainer Alison Garforth); and third were two year old Staffie Aire and her owner Rosemary Chase from Havant (APDT trainer Jean Howells).
Behind that simple sentence is a wealth of stories, anecdotes and real testimonials to the achievements of these incredible dogs and their owners – scroll down to read our three winner’s stories in depth below, along with brief details of the other 12 finalists.
The team of judges – Sarah Wright, editor of Your Dog magazine, the APDT’s own Pauline Wise, and Francois Demauge, managing director of James Wellbeloved – had a truly difficult task on their hands, because each and every finalist had a real ‘Tail’ to tell. Celebrity compere Peter Purves and Cressy Brooks from James Wellbeloved were kept busy totting up the score sheets as the judges furrowed their brows – but in the end, there was a clear consensus that they had found three worthy winners, with just a point or two between them all.
The finals were held at Newbury Racecourse for the second time around – a lovely light, airy venue with lots of space both indoors and out for the dogs to enjoy. A leisurely start, so people and dogs could all get acquainted over coffee, was followed by an introduction from Charlotte Mann of James Wellbeloved, whose idea “Tails of Achievement” was. Then it was over to Peter Purves who made a very amusing speech before reading out the citation for each finalist, followed by a brief interview on stage for finalist and dog – Peter put everyone at their ease, and there was laughter as Blake performed his tricks, and tears for more than a few as 10 year Stephanie, who has cerebral palsy, took to the stage to explain how Kimmy has changed her life.
As the judges got to work, all the dogs went out onto the racecourse for a play – a wonderful sight, with 15 dogs gambolled in the sun! A slap-up lunch followed, and a brief speech from Val Harvey, who presented all the trainers who reached this year’s final with a special certificate. Francois Demauge then took to the stage, and in his wonderful.
French accent, thanked everyone for attending and gave special thanks to the organising team before getting down to business – namechecking each and every finalist and their dog, and then announcing the winners in the time-honoured reverse order and presenting them with their prizes (portraits of their dogs, James Wellbeloved food, and a weekend away for Debbie, husband Charlie and Blake) which were in addition to the magnificent goody bags James Wellbeloved had arranged for every finalist.
After inviting Val Harvey to present winning trainer Stella Bagshaw with a beautiful, specially commissioned glass trophy on behalf of the APDT, Francois also managed to make Stella absolutely speechless – he announced he thought it was only fair the winning trainer should get something too, so he added a prize of £500 worth of equipment for her club!
After yet more photos with top dog photographer Carol Ann Johnson, and telephone chats with their local media for some finalists, the day came to an end. Our 15 finalists and their dogs had all had a wonderful day, and they all KNEW they were taking the best dog home!
Behind this wonderful day is a serious message - about dog training and the value of dogs in our lives today, as well as the opportunity to gain really valuable media coverage about canine achievement, the work of the Association and individual trainers themselves. All 15 finalists were featured in their local media, and the coverage they received is really beneficial to the Association as a whole and to trainers individually. James Wellbeloved organise and fund the entire scheme, and as an Association if we want it to continue it is really important that we support it wholeheartedly.
The last word must go to Val Harvey, who said: “The “Tails of Achievement” Awards really do remind you what being a training instructor is all about. It is so good that James Wellbeloved and the APDT team can work together so well like this - we (as an Association) are really grateful for the sponsorship that James Wellbeloved gives us, but the friendliness between us is the cherry on the cake!”
THE FINALISTS, 2007
1st place: BLAKE
Blake and Debbie met by chance at a rescue home when he was about a year old. Debbie wasn’t actually looking for a dog at the time, but couldn’t get Blake out of her mind, and managed to persuade her husband that Blake would be the ideal birthday present, albeit rather an expensive one as he soon proved rather destructive when he came home! Blake had been found wandering the streets, extremely nervous and poorly socialised, but had obviously had a home at some stage as he was house-trained. Although good with other dogs, he lacked confidence with people, especially men, and panicked at loud noises and sudden movement.
