Ibstock Show - our first organised tournament together with our training friends and colleagues the Coventry Racers was very relaxed with lots of laughter. Despite the dreadful weather in the run up to the show, we were awash with mud and campers had to be helped on and off the camping field. A good time was had by all. Saturday was very wet which made racing more difficult than we would have liked. Sunday saw a hot sunny day which produced some fast times for some teams. There were lots of interested visitors watching some great flyball racing and many who wanted to take up flyball with their our dogs having watched all types, sizes and breeds of dogs taking part. Congratulations and well done to everyone who took part.

BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS - held from 13th -15th August saw 244 teams, nearly 1,500 dogs competing in 40 divisions. There was excellent racing throughout the weekend. Congratulations go to Piper, Taf, Flynn, Taz and Daisy-Belle who are the British Champions 2010 of division 21. They were presented with a shield, winners rosettes and presents for the dogs. As you can imagine they were all very, very, excited. (photo awaited)

HOOLIGAN'S BREAK RECORD - the Hooligans team that ran at Princes Risborough on 6th June broke the 19 second barrier for the first time ever scoring a time of 18.95 seconds. What a brilliant achievement and what fantastic racing. Not only did they break their personal record but also came 1st in Division 2, winning every race. The crowd who had gathered to watch applauded the team as they left the field after their last race and very well deserved too. The winning team are pictured below.

Image by courtesy of Doggie Portraits

CRUFTS 2010 - The Young Ones, Katy, Charlotte and Jack are all taking part in Crufts Young Handlers competition again this year. Piper, Taffy and Maisie will all be there too. Good luck!! Margaret has been asked to judge on all 4 days of the Crufts' competitions. We know she is nervous; she will do a great job and we all wish her well. Come on Margaret!!!!

The Young Nuns at Crufts - Katie, Charlotte, Jack, Keiran, Zoe and Chloe. Chloe was the box loader and cannot been seen in this picture but is a very valuable part of the team. What a great job you all did. Well done for gaining 3rd. place. Big thanks to Susanne who trained the team.

Image by courtesy of Tony Brealey Productions

Crufts 2011 - heats are being held in various venues. Adults and Juniors are taking part putting teams together. More news as the various heats progress.

Juniors are through to Crufts - no probs eh! Adults Piper and Barbara and Charlotte and Maisie are also through, took a little longer but they are through too! Well done to you all for all your hard work.

European Championships - two of our teams will be competing this year and we all have our fingers and paws crossed that they will do well. They are training hard and using their experiences from last year to prepare the dogs and handlers from the differences in approach to the sport. Results : Both teams came 4th in each of their divisions. Barbara was very pleased, as this was a huge improvemnet on their first attempt last year.

Ibstock Show 20th & 21st August - We are very pleased and proud to announce that the organisers of this show have asked us to put on a Flyball Competition throughout the duration of their show. This is our 1st attempt at putting on an event of our own so we are very excited and have asked our friends the Coventry Racers Flyball Teams to share the event with us.

Awards so far:-

Keith and Taz - gained their Flyball Dog Advanced award (5,000 points) at Drax, North Yorkshire on 3rd May. Well done to you both another well earned achievement.

Katy and Taff - Congratulations on gaining their Gold Award for achieving (15,000 points) at Gap Farm on 16th January. What an achievement. Well done to you both. Taff is such a good boy we hope Katy gave him an extra cuddle and some yummy treats.

Lucy and Flynn gained their Flyball Dog Graduate award (3,000 points) at Deeside on 27th February. Well done to you both.

Nicola and Daisy-Belle gained their Flyball Dog Advanced award (5,000 points) at Carlton Towers on 3rd. April 2010. What an achievement, well done!

Kirsty and Mosie gained their Flyball Dog award at Charlton Towers on 3rd. April 2010 (200 points) no more Starter competitions now Kirsty. Well done.

Other News

New Training Grounds - as from 20th March all dogs will be training at Church View Fields Farm, Leicester Road, Barwell. LE9 8BB

REMINDER: Summer training starting 20th April is Tuesday evening at 6.30pm. 7pm for starters and public training. Winter training Saturday morning 10am, on none competition weekends.

Doris - Our matriarch of the Hoolies teams hasn't been too good lately. She is beginning to feel her age what with the extremely cold weather and all. Barbara is giving her lots of rest so that come competition time she can still do what she loves best, flyballing!

