Flyball Handlers

Anne Alcock

Anne is Team Manager of the famous Live Wires flyball team, which won the prestigious BFA Summer Championships in August 2007.

Live Wires is a section of the Warrington & District Dog Club and are hosting the BFA National Championships, in August 2008, at Hope Farm, Southam, Warks.

Anne has 3 black and white Border Collies aged 10, 6 and 4 – Josie, Gypsy and Jenni, all of whom take part in flyball and agility. They are from Ewloe, North Wales and are ISDS registered (i.e. from working trialling stock) and also registered with the British Flyball Association (BFA).

So how did the involvement in flyball start?

In May 2000 Anne and her husband were looking to do competitive agility so joined Wilmslow Dog Club and discovered that not only were they running an agility course but also, on another night, flyball.

Anne had seen it on TV and from a book she’d read, ‘Flyball Racing by Lonnie Olson’ and had a go at making a flyball ‘box’. It wasn’t used much as it flung the ball way over their bungalow roof, so too high for the dogs to catch!!

Once they’d started proper training though they were ‘hooked’ and later that year with a few friends they formed Warrington & District Dog Club, of which ‘Live Wires’ became a section and was registered with the BFA.

As things progressed …….

The club started training sessions and courses at Grappenhall Sports club, Nr Warrington, Cheshire. After around 3 years there they moved to their current ground, Sutton Fields Golf Driving range, Nr Runcorn.

As well as regular weekly training there, they organise BFA Competitions twice a year, where over each weekend around 60 teams take part, as well as a further 20 or so Starters (beginners) teams. Following the success of their own tournaments Live Wires will be hosts of the BFA National Championships, in August 2008.

The most memorable success?

Anne says, “In August 2007 our first team (Live Wires) won the prestigious BFA Summer Championships bringing the Cup up North for the first time ever. Our best time in the summer months was 17.45 seconds, taking us to 2^nd in the UK list (from over 230 teams Nationwide) 3 of our other teams also qualified to compete at the show.”

Other successes along the way?

Anne says, "Flyball being essentially a team sport has meant that my biggest success has been to build up the club from just 5 members to the size it is now. We are currently one of, if not THE largest flyball club in the country. We have 7 teams (with ‘Wires’ as part of the name, all our teams have different titles) that compete in the main sanctioned BFA events, as well as having other dogs & puppies in training to take part in beginners (called Starters) competitions. Our membership stands at over 45 people, with over 50 dogs."

And there’s more!

Before Anne got more involved in flyball she was involved in a dog display team (obedience & agility demonstrations) from 1997 for 4 years.

She also competed in NW working trials and agility competitions for Wilmslow Dog Club. In 2006 they entered and were successful in qualifying for Crufts flyball competition – calling the team ‘Warrington Wizards’ and competing in the annual Crufts show at the NEC, Birmingham. Unfortunately they didn’t make any further headway that year but are aiming to try to qualify again for Crufts 2009.

She also runs an agility section of the club but otherwise, as the teams compete roughly every other weekend throughout the year, Flyball takes all Anne’s time.

One of the team members (Sue McDermott) is an agent for CSJ and they therefore constantly recommend CSJ products to club members.

To find out more, contact: Anne Alcock (Live Wires Team Manager) email g.alcock@care4free.net www.livewireteams.org.uk

“CSJ food provides our team dogs with the ideal nourishment to compete at the top level and maintain the challenge to be ‘top of the charts’ in UK flyball competitions.” Anne Alcock