Page 44 - K9News_Issue16_May2021

T
TAKING
AKING
THE LEAD
THE LEAD
Photo: Samantha Webster
INTR ODUCING THE NEW
INTRODUCING THE NEW
ADUL T HANDLING ASSOCIA
ADULT HANDLING ASSOCIATION
Adult handling has a new future with a new
association and committee! Sadly, Anne
Defaye from CLKS has decided to pass on the
torch and it is because of her efforts that Adult
Handling has such a bright future and it what
it is today! It is important for the association
to recognise this hard work and our indebted
thanks go to Anne for her dedication and hard
work over the years. By happy coincidence
Anne and Jacqui Walmsley were talking about
the future of adult handling competition and
Jacqui decided to see if she could rally some
troops and the cry was answered. The birth
of the Adult Handling Association with a new
committee and new ideas for the future. It was
really important that this committee was formed
with people who have a passion and interest
in adult handling to ensure a bright future. It is
very fortunate that Jacqui is on the committee
for Bath Championship show who have agreed
to host the adult handling finals from 2022
onwards.
The Adult Handling Association plan to take
Adult Handling to the next level, moving it
forward with high expectations and strong
ambition. We are planning training days
for Handlers, training days for Judges, and
refresher days for Handlers coming out of
Lockdown. We are looking to get Adult Handling
Classes scheduled at many more shows. Our
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K9 NEWS DIGITAL / MAY 2021
By Andrea Keepence-Keyte
TION
ultimate aim is to get the Semi Finals as big and
prestigious as Richmond JHA Semi Finals were
back in the 80’s. We have a Facebook page
which adult handlers are free to join and this is
growing in numbers, showing the true popularity
of competitive adult handling.
We are also calling all judges who wish to be
included on the associations new judging lists
– please contact any of the committee who will
send the information forward to the new judges
committee. The association felt it was important
to form a separate judges committee as some of
the committee for the association are still active
adult handlers, it was felt, to remain fair and
impartial that there was a need for a separate
committee who would decide where judges go
on the lists and chose judges for future finals but
would not compete under these judges.
Qualifying will be in the same format as CLKS,
in fact if you have already qualified for the 2
missed Finals, you have already qualified for the
AHA Final in 2022. The Final will be held in May
2022 at Bath Championship Show. There will
be 4 age groups a day, with a day winner going
forward to the Final in the Best In Show Ring.
The committee is made up from a variety of
handlers, some enjoying a career through
junior handling and some coming to the sport