As a K9 Cliffhanger member I thought I would share what “I” think it is to be a member of this group. I can’t say that what I feel and say applies to everyone in the Cliffhangers, but I am fairly certain that everyone shares at least a similar view on most aspects.
When I first joined back in 2003, I don’t know exactly what I was looking for. Dog agility enthusiasts, friends who shared a similar passion with their dogs, a strong desire to play and to play together? I began my days in the Cliffhangers as the score keeper and it was and remains hard work. We ran unlimited entry trials then and one at Cloverdale ran from until after 10 pm on Friday and 8 am to 8 pm saturday; close to 1500 runs.
I no longer have the energy for that role but thankfully our desire to have new and hard working people join our club has relieved me of that task. I think to this day that one of our common goals has always led to this freedom I have today. The desire to have new members who like to work and help in some way, whatever way. Simple as that.
To this day I love putting on trials with the Cliffhangers. Things change (for the last 6 years I have helped run the 6 ring (and 7) AAC BC/Yukon Regional events instead of score keeping trials), but at the same time they don’t change. When some of us put on the Nationals in 2006, it was the most amazing work experience. 150 people or more working very hard to share their passion for dog agility and their dogs. When it was over, there was relief but there was a much more prevalent sense of enjoyment for a hard job well done!
Well, I think every trial we put on is like that. We love doing them together and the reward for all of us is after we are done. And each time it is the same. A big WOW! Hard work but fun! Setting up is the same every time; we all get together and we make it happen. Yes it varies year to year and trial to trial as to who does what. But it never changes really. The same things get done.
Trials run the same as always. Time flies, the rings roll, things happen, things are fixed and then the trial is done and we are tearing down again. Cooling down again, packing up, enjoying what we did and putting things away so we can do it again soon.
Same old, same old!
To me the practices we have together are the true reward. Playing with my friends, taking turns playing with my dogs. Saying hi, enjoying training. That is my passion more than anything. A club benefit I strongly enjoy, but that I never take for granted. It is earned I, know it.
Every new member who joins this group of great people needs to know that we love working together and we love playing together and we love sharing it. That is who I think the Cliffhangers are.
Sincerely,
Richard with Jimmi and Joey
Thanks for sharing Richard.
I joined the Cliffhanger club in the Spring of 1995 when Zeus my Belgian Shepard was 2 yrs old. I saw a group of people training in a West Vancouver park. I stopped in after speaking with them decided to try dog agility. We had homemade equipment some basic dog training skills and a common love of dogs. We started training, trialling then holding trials and demos to promote the sport of dog agility. We became a family sharing and supporting during the good and difficult times. Our club has grown over the years with our love of our dogs and agility community remaining our common bond. I’m am proud to be a member of the Cliffhanger club.