The FMBB 2006 Belgian Shepherd Dog Agility World Championships were held in Székesfehérvár, Hungary on 4-7 May. Mike Bacon, Team Manager, reports.

Monday
The team met up on Monday evening 1 May at Lincoln Kennels just off the M25 at Brands Hatch and transferred onto the coach. Travelling through the night dawn saw us crossing the Moselle valley in Germany 1,000ft above the river. It was the start of a day in which we would see stunning scenery right across Germany. Even stopping every couple of hours to exercise the dogs and rest the drivers, we made good time and arrived in Bavaria where we were to have a long stopover.

The place we had chosen was a luxurious services between Rosenhiem and Herrensee, a very beautiful area at the foot of the Alps. We gave the dogs a long walk in the forest, had a meal and shower. We then cut the team cake and had a couple of beers on the terrace as we watched the sun set over the Alps.

Tuesday
We set off early the next morning again, travelling through more stunning countryside. We were a bit apprehensive about travelling through Austria and crossing the Austrian and Hungarian borders as we had been incorrectly told there were additional controls on dogs there. The reassurances from DEFRA and the Austrian ministry were quite correct though, and we passed through without any problems at all.

Travelling through the Hungarian countryside we couldn’t help but notice the contrast with Bavaria and Austria. Most buildings were tiny and ramshackle with every scrap of land being used productively. In the towns there were lots of signs of development and progress.

Wednesday
We arrived in Szekesfehsvar mid-afternoon on Wednesday. We made our way right to the venue as there was an opportunity to train at the local dog club opposite the competition stadium. This was couple of acres of land with a large, if basic, club house. Practice for the IPO, Obedience and Agility was well underway. The agility equipment was mostly home-made and a bit 'rustic' so we just gave the dogs a simple workout and set off to find the hotel.

The hotel was a real delight - only 2-Star but open, bright and absolutely spotless. It was in the centre of the town but less than 15 minutes drive to the stadium. Throughout our stay, the staff could not do enough to help. We settled the dogs in and took a stroll around the town. We found a restaurant that offered such good quality and value we ate there three out of our four nights.

Thursday
We have an early start the next day as our practice is scheduled for 7.00am. The sessions are usually very strictly controlled, but gaps in the organisation were starting to show. The equipment does not arrive from Germany until 8.00am. There are not enough people to unload it, and there was no course plan. Helen quickly improvises a training course while we assemble the equipment. We have two people on the course at a time for half an hour and the organisers seem surprised when we finish! 

We had missed our allocated vet check time but manage to fit it in. Anne has noticed that Timber has an infected toe and asked the vet to check it. He said it was not serious and did not need treatment. Bailey is also out of sorts but okay to compete.

We returned to the hotel for breakfast and then sat in the courtyard and chilled with the dogs who were exercised in a local park before we returned for the opening ceremony. Over 300 Belgian Shepherd Dogs paraded around the stadium with lots of patriotic music and flag waving.

This was followed by a Team Managers meeting. There were problems because the competition is run under FCI rules but not everything was covered so the organisers had to improvise. They really did not have the experience of this type of event. It is sorted out for this year as it has been in previous years, and now the FMBB has appointed an Agility Committee from the competing countries to ensure it runs more smoothly in the future.

Friday
Friday saw the first day of competition. The courses were interesting. On paper they would seem to be a stiff Intermediate or Senior course but the distances between obstacles is a minimum of five metres - and often more - which allowed the dogs to build real speed. The judges had cleverly placed obstacles slightly out of line or in the way.

Andy and Skye came second in the first Jumping class and were fortunate to qualify for the Individual final. The others came very close to qualifying. Louise and Timber were just a second and couple of places outside qualifying but Timber's toe got worse and he was taken to the local vet. He could still compete but was prescribed anti-inflammatory painkillers and anti-biotics. At the end of the first day with Timber and Bailey - both not 100 percent - the team was lying in 13^th place.

Saturday
On Saturday the courses were even more technical. Bailey seemed to be getting back to usual form and qualified for the final with a very workmanlike jumping round. Anne and Copper were outstanding and qualified in the Agility. Timber was obviously feeling a lot better. Again Louise was very unfortunate, just missing qualification. Julie and Razzle were also unfortunate not to qualify, delighting the crowd with their style. They are a team to watch for the future.

By the time we got to the Team final on Saturday afternoon, there was a really positive interaction between the teams with lots exchange of complements for handling and dogs and also advice both serious and joking. Thankfully English is the common language.

It is shame that the team finals were on Friday and Saturday, not Saturday and Sunday as in previous years. Our dogs and handlers were improving all the time as they settled in and got used to the FCI courses. The Team Agility final was very demanding but even so we managed to gain three places to finish tenth overall.

Sunday
There was a real buzz on Sunday for the Individual finals. It started an hour later at 8.00am and there was a good crowd of spectators. The Jumping course was extremely tricky, and it had been raining, making the ground very slippery. A lot of handlers lost their footing and the dogs had problems with turns and clearing jumps. As the ground dried out, the later runs had an advantage. A lot of the people who ran early did not do as well as they were capable of.

