CLUB HISTORY
John and Betty Tallentire founded Barnard
Castle Dog Training Club approximately 18 years ago. The club offered classes in
obedience from puppies to adult dogs. Dogs from the age of 1 year old were then
able to begin agility training. The club has grown over the years seeing changes
in its members and the classes offered.
At the current date Barnard Castle Dog
Training club has approximately 30 members. It offers training in agility and
also flyball.
Mr. J. Tallentire was one of the founders of
Barnard Castle Dog Training club. He has recently retired from the world of
agility and will be missed by many people (and their dogs of course). During the
many years that he has been associated with dog agility he not only formed
Barnard Castle Dog Training Club, but has continued to train its members until a
couple of years ago. And he certainly put them through their paces.
John was a very popular judge and has had many
judging appointments not only in this country but several abroad. He judged at
some of the leading dog agility shows, including Olympia. His last judging
appointment was at Northern Agility week a year or two ago. It was quite apt
that the appointment was for some of the newly formed championship classes, what
a note to retire on.
John was a representative on the agility
council of the Kennel club (the governing body of agility) until earlier this
year.
We can’t forget Betty, John’s wife, who has
trained agility alongside John for many years. She also trained obedience for
puppies and new starters. These classes where essential for those wishing to do
agility. The classes where later taken on by Pat Ralph another Barnard Castle
Club member. Betty also Judged on many occasions throughout the numerous years
with which she has been associated with agility.
Barnard Castle club members wish to thank both
of them for all the help, support and training they have received over the
years.
The story of how the club started as told by Betty
Tallentire...
It started about 1978/9. We had two dogs and we had some
problems, one a serious recall problem that led to us loosing the dog concerned
in the end so we looked about for dog training classes. The nearest was
Darlington but we couldn’t get on the night of the Obedience class so they
suggested this new thing called Agility. It was only just being formed in those
days. All the equipment was home made and varied a great deal. After a few
months John was hooked and started building his own equipment. The baby’s cot
was dismantled to make jumps, an old swing frame supported the tyre. We acquired
some old mining ducting (complete with dust) for tunnels, fortunately it was a
warm summer so I could wear an old bathing costume while I was inside scrubbing
it clean with the kids holding the hose pipe.
It was all good amateur fun in those days.
We kept the equipment in out back garden and carried it all
over to the field at Woodside each time we wanted to practise. We got a few
friends involved and other people passing by noticed what we were doing and we
soon had a small group training. It soon became obvious that some basic
obedience was needed before agility training could be effective, so we started a
small class. As things continued to grow it was obvious we had to get organised.
A Dog Training Instructors Course was held annually then in
Totnes, and is still going though at a different venue. Betty attended first in
1983 and after that BCDTC was officially formed. Training started in the
community hall at Stainton Grove as most of the Church halls in town didn’t want
anything to do with dogs. John went on the course in 1985 so the Club then had
two Instructors. Over the years the Club has sent several other members on this
course. As the Clubs reputation grew we were able to move Obedience training
into town, first into the Congregational Church Hall and then into the Parish
Hall where for many years we offered three levels of Classes – Beginners,
Improvers and Advance. We also held Responsible Dog Handlers Tests for which we
awarded certificates, an idea that has subsequently been taken up by the Kennel
Club.
Agility competition began mainly as demonstrations at various
country fairs throughout the country. Notably Lowther and Lartington. There were
only about six big shows but one or two smaller demos’s here and there.
Competitions run by Clubs began in the early ‘80’s. BCDTC’s first was held on
Glaxo sports field before the Sports Centre was built. We had sponsorship from
Glaxovet and awarded an annual shield for the winner of an accumulator, one
agility round and one jumping round.The first show was in 1985 and annually
shows have been held ever since, two at Glaxo, five or six at Startforth Park
and the rest at Pecknell.
Agility Training in the field at Woodside was threatened when
the land was put forward for planning permission as building land so we looked
around for an alternative venue. We saw this deserted wilderness at the back of
the allotments on the Desmesnes, they had originally been four allotments but
the condition of the soil was so bad nothing would grow and everyone had given
up on them so the Council agreed that we could rent the area for training.
Everyone got together one weekend in August, we had the
shoulder high weed growth taken off mechanically, then we got going with the
hired rotavator, a lot of buckets for stone collecting and rakes for levelling.
It took quite a long time and it never really got levelled but in the end we
were able to through the grass seed around then sit back and watch the grass
grow. We bought a container for the equipment, moved in the following spring,
and the Dog Club had it’s own home.
Memories by Mr. Peter Jennings...
My earliest/first recollection of Barnard Castle Dog Training
Club was way back in the 1980’s. I then ran a border collie by the name of
Sweep. Barnard Castle trained at the top of Montalbo road those days when John
and Betty Tallentire where starting/establishing the club. Each year they used
to put on a dog agility display at the annual Barnard Castle Meet weekend on the
field next to the present training ground. With Barnard Castle club been so
small John asked us if we could make the numbers up for the demo and this was my
introduction to the club. We had a great time then went to a local pub for our
lunch. I must take my hat off to John and Betty they certainly organised some
good fun days.
Then there was our annual own show, which was first run at
Glaxo Sports field. If we had 100 entries we considered it a big show, how times
have moved on, and talking about moving on.
My first collie Sweep was my most successful collie. He
qualified for Olympia on three successive years and we ran at Crufts in the Team
competition. He was a wonderful dog that took very little training. His career
was brought to a premature end when he was run over by a car and had his leg
broken. He successfully competed after this, indeed winning an open class. But
arthritis set in and I had to retire him from competition at the age of 8.
But on the lighter side I am now running his great grandson
Wag, who is doing well for me, winning into senior in his first season and
competing well at senior level. My Wife is running his father now who is also a
senior dog and also Margaret’s first dog. I am very proud of the standard she
has achieved and over the moon to be able to share my sport with my wife.
Well Barney dog training club must have been in existence for
approximately 20 years now and I look forward to the next 20 years, and good
luck to the flyball team at Crufts for the 2nd time and keep yourselves fit for
Saturday’s training sessions. - P Jennings
Note from Club secretary – Peter continues to train our
competition standard dogs each Saturday afternoon in the winter and he certainly
keeps us on our toes, bottoms and anything else that comes into contact with the
ground. Fit!!! You have to be to complete a training session run by Peter.
Thanks a lot Pete we are grateful to you for putting us through our paces and
lots of us hope to join you in seniors one day. - G Russell
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