Interview with the Danish Judge

How many dogs do you have, which breed/s and what do you do with them?
I have 1½ Australian Shepherds:
Sunny 11 years old, is retired and lives with my parents now, his job is to exercise them and my nephewes, and he is very good at it. In his younger days we did Police Defencework, Rally Obedience and HTM, He often had his own mind about how the rutine should look in the ring, but we always had fun together ;O).
Bubalu 6 years old, train Police Defencework and IPO wich is my main interest, Its a physically demanding sport for the dog, but Bubalu does a fantastic job at it. We do regularly compete in Rally Obedience, HTM and Freestyle, and when he was younger we also did some herding, but as you all know, the day has not enough hours for all the things you want to do, so I now focus on, getting him approved in the Police Association ;O)

Why do you like HTM?

Because you choose whatever music you want, combine it with moves and heelwork positions and go out and have fun with your dog, on its terms, and you can do it with any breed you want to, its just to find out what moves it can perform, and what music you can agree on.

When did you start judging?

I was amongst the first 12 judges, who were approved by the Danish Kennel Club, when HTM were officially recognized as a sport in Denmark in 2006.

Why do you judge?

Because I like it and find it interesting and it is important to support a new sport finding its ground in Denmark.

What do you consider to be a HTM judge's greatest responsibility?

To be fair.

Can you tell us about a judging experience that made a great impression on you?

I would rather tell you what makes me go WOW, its when you look at a rutine, and it all fits together on the day, when the dog and handler hits all the cues in the music and you really can see the story the handler tries to tell.

What do you think it will be like to judge a World Championship?

Nerve wracking, but also a fantastic experience.

Any other thoughts you would like to share with the WC handlers?

Please remember to enjoy yourselves in the ring and have a good time with your dogs.