Laurie Schweizer, x3 National Champion
October 15, 2021
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2 Comments
There was a big question mark who would be the top IGP dogs in the USA after the pause of competition in 2020 due to the pandemic. Sadly, a few of the best dogs missed a prime year and some retired for 2021. There were new dogs to the top stage that had a lot of people excited. The top honors were up for grabs more than any year in recent memory. I...
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Jessica Vampola, photographer
October 11, 2021
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1 Comment
This post is about Jessica Aghajani and the how and why that, for the first time, we had *two* photographers at a National IGP Championship.
I normally operate as solo photographer for all events I book. Once Jessica and I started to travel to events together, she started shooting videography of the events and this served as a terrific artistic ex...
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A Tribute to Gazze von der kleinen Birke
March 15, 2021
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2 Comments
This is a tribute to Gazze von der kleinen Birke, who passed away on February 3 rd 2021.
In ancient Chinese philosophy yin and yang is a concept of dualism, describing how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other or they inter...
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Ajay Singh, GSD Ambassador
January 01, 2021
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9 Comments
This blog post is about Ajay Singh, a GSD breed expert and IGP competitor. He is also someone who was instrumental in introducing me to dog sport.
I met Ajay in 2000. I had a young German Shepherd Dog named Otto that I had found in the local newspaper. I was inexperienced as a handler having only owned house dogs before. When Otto was a litt...
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Frank Phillips IGP Renaissance Man
December 27, 2020
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4 Comments
This blog post is about Frank Phillips. In 2021 he will be the Judge for obedience phase at the WUSV IGP World Championship and will be a competitor at the FMBB IGP World Championship with his dog Ender.
In my travels to photograph IGP championships, there are familiar faces that I see frequently. The ranks of Judges and helpers selected for a R...
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Don't give up. Don't ever give up. Lee Hendricks & Kula.
November 24, 2020
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1 Comment
It's hard to tell if Lee Hendricks or his dog 'Kula' love DogSport more. They are both passionate and thourougly love the process. Despite 5 failed attempts at earning their IGP3 title, they continued undeterred, doing what they love. But time is not in their favor and this year Kula will be 9 years of age, well past the age most IGP dogs compete....
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Ronny Burmer, National IPO Competitor
August 16, 2019
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6 Comments
Ronny Burmer is a frequent top competitor on the national IPO championship scene. His smooth handling and calm disposition on the field are nice balance for his fiery and powerful choice in dogs. When Ronny walks on the field, one can be assured of solid performance. I first noticed Ronny on the sidelines at a national in 2015 after he had just fin...
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Ivan Balabanov, The Road Less Travelled
August 12, 2019
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16 Comments
Ivan Balabanov is a x7 AWDF National Champion, x5 AWMA National Champion, USCA National Champion, FCI World Champion and FMBB World Champion. He achieved these championships with dogs of his own breeding, Ot Vitosha working Malinois. He is a trainer to competitive dog handlers and an author. He is a self-described ‘dreamer’ who above all is a stude...
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After a long break, I have a puppy: Desmo
July 04, 2019
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4 Comments
Before I took up photography as my main pastime, training IGP dogs was how I enjoyed spending my most my free time. Between the years of 2000-2008 I titled three dogs to IPO3 and one to an FH2. I loved the process, the competition/community and the time outside working with dogs. Eventually my dogs passed their prime and I reluctantly had to accept...
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Jake Scott, International Certified Mondioring Decoy
June 22, 2019
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1 Comment
Jake Scott, International Certified Mondioring Decoy
This is a story about a brilliant spirit, about a man who found himself in a very dark place without hope and was saved by his dog.
This is a profile on Jake Scott, a Mondioring Level 3 competitor, International Level 3 Mondioring Certified Decoy, Level 1 French Ring Decoy, professional dog tra...
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Karen MacIntyre, vom Mack-Zwinger
May 26, 2019
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2 Comments
The USCA holds two national IGP championships each year: In May, the Working Dog Championship (WDC) which is an all-breed IGP championship and in November, the Nationals which is a GSD specific championship. If measured by participant count and spectatorship, these are by far the biggest IGP championships in the Unites States. These two events attr...
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Pierre Wahlström, WUSV & FCI Judge, 2007 WUSV World Champion
May 25, 2019
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3 Comments
In my travels, photographing most of the American IGP/Mondioring National championships and the WUSV, I have photographed more than 50 working championships. I lead with this because it has provided me the privilege of being on field with a lot of judges. I have observed how difficult a judge’s job is and am convinced working dog judges are excepti...
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Francois Massart, x4 World Mondioring Decoy
April 23, 2019
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3 Comments
This is an interview with Francois Massart, a Ring Sport competitor with an exceptional journey and equally impressive achievements collected along the way.
In the last 5-years I have photographed more than a thousand competitors at national or world level Dog Sport championships. Once in a while, a handler will catch my attention. It can be f...
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Gene Baillif, 2019 USMRA Mondioring National champion
April 17, 2019
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4 Comments
“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. ” - Maya Angelou
Gene Baillif & Crank Ot Vitosha won their first national on their first try at the 2019 USMRA National Mondioring Championship in San Diego, CA. To say this feat is unfathomable does not do the achievement justice. Impossible is more like it. Level 3 Mondioring is on...
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Tribute to a legend, Kliff vom Floyd Haus
March 21, 2019
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38 Comments
Yesterday I learned of the tragic passing of Kliff vom Floyd Haus. My heart skipped a beat, then fell to the floor. He was one of the top IPO/IGP competitors in the world. x2 vice-world IPO champion and a national champion. He was only 6 years of age.
Anyone who follows IPO/IGP competition knows this may be one of the best working line GSDs of o...
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