At the end of the jumping round only Andy is in contention for the GB squad. He is lying in second place with 0.56sec time fault. The pair in the lead was blisteringly fast with the only a 0.41 sec time fault.

In the Agility final, dogs run in the reverse order of their jumping final placings. The top six were the only real contenders and by the time it got to Andy, he was assured a second place... if he went clear. He did a superbly well-judged run. Not over handling nor pushing too hard, he allowed Skye to use his natural ability to turn and take the best line. The cheers from the crowd as he went clear. Amazing! There are more than a few tears in the GB camp. It has not been easy to get here and it is now all worthwhile. Andy and Skye had, at the very least, gained a second place.

We pulled ourselves together to watch the last competitor. She was a natural athlete with an extremely fast Malinois. They could only work one way and that was to attack the course from the start. They were three quarters of the way around and up on the time when they missed the A-frame contact. We were sorry that a great run has gone wrong but so pleased that Andy has successfully defended his individual title.

The Belgium team choose this time to open the champagne to celebrate their well deserved team victory and very sportingly bring a glass over to toast Andy’s success.

There was some time to watch IPO and Mondioring finals before the presentation and closing ceremony which was late. Even a downpour could not dampen our spirits. Helen and Andy were approached by Austrian and Belgian competitors to swap tracksuit tops which was a great honour!

A special thank you to Jacky McKandie who was Judging the Breed Show for coming over to support us and waved the British flag in the stands of the stadium!

The rapport between the teams continued as we made our farewells. We talked to people like we saw them at shows every weekend, not once a year.

Final thoughts
As we drove off into the sunset, we reflected on an amazing few days. The organisation of the event could have been better. For instance, why did we have to start at 7.30am and finish at 6pm for just over 300 runs. Some countries just do not have the experience of running a 'big show.' The FMBB have now recognised this and are doing something about it. You could not fault the Hungarian organisers on the effort they put in and how helpful they all were. Hungary is an intriguing country full of surprises and contrasts and above all, everyone was so friendly and helpful.

The standard of the competition was astounding. People were confident using obstacle discrimination techniques at speed. Even Andy, double Individual and Team World Champion, says he will have to work very hard to keep up in future years. Just training and competing on UK courses is not enough. FCI courses are so different that to be successful they must be trained for as well. Louise has already decided to add different training methods and techniques when she starts training her young dog for agility. It was something that Andy took into account when training Skye as Helen already had experienced this from the FCI All breeds Championship.

There are more countries and competitors taking part each year. If we are to hold our position we must continue to improve our training and organisation.

Back home
We arrived early Monday afternoon. At our return stopover in Verdunne, we had problems finding somewhere to park and stopped outside the Magistrates Court where a policeman was escorting a prisoner. They held up the traffic for us and backed us into a space along the courthouse where he told us that we would be okay as the offices were closed on Mondays.

We walked the dogs along the river and through the town, stopping at a patisserie to buy which we ate in the park. You can imagine that there were many jokes about having a French tart in the park. In the evening we treated ourselves to a meal and a small celebration in a restaurant opposite the courthouse.

A gypsy woman was waiting outside the courthouse, selling lilies of the valley to passers by. The prisoner we had seen earlier was brought out to talk them. They cause a disturbance and he is off like a whippet. The police are after him like, well quite a bit slower, and then run back to get their cars. There was a lot of comical comings and goings. This was a funny end to what I can only describe as a fun and exciting week. 

We pressed on in the very early hours of the morning and were back at Brands Hatch and on our way before lunch.

Each year the BSD WC have been a very special and unique experience in their own right. This year was no exception and was definitely the best yet. We'd all had a wonderful time at the Championships and really enjoyed watching the different disciplines of which our breed excel. Having four different competitions in one place with dogs competing from all over the World makes it really special!

Next year the competitionwill not be too far away in Le Touquet (France) during the 13th FMBB World Championship from 11-13 May 2007. If you want the experience of a lifetime and have a BSD doing agility, get FCI training and try to qualify for the squad. Or alternatively consider going as a supporter for an extremely enjoyable holiday.

Thank you
The squad would like to thank all the support they have received from both the Belgian Shepherd and Agility communities, particularly for Michelle Griffiths, Souldern Agility Club and all those involved in running Spring at Shuttleworth, without the contribution from the show proceeds it would not have been possible.

Thank you to John Gilbert for sparing his time for a training/team selection day. The squad would like to give their heartfelt thanks to Mike Bacon for organising the travel arrangements and being Team Manager, Helen Brown for our training and Plan-it travel the coach company whose contribution to this WC was invaluable. 

 And finally a very big thank you to everyone for all of your good luck and best wishes. 

A personal message from Andy Brown BSD Individual World Champion 2005 & 2006
Thank you for all the nice messages from everyone after my successful defence at the World Championship for Belgian Shepherds in Hungary. I would like to especially thank Mike Bacon Team manager and organiser, Helen for my training and help @ the event, Louise, Anne, Julie and Brenda for there support on the journey to and from the event and whilst competing. I would also like to thank everyone who entered or helped @ the Spring at Shuttleworth show in April especially Michelle Griffiths and Souldern Agility Club because without 50% of the profit from the show we would not have been able to fund going to Hungary at all. And last of all thanks to Skye on making a dream come true! 

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