five feet away from the end. He proceeded to take one stride and basically broad jumped off the dock. I was so embarrased. What happened to my little fire ball? I guess he got stage fright and the crowd spooked him. At least that's my story and I am sticking to it! All of the way home, I wondered if he would be cut from the tape. Would the producers of the Super Retriever Series put Kasey on national TV and show his screwed-up jumps? All I could do was wait until June when the event would be aired on ESPN2. The first episode, of three, showed several of his jumps from the qualifiying round. The little white dog had caught the producers attention and, as a result, he got a lot of "air time". The last episode included the final jumps... and yes... they had Kasey on national TV stopping on the dock! But that's OK. At least people had the chance to see how competitive a small dog can be in a "Big Air" competition. So, what does this have to do with spaniels and hunting? I have seen many pictures of spaniels in action with some dramatic water entries. Spaniels love the water. With very little work, they can become exciting Big Air competitors. I would like to encourage you to get out to a Dock Dog event in your area and see how far your spaniel can jump. Who knows - if enough small dogs get involved, you might be the one at the Great Outdoor Games receiving a Gold Medal. This event is all about having fun with your companion. For more information on " Big Air" Competitions, visit the Dock Dogs website. It's the official dock jumping site for qualifiying events for the Great Outdoor Games. The photo of Kasey is courtesy of Bill Bracewell and is used with permission Bill can be contacted at: telephone 870.673.3794 Tim Baker has been playing with English Springer Spaniels for 18 years - predominately for hunting. He is a self-proclaimed woodcock addict. There are few things he enjoys more than chasing these mysterious birds with energetic spaniels. Tim is married to a very understanding wife who LOVES to shop while he is playing with the dogs. He has three kids that have learned to put up with Dad and his dogs. Page 2 | Spaniel Journal | Previous Page |