Carl Ranford (Hawera) - Starter, Senior, Dash for Cash (Starter/Novice), Tunnellers
My passion for dogs came at a young age, from as long as I can remember I wanted a dog, my wish was granted at the age of 7 when we rescued a golden lab, our first experiences of having a dog in the family was mixed, Bob was a friendly dog but came with his fair share of issues, I don’t think we were prepared for such a mischievous dog. Even though Bob was a handful I enjoyed his company and I knew the desire to own a dog was a true calling.Fast forward to 2016 and I have now been involved in dog sports for over 20 years. Initially I joined and competed in Obedience in 1995 which lead me to Agility, where I fell in love with the fast paced sport. I joined the Agility judges panel in 2009, as I wanted to give back to the sport. I have travelled much of the country judging and competing in the North. I was also president of Hawera Dog Training Association from 2010 to 2013. I am a Senior IT/RF Engineer, and spend a lot of time designing large wireless networks across New Zealand, chances are you have been standing within one of my networks or even connected to one.
Catherine and I have 2 children, Kyra 5 and Corban 3, they come with us to most dog shows and they enjoy the outing. Fellow competitors know them well. We currently have 5 Border Collies, with 2 of these actively competing, Siri and Rhyme.
It is an honour to be asked to judge at the National Dog Show and I am looking forward to attending and judging some great team work.
Danny Gotlieb (Lower Hutt) - Intermediate, Dash for Cash, Seniors, Team Jumpers Knockout
I am privileged enough to be invited to Judge for the Discover Dogs 2016 National show happening in Christchurch.I have been in the sport of Dog Agility for over 20 years and have competed to various levels of Classes in Agility and Dog Obedience with numerous breeds of dogs over this time and have been lucky enough to judge some of the best handlers throughout New Zealand,
I have enjoyed many clubs hospitality over the years and met some wonderful people and skilled handlers running in my Agility courses.
During the week I work as a Senior Contracts Coordinator, Project Managing large commercial building supply contracts in the construction industry with one of New Zealand’s leading supplier of commercial Security , Detention & Hospital Doorsets, I am proud to be participating in the Christchurch rebuild with various key pivotal commercial projects being undertaken and completed to date.
I am a father of three competitive children all actively involved in their own chosen sports, so you can usually find me either judging or competing at a Dog Agility show, on a Soccer Field refereeing, a Roller Skating Rink or a BMX Track somewhere in New Zealand actively supporting my children.
I look forward to Judging this prestigious event in 2016 and look forward to catching up with some with some top handlers again
Until then as they say in agility, Run Faster, Jump Higher, and GET THE CONTACTS
Steve Tansey (Christchurch) - Novice, Tunnellers, Boxed Pairs, Teams Jumpers Knockout
Here we go – version 3. This one won’t spark an international incident or even just confuse readers who aren’t familiar with my writings.
As you can tell from the accompanying photo I was surprised (albeit pleasantly) to be invited to judge some of the agility classes at this years Nationals / Discover Dogs event especially as it includes some of the more enjoyable events to watch / judge such as tunnellers , pairs knockouts and the weave pole challenge . Even after all these years it is still nice to get asked to officiate at the nationals as I have been lucky enough to do before a few times and all have been eventful and enjoyable for a variety of reasons Staying in a hotel and going out to a nice restaurant certainly separates it from most shows these days although in days gone by the dinner out was the norm for the Saturday night of an agility weekend. Keeping to the facts as I’ve been instructed - My name is Steve Tansey, I am married to my lovely Wife Susan (also an agility judge) and we have a 16yr old daughter Jess who is now a better handler than I ever was and 12yr old twins Jack (an accurate archer and IT whiz kid) and Megan who loves horse riding more than anything but is also very proficient at dog training as she seems to have a great connection with all animals.
I have been involved in dog sports for about 25 years and have been judging for a big chunk of them (20 years would be my best guess). I have been really fortunate in that judging has taken me all over the country to meet a ton of awesome people, some of whom have become lifelong friends even outside of agility. I have travelled to a lot of different clubs / towns and often combine this with a bit of a holiday so we can have a bit of a look around (we often both get contracted to a show as a 2-for-1 deal if driving J ). I do enjoy judging the national shows as well as the NDTA’s but even more so the smaller club shows held at picturesque grounds run in a fun relaxed atmosphere which is really grassroots agility where it all begins.
I have had a few dogs over the years that have constantly tested me mainly due to my aversion to any sort of regimented training and complete lack of any real handling ability. I did have a bit of success back in the day with my first dog “Fat Cass” but that was all her - as has been proven since especially after the kids came along. I have owned and run a few since, culminating in my current dog “Kemo” a border collie/flat coat/spaniel/retriever/Chihuahua/Labrador X who while loving agility is mildly challenging due to her penchant for giving the odd excited nip mid round J (#agilityscars).
Good luck to all competing at the discover dogs agility and remember they are your pets first - you’re just lucky to be doing something you both love – together.