CynoSports / FDDO - Scottsdale, AZ

This is one of the biggest events of the year when we have 3 Disc Dog competitions happening ALL AT THE SAME TIME!

Part of the major appeal for this event is all the international flavor spicing up the cultural and competition menus! We have teams from Japan, Germany, The Netherlands, Canada, and elsewhere honoring the sport of Disc Dogging by traveling such great distances to compete. Its wonderful watching how these disc doggers from abroad, mostly new to the sport, have already transformed the game unto a new level of artistry, athleticism, and creativity! Watching, you can see how they have studied many of the American teams, but then they add twists from their own cultures. In many of the Japanese teams routines you can see a martial arts influence in the moves. To be honest, the first year we started seeing these teams in the US the judges were at a loss as to how exactly to judge these new moves. Disc dogging is not more about the human or the dog, it's about the teamwork and intertwining canine and human skill into a smooth flowing routine accentuating the canine's athleticism and the handler's skills. But early on, it was obvious that these new, and VERY TALENTED, disc dog teams were working out the balance as they would either focus too much on their own moves and throws (while spectators and their own dogs watched them), or they would focus too much on the dogs ability to fly high and far, over and over again.

But from what I have see on the internet, and heard, the balance has been struck! I'm writing this in 2008, looking forward to the AWI in La Mirada to see how these teams have progressed. In this, 2007 AWI, they were still working out the kinks, and still taking the top spots, as I will tell you below.

But one last comment on having so many disc dog teams from all over the United States, and around the world, is camaraderie and bonds that are built between people so different and from places so far apart. One tradition that is a blast is the trading and signing of Discs and buttons. Literally hundreds of different color and printed discs and buttons bartered back and forth. Everyone smiling, and everyone wanting each other to sign their discs.

The first of the competitions I'll talk about is the FDDO.

The Flying Disc Dog Open is a competition that tests both handler and dog in a variety of unique tests of skill and endurance. Teams compete in Freestyle, Obstacle Course, Speed Disc, and Long Distance.

1) Freestyle: Just as in any of the other competition formats, freestyle tests the creativity and choreography of the handler, the team work between canine and human, and the athleticism and drive of canine. For the most part, the non-US teams did not participate in the FDDO. That was a shame.

As expected, Roo Yori and Steve Mahmlov posted the highest first round freestyle scores. Not so expected was Robert Gutierrez and Zephyr also posting one of the top scores, even with a left hand in a cast.

Bailey and I posted another solid freestyle score keeping us within striking distance. We we're tied for 7th place.

2) Obstacle Course: This is definitely one of the most unique events presented to dis dogging teams! Each team must complete a series of 6 different obstacles attempting to score the maximum possible for each. Each obstacle has a scoring zone that the dog should end up catching the disc in. The obstacles are having to throw around a pole, having to skip the frisbee off the ground, throwing the frisbee through a hoop, throwing a disc through a tree of hoops, throwing the disc through a tunnel, and finally throwing the disc into one of six scoring zones.

Matt Merring, a terminator in Obstacle, threw the best round of 35 points! He also dominated the Match Play Obstacle event for a second year in a row (last year he came in second place), only to once again just fall short of the title as he got knocked out in the semi-final!

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The Match Play Obstacle event is a tournament style competition where each team advances through the matchups eventually becomming the last team standing. Mark Brisse and Gaby OWN this event! They have won two years straight. Quite a feat for this nerve wracking event format.
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Matt was followed closely by Darron Barrus & The Moo at 32 points, and two 31s turned in by Mark Brisse & Gaby and Matt Diano & Maggie.

Unfortunately Bailey and I didn't turn in a stellar obstacle round, but we posted a solid middle-of-the-pack 26. This event always frustrates me! I know we can do so much better!

3) Speed Disc: This event test strategy and skill as competitors must score in three designated zones, in ANY order they choose, as fast as they can. The strategy comes in with the fact that you have three discs, the dog only has to be behind the start line when you first start, and time stops when the final caught disc crosses the start finish line (not the dog). This allows competitors to choose from throwing multiple discs in the air at the same time, to sending their dogs to stand in a zone and throw right to the dog, to running out after the third catch and grabbing the frisbee from the dog and flinging it to the start finish line. As you can tell, lots of fun, and excitement.

You get points based on your overall time. less than 15.99 seconds gets you 10 points. from 16 to 20.99 seconds gets you 9.5 points, etc...

Matt Diano put down a solid run of 25.53 seconds grabbing 9 points, and the best time of the day. Al Erikson was right behind with a time of 27.53 for 8.5 points.

Bailey and I have a top time of 17 seconds in this event, but not on this day. We had a rough go of it and only scored 6 points.

4) Long Distance: In this event teams get up to three throws to register as long a throw as possible. Similar to the speed disc, you get a point value depending on what zone you can throw to, up to a maximum of 10 points (I think 50 yards max). The catch is you get whatever the value of your last throw is. So if you go out and score 8 points on your first throw, but try for more on your second throw and miss it, you are at zero and your third throw defines your score.

Decision making and strategy are very important in this event. 4 people scored a perfect 10 making the decision as to when to stop very easy. These were Darron Barrus, Al Erikson, Steve Mahmlov, and Mark Brisse.

Bailey and I scored a very respectable 9 points.

Final Freestyle:
Only the top 10 teams after these four events were complete were moved on to the final freestyle round.

These were the top 10 going into the final round:

1) Barrus, Darron & The Moo
2) Gutierrez, Robert & Zephyr
3) Diano, Matthew & Maggie
4) Yori, Roo & Wallace
5) Erikson, Al & Gracie
6) Zucker, Joel & Bailey
7) Erikson, Al & George
8) Brisse, Mark & Gabby
9) Malmlov, Steve & Foster
10) Meiring, Matt & Buckaroo

Yes! I was actually in 6th place. Pretty cool. But we had 1 more freestyle round to go. Well, suffice to say, we didn't have a very spectacular final freestyle round. In fact, it was downright awful. We fell from 6th to 9th place. Darron Barrus & the moo, Roo Yori & Wallace, and Steve Mahmlov & Foster were definitely the tops of the class. Matt Diano was right there as well. But along with all his other strong showing Matt managed to hang on to third while Roo & Wallace leap frogged into second. Robert Gutierrez put on a great show over the whole weekend, with an injured left hand and grabbed 4th place!

The FDDO Standings:

1) Barrus, Darron & The Moo
- Pro 44.1 10 32 8.5 37.75 88.25 132.35
2) Yori, Roo & Wallace
- Pro 44.8 9 33 3 38.5 83.5 128.3
3) Diano, Matthew & Maggie
- Pro 43.1 9 31 9 34.75 83.75 126.85
4) Gutierrez, Robert & Zephyr
- Pro 41.2 9 30 8 37 84 125.2
5) Erikson, Al & Gracie
- Pro 43.3 10 26 7 36 79 122.3
6) Erikson, Al & George
- Pro 41.5 9 23 8.5 36 76.5 118
7) Malmlov, Steve & Foster
- Pro 44 10 24 1 38.25 73.25 117.25
8) Brisse, Mark & Gabby
- Pro 40.7 10 31 0 34.5 75.5 116.2
9) Zucker, Joel & Bailey
- Pro 36.7 9 26 6 35.75 76.75 113.45
10) Meiring, Matt & Buckaroo
- Pro 38.5 0 35 5.5 30.25 70.75 109.25