 |
 |
 |
 |
CCKC has supported trophies for 4-H dog training classes at the Clermont County Fair and the Ohio State Fair for many years, so we invited club leader Chris Spurlock and members of her club to visit CCKC at our April meeting. The kids demonstrated their skills in the parking lot at Live Oaks Career Center and then joined us for a discussion of the 4-H dog program in the county
Photo 1: Left to right, club leader Chris Spurlock; Elizabeth Vandegrift, 15; Maria Hill, 12; and Michael Spurlock, 17.
Photo2: Elizabeth Vandegrift demonstrated some open and utility exercises with Dolly, her five-year-old Golden Retriever. Elizabeth is in her sixth year of 4-H. She participates in obedience, grooming and handling, assistance dogs, dog care, dog poster, drill team and the skillathon at the county level. Dolly has her CD and has two legs towards her CDX.
Elizabeth was Ohio State's Outstanding Exhibitor in 2005. To win this honor, she placed in obedience, skillathon, assistance dogs, grooming & handling and agility, all at the state level. She's looking forward to finishing Dolly's CDX this fall.
Photo 3: Maria Hill demonstrated Novice exercises with Bailey, her 18-month-old Labrador Retriever. Maria is in her second year of 4-H. She participates in obedience, grooming & handling, dog care, drill team, dog poster, and the skillathon at the county level.Maria is anxious to go after Bailey's CD this fall. Maria placed second in Sub-Novice A at her first fun match in Warren county against 80 other kids.
Photo 4: Michael Spurlock also demonstrated Novice exercises with Joey, his two-year-old Golden Retriever. Joey is Michael's second 4-H dog. He and Rocky, another Golden, took High in Trial at the CCKC show several years ago. Michael is in his ninth year in 4-H. He has participated in obedience, grooming & handling, dog care, dog poster and the skillathon at the county level. He prefers showing obedience.
Michael earned a CDX, CGC, and two levels of APDT Rally-O with Rocky and hopes to start Joey's titles this fall. Michael and Joey placed second out of 111 other kids at the 2005 Ohio State Fair in Sub-Novice B. He also qualified for the World Series Dog Show in Detroit with Rocky when he was 11 years old and was the only kid to show against adults).
Clermont County 4-H parents have started the Rocky Memorial College Scholarship in memory of Michael's first dog and the acheivements made by the young man and his dog. Appliants must have participated in county 4-H activities for at least four years in order to qualify.
"To have 4-H parents put together a scholarship in Rocky's name because of Michael and Rocky's ability is amazing for a parent," Chris said. "To see how other people remember how good they were is something I'll keep with me always. He inspirered not only kids in his county but kids from other counties as well. Even in AKC, there weren't too many other kids in the obedience ring when he started, and it's great to see more kids coming around and enjoying showing their dog in obedience."
For more information about the scholarship and the county dog program, see http://clermont.osu.edu/home_family_youth/4h_youth_development/4-h-dog-program
Entire contents © 2008 by CCKC