Hello from the other blogger-helper

When Johanne some weeks ago asked me, if I could help af WDS 2010 I couldn't turn the oppurtunity down beeing af part of this exciting event in Denmark.

I have a few years ago competed in HTM with my border collie Paddy - but our biggest interest is agility, where I compete and judge almost all year round.

But I am really looking forward to 3 busy and exciting days.

Greetings from a Blogging Helper

I'm so happy for this wonderful oppurtunity to watch and meet HTM and freestyle competitors from all over the world! I hope everyone has a great weekend and walks away a winner :)

I help out at local competitions and I also helped at the Swedish Championships this year. Being a competition blogger however is new to me and I'm a bit nervous - what if I mess up? What if the perfect word to describe the great routine I'm watching won't come? I'm full of admiration for all participants (and judges) - who will be performing so much more complicated tasks in the spotlight...

I fell in love with freestyle the first time I tried to make a routine. The routine sucked but we had loads of fun! Now I compete in freestyle and HTM with my Great Dane Willow and this summer my pug Oggie will make her debute in the ring.

Best wishes

Erika Johansson

(PS. The Danish KC and the KC HTM Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank Erika for travelling all the way from Sweden to Denmark to help out at this World Championship)

Greetings from a Score Keeper

My name is Anni Pedersen and I will be one of the score-keepers at the World Championships. I am looking forward to experience a World Championship and see all the great dog and handler teams perform.

I saw Dog Dancing for the first time about 10 years ago. It was a demonstration round at an agility competition and I remember thinking that it looked like great fun and something I would like to do with my dogs, but at that time it was not possible in Denmark.

I have always taught my dogs to do little tricks and moves – I have 3 shelties, 2 Border Collies and a labrador/collie cross – and that was a good base to found the HTM/Freestyle training on.

I entered my first competition in 2004 in Germany and competed at the first Danish competition in 2006 too. That was with my sheltie Marquis, who unfortuantely had to be put to sleep in February 2010 due to cancer – he was only 10 years old. Marquis and I had many wonderful competitions and training sessions together.

My two Border Collies have been dancing too, but they are now retired at the age of 12 and 14 years.

My young sheltie Duchesse is now 6 mth old. She is learning tricks, moves and obedience. Hopefully we will be able to start HTM/Freestyle next year.

I am looking forward to see you all in Herning.

Best wishes
Anni Pedersen

Greetings from the Judges' Secretary

Only two weeks away! I am looking forward to being a helper at the World Championships, it is going to be a great feeling to be part of such a wonderful event.

I was a helper at the Nordic Championships in the fall of 2009, and it was so much fun to be there and a great inspiration to watch all those great performances. With even more competitors from around the world I'm sure that the World Championships will be an even more exciting experience. As a novice in the HTM world myself it really is a treat to watch so many talented dogs and handlers performing their very best.

See you all in Herning!

Sonja Ordell.

Judges' Secretary at the World Championships.

Photo: Helle Larssen

Greetings from the Show Manager

My name is Helle Ferrold and I have been trusted the big responsibility of being the Show Manager at this first HTM & Freestyle World Championship. It is a responsibility I take very serious and I will do my best to give you all a great competition.

My interest in HTM and Freestyle started in a small way many years ago doing tricks with our family pet-dog. This passion for tricks went on, so when I nine years ago got my first Australian Shepherd, a bitch called Delight, tricks was obviously a part of the training as well as obedience, agility and rally-obedience. Training a combination of tricks and obedience was almost unavoidable and in 2002 when I bought an English HTM-competition video and totally lost my heart to the HTM.

Delight and I participated in the first officially HTM held by the Danish Kennel Club in 2006. And we have participated in some other competitions with great pleasure since then. Due to serious illness I unfortunately had to put my best friend to sleep just a few months ago, but when the time is right a new Aussie and I will surely be back in the HTM ring.

For now I am looking forward to be a part of the first World Championship and to enjoy all you top performers performing your fantastic routines. I wish all the teams good luck, but no matter what happens, please remember that you are all winners, and you all take the very best dog back home.

I am looking forward to seeing you and wish you all a safe journey to Herning/Denmark.

Helle Ferrold,

Show Manager

Greetings from the Ring Steward

I am fortunate to own four Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, three of them compete in HTM/Freestyle, Obedience and Rally-Obedience.
We are relatively new in HTM/Freestyle, to which we were introduced two years ago. In November 2008 we participated in our first HTM competition, and we have missed very few since. Now Bella is in Advanced HTM and starting in Novice Freestyle.
I look very much forward to being part of the World Championship as ring steward! This is a unique opportunity to see and enjoy so many top performers from many different countries. Also I hope to get the opportunity to talk to and establish contacts with dogdancers from abroad.

The World Championship Blog

The World Championship Blog will be updated with news, gossip, show reports and results throughout the day all 4 days of the World Dog Show/World Championships. Our web-masters are ready to update as soon as anything interesting happens - from practice in the ring to the Sunday Final performances. Blog readers will get the news and results sooner than the participants!

Tell your friends and family to stay tuned and follow the events online on this blog!

Webmasters: Emmy M. Simonsen, Erika Johansson, Marianne Blom Larsen and Bent Blom Larsen.

Photo: Lucie Smolikova

Our Helpers

Show Manager Helle Ferrold giving the last instructions to the helpers before the Nordic Championship in November 2009.

From left: Score keeper Sonja Ordell, Webmaster Randi Gregersen, DJ Peter Hjorth, Speaker Inge Dorte Graakjær and Show Manager Helle Ferrold.

The World Championship is a big event that takes a lot of planning and organization. It could not be run without good, dedicated helpers, who are willing to take 3 or 4 days out of their calendars, travel to Herning and work all day long to make sure the rest of us can enjoy the competition.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank them in advance:

Show Manager: Helle Ferrold
Helle's Assistants: Iben M. K. Pedersen
DJ: Peter Hjorth
Score keepers: Anni Pedersen and Henriette Ortmann
Judges' Secretary: Sonja Ordell and Helle W. Andersen
Speaker: Inge-Dorte Graakjær
Ring Steward: Renate Gregersen
Webmasters: Erika Johansson and Marianne or Bent Blom Larsen

We are lucky that many of the helpers are the same as at the Nordic Championship in November 2009. It means that they have experience and know what it means to be responsible for whatever their job is at a big international competition. I am sure they will all do their absolute best to make the championships run smoothly!

Thank you so much for coming to Herning and help us make the World Championships a memorable experience for all the participants. We are very grateful!

Photo: Helle Larssen