Quiet and consistent handling helped, as did Debbie’s older dog Sarah who was rejuvenated by the new arrival, but it was clicker training that really made the difference. Blake started to show off his personality and sense of fun, and amassed an amazing amount of tricks: limping, hiding his eyes, crawling, playing basketball and skateboarding to name just a few. The tricks led to Blake becoming a Hollywood star – he appeared in an advert for Jeep Cherokee cars a few years ago, which was shown across the USA. Blake has also done lots of stills work for magazines and adverts, and behaves like a true professional in front of the camera. He has also been interviewed live on BBC Radio 4 (although he did let Debbie do some of the talking!). He and Tom, trainer Stella Bagshaw’s dog, have become a duo, and performed a demonstration at Crufts together which led Blake to appear on the opening credits for the TV broadcast in 2006.
Blake’s latest thing is gundog training!
Debbie says: “Blake has taught me that dog training is fun, and he makes me smile every day. From a scared little rescue pup to international TV star, and a dog that helps promote reward based training – I think that’s a Tail of Achievement!”
2nd place: KIMMY
Like lots of kids, Stephanie always wanted a dog of her own, but Mum and Dad said they just couldn’t afford it. 10 year old Stephanie also has cerebral palsy – not that she lets it hold her back – and when her local paper ran a story on her hopes for a dog, kind donors clubbed together for the price of a puppy and everything she would need for the first year.
Kimmy, a male yellow puppy came home in May 2005. In the last two years, Kimmy has changed Stephanie’s life. Her wheelchair is gathering dust, because Stephanie prefers to walk Kimmy herself, not to mention performing with Alison Garforth and her team doing Heelwork to Music demonstrations at all kinds of local events.
Kimmy is also a Pets as Therapy dog, and Stephanie is a Junior Club member so when she’s not at school she goes along on buddy visits too. “I love seeing the people’s faces as we walk in, they can’t wait to get the biscuits ready for Kimmy and he loves all of them” she says.
In March this year Stephanie and Kimmy represented Pets as Therapy along with other Junior Club members at Crufts. She also won the Under 12 section of the Young Kennel Club’s Shaun McAlpine Award, and was presented with a certificate and medal at Crufts. Her prize is a day with her idol, Mary Ray.
The last word must go to Stephanie: “When I was in the ring at Crufts, I thought that if I can do something like this then other disabled children can achieve their dreams as well. So I want to say a big Thank You to Kimmy for everything you have given me and for loving me in return.”
3rd place: AIRE
At just three months old, Aire and her brother were stolen from her first owner’s garden. She was eventually found by a veterinary nurse, who took her away from someone trying to sell her on the street. Covered in fleas, and very sorry for herself, she was a sad sight.
On discovery that she already had a microchip a reunion with her first owners was on the horizon, but they already had another dog, and couldn’t keep her. At eight months old, Aire had already had at least four homes and lots of upheaval – but then she found a safe haven with Rosemary.
Rosemary herself has been through low times, but she says “Aire gives me so much. She gives me the will to get out of bed every morning, because I know she needs me, and she has the friendliest, sweetest nature I have ever known.”
After just a year’s formal training, Aire and Rosemary have achieved bronze, silver and gold in the Good Citizen scheme, are training for competition, and Aire is showing natural flair for agility.
The other reason Aire is so special is that she is a shining example of what a Staffordshire Bull Terrier can be. The breed suffers from a lot of negative press, with a public perception that Staffies are unpredictable and aggressive. Aire has shown many people that in the right hands her breed makes a great pet, friendly and playful with other dogs, and sociable with people. Rosemary walks Aire every day with other owners who swore they would never go near a Staffie after their dog had been attacked by one; in fact, they’ve even given her a nickname, ‘Aire the Bear’. Rosemary says: “Here’s to Aire, Ambassador of the Staffy and Queen of my Heart!”.
More wonderful photos and information can be found in issue 36 of the APDT magazine 'Dog Trainer'.