Nicola and Keith - are participants on the judging and ring party course taking place in March at Markfield, Leicestershire. Can now report they both enjoyed the course and judged the Starter Competition that took place during the afternoon of their course. Both admitted to being nervous but did a great job at keeping the teams in order.

Nicola - judged her first open competition at Carlton Towers during easter weekend and what a great job she made of it too. We were there to cheer her on. Well done Nicola we are very proud of you.

Lottie and Mary - became part of the Doncaster Bellstars starter team at Charlton Towers. She was supported by the Hoolies giving her a Mexican wave from the sidelines. Thanks guys for your support, it was much appreciated . Lottie really enjoyed herself and did very well too. Thanks Bellstars for inviting her to be part of your team.

Lottie and Mary - were again invited to join the Doncaster Bellstars at the Drax competition. The team ran very well and was awarded a third place in their division. A first for Lottie, well done little girl! Many thanks to Nicola, who box loaded for the team, for her encouragement. Lottie likes her scottish accent being a West Highland White lassie herself!

Barbara - At the Woodgreen Animal Shelter competition organised a 'Cake Break' as part of the Multiple Sclerosis Society fund raising efforts. She raised a fantasic £161.20. Many thanks to those who baked, bought and ate in aid of this worthy cause.

News 2009

Barbara & Doris receive their Silver Flyball Award for achieving in excess of 10,000 points during her flyballing career at St. Ledger Horse Park on 24th January 2009. The award was presented at the Woodgreen Animal Centre, Cambridgeshire on 26th. April 2009. Well done Doris & Barbara!!!

Image by courtesy of Tony Brealey Productions

Margaret & Minstrel gained their Silver Flyball Award on 13th June at The Pheonix Sports and Social Club. Well Done to you both!! (Awaiting photograph)

Other Flyball Awards gained during 2009 (up to 8th August 2009)

Graduate Wards (FDA) - 3,000 points gained

Barbara and Piper on 16th May 2009 at Arbury Hall, Nuneaton

Margaret and Maisy on 12 June 2009 at Pheonix Sports and Social Club

Intermediate (FDI) - 1,000 points gained

Lucy and Flynn 12th June 2009 at Pheonix Sports and Social Club

Mary and Jack 24th October 2009 at Stockbridge, South Yorkshire

Flyball Dog Award (FD) - 200 points gained

Lucy and Flynn on 24th April 2009 at Woodgreen Animal Shelter, Cambridge

Mary and Jack on 25th April 2009 at Woodgreen Animal Shelter, Cambridge

The younger members taking part in the Young Kennel Club event at Crufts 2009

Baby News, (or more correctly Puppy news)

Congratulations to Piper, who with the help of Barbara, safely delivered 6 beautiful puppies on 4th and 5th August. Barbara and Katie have kept the smallest pup of the litter and all the other puppies have found their new homes. Look out for them in a couple of years time when they are racing in Open competitions. They will be fast!

British Championships 14th August - The team entered came 2nd. in their division this year. Well done!

Sad News

Lady, Katie's old girl, passed over the Rainbow Bridge at the beginning of September. She has gone to run free to join her old friends and get up to all sorts of mischief as she loved to do. She was a lovely girl with a mind of her own. A chilled out flirtatious granny basher who was keen to have a go at anything. She will be greatly missed.

Evie, had a very bad accident while running free on her walk recently. She received a very bad fracture and will be out of action for a while. We can report that she is recovering well after surgery and now Lucy and she are on the long road of rehabilitation. Let us hope that we see her back doing her flyball again at some time in the future.

Margaret was contacted by Tony Wadsworth from BBC Radio Leicester on 23rd. September to ask if she could explain about the sport of Flyball. This resulted in her giving him a display and commentating at the same time - clever stuff that you know! It was broadcast the following day. Tony said how much he enjoyed learning about the sport and said what a lovely family Margaret, Steve, Charlotte and Jack were. Of course they are Tony!

Helen who has been attending starter training during the summer months writes for the Your Dog magazine. She has a double page spread in the 24th September 2009 edition about all her dogs and Hinckley Hooligans gets a mention. She also runs Flyball 4 Fun sessions in north west Leicestershire.