C&DDTC Open Obedience Show
The 2011 Show
The show went ahead really very smoothly this year. Again I had a nasty moment or three when we were threatened with having to do all the car parking on hard-standing but the thunder storm which let loose during the night before the show passed over quite quickly and the ground was firm enough. I had a few memory lapses and had to make a dash to Shurdington at 5.30am to get the first aid box etc. But apart from that there were countless offers of help and very solid help too from members new and old, competitors and friends and relations.
We have settled in nicely to the venue at Tewkesbury Sports Centre and every year
All the usual jobs were performed reliably and the club show owes a great debt of gratitude to those who dea annually with the entries, the judges correspondence, the refreshments, the lunches, the stands and stalls, the practice ring, the running and stewarding in the stay ring, the organising of the camping and caravans and car parking, and of course the judging and stewarding in the rings. We shan't know how the finances went for a little while and with the entry being down by about a hundred the results of the ins and outs will be pretty close. More on that when the figures are in.
The 2010 Show
It did stop raining!!
With a few extra worries about the ground because of the constant rain in the weeks before the show we have succeeded in running this event again with many plaudits from both judges and competitors. Thanks to the support from countless members and non-members I had no trouble at all in finding the necessary stewards and officials. A list of names could be compiled but I would surely miss someone. Every job, large or small, was executed with fantastic efficiency. The club owes a large debt of gratitude to the secretarial side of things, the treasury department, the ring erectors and dismantlers, the tentmen, the car parkers, the caravan wardens, the table stewards, the stay stewards, the callers, the - - - you name them, they did it - thank you to them all. I felt it was one of our best - even my 'deliberate' mistake in positioning the third row of rings was not too much of a disaster.
We had to put the day parking on hard standing to save the ground and everyone was most tolerant and happy about this despite the fact that there was fair bit of walking to do to the rings for some, but tents were brought on and set up along the top edge of the field which was better than nothing - one good thing has come out of it in that we know we can manage to run the show with similar ground problems another year. A slight glitch occurred when the overflow from the back car park started to flood in and we temporarily lost control and had to spend ten minutes backing up cars and juggling to get them sorted but all was straightened out eventually.
We collected £260 from the tombola and the practice ring which will go to our charity, the Cinnamon Trust, a record amount yet again.
And now I suppose we start planning for next year!! Why do we do it? I sometimes wonder!
The 2009 Show
Altogether one of our best. A tremendous amount of help was forthcoming from our members, our committee and volunteers to stay steward on the day.
To name everyone would be impossible but one or two must be mentioned. Sue with the printing and entry taking, Sally and Sheila with 101 tasks connected with the judges and admin and refreshments and so on, Emma and Anne with the tombola, Melvin with his muscles and assistance with the ring erection, Jan for all her work as treasurer, Terry for the parking and camping planning, Sandra and the stays.
Trevor ran the practice ring and this was much appreciated. With the monies for this and from the tombola we took just under £400 for our charity, The Cinnamon Trust.
Melvin and his nephew Scott and I measured out and finished putting up the rings in two hours on the Friday, record time - and I knew from then on it was going to be a good show. The weather was the best we have had for years and for once I almost got the timing right for the collection of the marquee etc. After I had left the ground I had one desperate phone call from Maria to say that the scouts had not arrived to put the gear back and it was 8.40pm by which time I had had my supper and was collapsed in an arm chair, but ten minutes later they had arrived so she was able to lock up etc. And there you have it for another year.
A very good day - thanks to all who put in and helped.
The 2008 Show
Well, it has come and gone again. A fantastic entry, some marvellous helpers, judges, stewards and chiefs and indians!! And the weather was brilliant. How lucky were we? Friday setting up started with me wanting to stay in bed, the rain was tipping down and the gate was locked and I could easily have turned round and gone home again, but an hour later and we were dry, and the day cleared and we had a superb time setting up and the day went really well.
Saturday - the day of the show and once more anyone who had prayed for the weather to assist us had done a good job - it couldn't have been better.
We had 17 working rings this year.
The practice ring was much appreciated and was run by two volunteers in Jean and Trevor - this totted up to a little over £50 and the Tombola organised by Ann Parker, Emma Hagan and Di James made £246. This is a record for both these features and will be sent to our charity in due course.
Cheltenham & District Dog Training Club has been holding Open Obedience shows since 1958. When it was in its infancy the show comprised of just 5 rings. I think we can be justifiably proud of the way in which we run the show. We had many compliments. These have to be put down to the sum of all our helpers. Chief of which have to be Sue Luce who did all the entry taking and printing, Sally Measham with the judges' correspondence and much more besides, and Sandra Hill our chief stay steward who kept that side of things running like clockwork. The hours involved have to be experienced to be believed. The list of names would be endless so just let me thank everyone who did their part. Without each one the show could not have run so well.
Janet Martineau - Chairman.
CONTACT: Show Secretary. Sally Measham
