IWT Belgie 2004

In 13 years the International Workingtest has grown into an event to select high quality teams of dogs and handlers.

Some details about the competitors before we get on to the tests. Teams were present form Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands and France. Each country is invited to enter three representative teams and if possible the remaining places will be filled with free teams. The idea is to have all team members from one country. Each team counts three dogs and handlers and 33 teams can be entered.

Judges are invited from England, all A-panel Field Trial judges. Seasoned men in handling dogs, setting tests and judging. The general plan is to have 5 team tests on Saturday and two more on Sunday morning; then there is a final of the best (max. 20) individual handlers. This time it ended up in basically 5 tests on Saturday and three more on Sunday for the teams and a final with the best ten individuals. These decisions are wisely being made on sense rather than on rules. The rules are the guidelines.

The winning teams: In the middle:
team 1 from Austria first
B - Birdie of Dukefield - Klaus Thurner
A - Ben of Dukefield - Heike Klieber
C - Amazing Ragweed of Lubber Land - Stefanie Gföhler

Right: team .. second

Left: team 32 from Germay
left to right : A - All in All of Lubberland - Edith Vetter
B - Gunsught's Autumn Sage - Anja Möller
C - Taviscara Abila - Annette Bürse-Hanning

Individual winners:

1 - Katrin Isigkeit (D) - Haredale Inch (right) - 249 pt

2 - Dick Heijman (NL) - Jesser Jake - 238 pt

3 - Marc Bourgeois (B) - Xanthos - 229 pt