Nordic Cup 2001 took place in Stockholm, the swedish capital. The cup put together the most competitive agilitysts of Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. Held in december 16^th, the competition was brightened by excellent participation of nordic countries in the last World Championship, in Portugal.

In the team competition, each country can take five handlers who will run two courses and the worst result on the two courses is not considered. For individual results, were considered the ten best results plus an extra course to be added.

The Nordic Cup had an english judge, mr. David Jolly. Both swedish teams, mini and standard, did a great work and won both titles. Norwegian handlers also did it very well and won mini and standard individual championships.

Nordic Cup, complete success

Trial have started punctually on Sunday, at 9:15 am, when Mr Jolly put on the first course for team competition. The order of entries was defined the day before and it followed alfabetical order – Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden – and each country brought five components, where out of them were considered just four best results considering the two courses.

First Course

Just after first course, second one was set up, keeping the entries’ order. The results of those two courses were considered to define the winners.

Teams: Swedish Showtime

In 2001 Nordic Cup, thanks to Jenny Damm and Lotus (border collie) and Kenth Svartberg with Bevita (tervueren), who had an excellent performance, swedish team won first place among standard teams.

Second Course

Swedish mini team also didn’t disappointed and repeated the good performance which lead them to 3^rd place in Portugal, winning 1^st place among mini teams, defeating finnish team, 2^nd place in Portugal and norwegians, last year Nordic Cup winners.

On each one’s behalf

After team competition, it was held the individual finals, where the results of each one within team competition was considered. The ten best results were proposed to perform a 3^rd course, which result was added to previous ones to define individual champions.

Final Course

2000 individual champion, Bengt-Göran Landin with golden retriever Keeper from Sweden, was not convoked fot swedish team this year, but as he won last year’s Cup, he performed the team’s courses – not counting for swedish team, of course – to try to classify to finals. Unlikely the world championship, the last year’s champion has not a place guaranteed in the finals. Bengt and Keeper got one of the ten best times to fight for individual championship.

Norway’s double victory

In mini individual, highlights to Ingrid Fröysa, from norwegian team in Portugal. Just as she did in 2000, when she won mini individual, she repeated good performance this year and won again with sheltie Tullik and got also 3^rd place with Leeland Night Witch, a 12 years old sheltie.

In standard individual, winner was Eddy Tröber, from Norwey as well, with border collie Babe, closing 2001 in high style, as they got 5^th place in 2001 WC.

Trivia

·        Among ten best minis, two norwegian women won three first places. Also participated four swedish girls, two handlers from Finland and a danish woman. Nine out of tem handlers in finals were women

·        Among standards, there were one norwegian, four swedish, four finnish and a danish. One man to each woman.

·        SHELTIE KINGDOM: Among mini, there were 15 shelties, five border terriers, a staffordshire bull terrier and a poodle. In finals there were seven shelties, a border terrier, a staffordshire bull terrier and a poodle; shelties won 1^st to 6^th places.

·        KELPIE ALMOST DID IT: Among standards BCs kept hegemony. In the competition there were 15 border collies, five tervuerens, a kromfohrlander, an australian kelpie, a sheltie and a golden retriever. For individual finals, there were four BCs, three tervuerens, a kromfohrlander, an australian kelpie and a golden retriever. The finnish australian kelpie almost passed over border collies and tervuerens, but got 2^nd place.

TEAMS

DENMARK

Technic: Lars Hindsgaul

MINI TEAM

Karsten Bruun / Ophian Enzo Esquire (Sheltie)

Gitte Hoffmeister / Shellove Zita La Bana (Sheltie)

Inge Daae Fagerberg / Starbelle Tamborin (Sheltie)

Pia Metz / Danbrets Morning Monick (Sheltie)

Tina Brigo-Hansen / Brigo Bang-Up Bicko (Sheltie)

STANDARD TEAM

Kurt Jensen / Stella (Border Collie)

Kim Gravlund / Stensedals Red Italian Ready (Border Collie)

Bibi Hindsgaul / Head Over Heels Indy (Border Collie)

Linda Jacqueline Philipsen / Truegizmo van Onze Eigendroom (Border Collie)

Regin Reinhard / Villrikke’s Acer (Border Collie)

FINLAND

Technic: Petteri Huotari

MINI TEAM

Jan Vesalehto / Peltsun Dizmar “Hugo Boss” (Sheltie)

Jaana Lindfors / Foxforest Heartbreaker (Border Terrier)

Anja Lehtiö / Kaukaristan Catjusga (Sheltie)

Mia Wikström / Foxforest Too Speedyforme (Border Terrier)

Tuija Saari / Foxforest Look Me Flying (Border Terrier)

STANDARD TEAM

Kaisa Eskola / Lurvendahlis Deanora (Kromfohrländer)

Christian Söderlund / Iiman’s Mindy Magnet (P. B. Tervueren)

Mikko Aaltonen / Tarkatan Aqua (P. B. Tervueren)

Tiina Koskinen / Festivio Queue (Border Collie)

Mari Kaplas / Swingtail Sheep’s Eyes (Australian Kelpie)

