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This California event began on a sad note with a moment of silence in
memory of Steve Walsh.  Mike Miller remembered him with a few words about Steve’s involvement with the sport, their friendship, and the special bond
and love for their dogs that brought them together. The emotional speech left barely a dry eye on the field. The competition was held at Dolphin Park, which is a great field for disc dog
events. Despite a previous evening news report of wind and rain for the So. Cal area, the weather held out and we had decent conditions with mild temperatures and small gusting breezes.  The Pro division competed in 2 rounds of Freestyle, 1 round of the Obstacle Course and 1 round of Distance. The AM division competed in 1 round of the
Obstacle Course and 1 round of Distance. All scoring was accumulative and the tie breaker for both divisions was 1 round on the OC. Congratulations to our first place Pro team,
Tom & Taylor (Team T&T), who came ready to play in a matching team uniform and a sharp looking routine of tricks. While Taylor caught almost every disc thrown in the
Freestyle routine, the Obstacle Course proved to be a challenge. Team T&T scored in only 2 of 6 stations for 3 points. Pro team Jonathan Kamien & Air
Charlie, who scored on 4 of 6 stations for 9 points, accumulated the highest score on the O.C. in their division. Pro team Sung & Tag were very
impressive with their energetic routine and great hang time on the vaults. Other notable performances came from Pro team Jaeleen Sattler & Splash, 
who received the highest Artistic Impression score. In the Amateur Division, there was an exciting tie breaker round for first place between Am. teams
Jasmine Hyun & Snap and Kathy Mills & Sonny Boy. After the coin toss, Jasmine & Snap attempted the Obstacle Course first, scoring on 5 of 6 stations for
9 points. Kathy & Sonny Boy were next. After a foot fault at station one, they scored on only 2 of the next 4 stations for 4 points.  Still having a
chance to tie Jasmine & Snap at station 6, Kathy’s toss was long enough, but sailed to the right of the 5 point zone. It was still a great effort and very exciting finish to the
Amateur Division. I would like to thank Head Judge, Mark Wood, and the rest of the judging staff, Jim Barron and Robert Shakelford for their time and effort. Great job guys. Another big doggone thank you to
the Disc Dogs in the So.California club for helping make this event the best it could be. You guys have a great club of dedicated members who really love our sport. Thank you one and all!!!!
Bill Watters/Director Flying Disc Dog Open
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