BRBMDC April Fools Weekend March 31st, April 1st & 2nd 2017
No foolin' around at the Run!
Sleeping Dogs Run, Hurdle Mills, NC
Draft Test Re-Cap from Wendy Djang, Draft Chair
We had a wonderful weekend of drafting fun at Sleeping Dogs Run in Hurdle Mills this past Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
There were 19 teams of draft dogs entered, 16 Bernese, 2 Portuguese Water Dogs and one Swedish Vallhund! We also had every level of test represented. It is an amazing thing to watch a brace team (2 dogs working together) pull their open weight level. (That weight is determined by the weight of the dogs themselves and they have to pull that 1/2 mile!)
We started the weekend with ring set up on Thursday afternoon to be ready for our draft match on Friday (Practice test) and we had 6 teams take advantage of the extra time out at the Run. Even the pouring rain did not dampen the spirits of these dog lovers.
Our judges came from Wisconsin, Colorado and Washington state. Our furthest test entry was from the Philadelphia area! It is so important to thank these judges (They don't get paid. They leave their own dogs and families behind, sometimes even their jobs, and fly across the country to support our love of our working dogs.) It is also important to thank each other as participants; after all I do this because I love to spend time with all these people and reconnect with old friends and make new ones.
Then there is the weather. Thank goodness it was a beautiful weekend! It was perfect on Saturday and Sunday. We had minimal wind and lovely blue skies. Of course the setting was beautiful and I need to thank John and Dorene McCune for hosting the test again. It is labor of love to turn over your property and run a three day event. (Think about how much work goes into a wedding, and a wedding only lasts one day!) So not only did they host us but they fed us and made sure every creature comfort was available for everyone. I could not have done it without them.
Our stewards and volunteers were lead by our wonderful chief steward John Fluke and our secretary Laura Gillium. Every year this test gets more efficient and organized and this year it is in large part to the easy and helpful way these two folks worked. This year our "support staff" also had a new player with Judy Parsons in charge of creating our premium and catalog. This is a task that I have always made mistakes with and this year was so much better having her eye on the details and it was such a relief to just hand it over to her! This front end work goes unseen for the most part but it is a very important part.
There are even more folks to thank and I am worried that I will forget to name someone so please don't be offended if I do. In no particular order we had the Argentieri family with Zachary, the Deerings, Carolyn Paige, Eden Jonas, the Gabigs, the Falivena family, the Hodge family, Nancy Livaccari, and friends of the club: Heather Giffel, Susan Myers and Dwayne and Karin Campbell. (If their names aren't familiar, these extra special folks supported their friends without even being members or having Berners in some cases.) Of course the other great thing that happens at these events is that everyone that is there helps everyone else and that is truly one of the main reasons why things are FUN to do with your dogs and things run smooth!
If I missed anyone please reply to all of us and if any of the participants or volunteers have fun stories or reports to share please do so as well so that all the membership can look forward to our next draft event!
Thank you everyone for making this weekend possible! It was our best test yet!
Wendy Djang
2017 Draft Chair
We had a wonderful weekend of drafting fun at Sleeping Dogs Run in Hurdle Mills this past Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
There were 19 teams of draft dogs entered, 16 Bernese, 2 Portuguese Water Dogs and one Swedish Vallhund! We also had every level of test represented. It is an amazing thing to watch a brace team (2 dogs working together) pull their open weight level. (That weight is determined by the weight of the dogs themselves and they have to pull that 1/2 mile!)
We started the weekend with ring set up on Thursday afternoon to be ready for our draft match on Friday (Practice test) and we had 6 teams take advantage of the extra time out at the Run. Even the pouring rain did not dampen the spirits of these dog lovers.
Our judges came from Wisconsin, Colorado and Washington state. Our furthest test entry was from the Philadelphia area! It is so important to thank these judges (They don't get paid. They leave their own dogs and families behind, sometimes even their jobs, and fly across the country to support our love of our working dogs.) It is also important to thank each other as participants; after all I do this because I love to spend time with all these people and reconnect with old friends and make new ones.
Then there is the weather. Thank goodness it was a beautiful weekend! It was perfect on Saturday and Sunday. We had minimal wind and lovely blue skies. Of course the setting was beautiful and I need to thank John and Dorene McCune for hosting the test again. It is labor of love to turn over your property and run a three day event. (Think about how much work goes into a wedding, and a wedding only lasts one day!) So not only did they host us but they fed us and made sure every creature comfort was available for everyone. I could not have done it without them.
Our stewards and volunteers were lead by our wonderful chief steward John Fluke and our secretary Laura Gillium. Every year this test gets more efficient and organized and this year it is in large part to the easy and helpful way these two folks worked. This year our "support staff" also had a new player with Judy Parsons in charge of creating our premium and catalog. This is a task that I have always made mistakes with and this year was so much better having her eye on the details and it was such a relief to just hand it over to her! This front end work goes unseen for the most part but it is a very important part.
There are even more folks to thank and I am worried that I will forget to name someone so please don't be offended if I do. In no particular order we had the Argentieri family with Zachary, the Deerings, Carolyn Paige, Eden Jonas, the Gabigs, the Falivena family, the Hodge family, Nancy Livaccari, and friends of the club: Heather Giffel, Susan Myers and Dwayne and Karin Campbell. (If their names aren't familiar, these extra special folks supported their friends without even being members or having Berners in some cases.) Of course the other great thing that happens at these events is that everyone that is there helps everyone else and that is truly one of the main reasons why things are FUN to do with your dogs and things run smooth!
If I missed anyone please reply to all of us and if any of the participants or volunteers have fun stories or reports to share please do so as well so that all the membership can look forward to our next draft event!
Thank you everyone for making this weekend possible! It was our best test yet!
Wendy Djang
2017 Draft Chair
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Draft Test
Saturday April 1st BMDCA Draft Test Judges: Nancy Van Horne and Peggy Granger Sunday April 2nd BMDCA Draft Test Judges: Peggy Granger and Val Horney Questions: E-mail the Draft Chair See Premium below. 
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Practice Draft Match
Friday March 31 Judges: Eden Jonas and Wendy Djang Entry Fee: No Fee, Donations Welcome 10 Entries, Maximum Check in at 10 a.m. Call or email to reserve your spot ASAP, see entry form below.
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