Henri Luomala / Carosan Fen-Fore-Fancy (P.B. Tervueren) – reserva

NORWEY

Technic: Toril Vik

Technic assistant: Peter Nordllien

MINI TEAM

Elizabeth Wilhelmsen / Miss Arin’s Beauty Lafayette (Sheltie)

Jan Erik Östvang / Lille-Majas Wolfgang Amadeus (Sheltie)

Ingrid Fröysa / Leeland Night Witch (Sheltie)

Ingrid Fröysa / Lille-Majas Tullik (Sheltie)

Christina Kosinski / Lille-Majas Ministrix (Sheltie)

Asbjörn Jonassen / Shelton Just Enough (Sheltie) - reserva

STANDARD TEAM

Geir Grefstad / Be Lucky-Be Hapy (Sheltie)

Kari Flatås / Ulvinmyras Saga (Border Collie)

Ann Karin Olsen / Emil (Border Collie)

Eddie Tröber / Furukollen’s Babe (Border Collie)

Erling Rhode / Nico (Border Collie)

Linda Myhre / Shep (Border Collie) - reserva

SWEDEN

Technic: Kent Lindquist

Technic Assistant: Irene Stjärnås

MINI TEAM

Christina Beskow / Tess (Staffordshire Bull Terrier)

Maria Jansson / Damkas Hedvig (Poodle Toy)

Maria Jansson / Sheltieblue Down the Road (Sheltie)

Maria Ekström / Siri (Sheltie)

Emma Celander / Rackargårdens Aladdin (Border Terrier)

Jens Nilsson / Arrac’s First Lady (Border Terrier) – reserva

STANDARD TEAM

Jenny Damm / Saltsjöborgs Lotus (Border Collie)

Kenth Svartberg / Alfa Porten’s Bevita (P. B. Tervueren)

Sofia Norrström / Mixaren’s Dizzi (Border Collie)

Annica Aller / Continental’s Ace of Cubs (P. B. Tervueren)

Andreas Rundqvist / Katjas-Moa (Border Collie)

Jörgen Tellqvist / Asphagens Don (Border Collie) – reserva

Bengt-Göran Landin / Rockdove’s Timekeeper of Big Bem (Golden Retriever), 2000 winners

RESULTS

MINI TEAMS

1^st Sweden

2^nd Norwey

3^rd Finland

4^th Denmark

-         In the two courses that defined final classification, two dogs were highlighted: Sheltieblue Down The Road (sheltie) with Marie Jansson, from Sweden and Lille-Majas Tullik (sheltie), with Ingrid Froysa, from Norwey. The norwegian got the best performance among all in team competition, what helped her to win individual title. In first course, five dogs finished it without faults. In the second one, ten did it without faults.

STANDARD TEAMS

1^st Sweden

2^nd Finland

3^rd Denmark

4^th Norwey-         Two dogs did both courses without faults: Lotus (BC) with swedish Jenny Damm and norwegian BC Babe with Eddie Trober. Lotus got the best individual performance in teams’ competition. First course was finished without faults by just three dogs and in econd one, nine dogs did it without any fault.

MINI INDIVIDUAL

1^st Ingrid Froysa / Lille-Majas Tullik (Sheltie) - Norwey

2^nd Elizabeth Wilhelmsen / Miss Arin’s Beauty Lafayette (Sheltie) - Norwey

3^rd Ingrid Froysa / Leeland Night Witch (Sheltie) - Norwey

4^th Maria Jansson / Sheltieblue Down the Road (Sheltie) - Sweden

5^th Maria Ekström / Siri (Sheltie) - Sweden

6^th Inge Daae Fagerberg / Starbelle Tamborin (Sheltie) - Denmark

7^th Christina Beskow / Tess (Staffordshire Bull Terrier) - Sweden

8^th Jaana Lindfors / Foxforest Heartbreaker (Border Terrier) - Finland

9^th Maria Jansson / Damkas Hedvig (Poodle) - Sweden

10^th Jan Vesalehto / Peltsun Dizmar “Hugo Boss” (Sheltie) - Finland

INDIVIDUAL STANDARD

1^st Eddie Tröber / Furukollen’s Babe (BC) - Norwey

2^nd Mari Kaplas / Swingtail Sheep’s Eyes (Australian Kelpie) - Finland

3^rd Tiina Koskinen / Festivio Queue (BC) - Finland

4^th Kenth Svartberg / Alfa Porten’s Bevita (Tervueren) - Sweden

5^th Kurt Jensen / Stella (BC) - Denmark

6^th Kaisa Eskola / Lurvendahlis Deanora (Kromfohrlaner) - Finland

7^th Annica Aller / Continental’s Ace of Cubs (Tervueren) - Sweden

8^th Jenny Damm / Saltsjöborgs Lotus (BC) - Sweden

9^th Bengt-Göran Landin / Rockdove’s Timekeeper of Big Bem (Golden Retriever) - Sweden

10^th Mikko Aaltonen / Tarkatan Aqua (Tervueren) - Finland

Thanks to Alar Meomuttel, www.agility.se. Alar, you are great! Whenever you need somebody from other countries to test your enrollment system, you can count on me & Kristal.