Malaika at Oulton Broad Gala Day 2007 (Mick Howes Photo)

Suffolk dogs end season in blaze of glory!

Lowestoft Dog Agility Display Team have just completed the 2007 season with displays at Oulton Broad Gala Day on August bank holiday Monday and on Sunday 2nd September at Brampton Plough Day. Both have been regular events for the team, Oulton Broad Gala this year attracting a crowd of some 8,000!

The season began in March with an unusual request, to appear at the opening weekend of a new pet department at a Bury St Edmunds Garden and DIY Centre! Team members and dogs appeared on both the Saturday and Sunday, carrying out a series of displays which were limited to what could be done working the dogs on a hard surface, displays usually being carried out on grass.

The team is most proud to have been invited to perform at All About Dogs at Brentwood, Essex doing two displays on Saturday 12th May. This is the biggest outdoor dog event in the UK! The show is now firmly established as a premier event within the canine calendar, attracting many thousands of spectators and competitors from throughout the British Isles. The whole show is designed to promote responsible dog ownership on a look, listen and take part basis and have lots of fun. The show’s star continuity commentator, Peter Purves kept everybody informed brilliantly as usual about the shows’ activities and he was very complimentary about our two displays. The invitation came about following an interesting chat with Roy Dyer, who runs the Essex Dog Display Team, who were at the Grand Henham Steam Rally last year.

Since being booked for All About Dogs the team have had several further enquiries for events in Essex. One of these we could not attend, due to a prior (repeat) booking, was for Colchester Military Festival!

As well as the big national event in Essex and the others mentioned above the team have also appeared at Woolpit Steam, Holton School Fete, Theberton and Eastbridge Fete, Beccles Carnival and Lowestoft Carnival Family Fun Day. The team also carried out an evening display outside Mutford village hall, to a small but enthusiastic audience mainly of other dog club members and some villagers. Team members have also done limited displays at Oulton Care Home, visiting the residents afterwards, and at both a Lowestoft middle school and also at a pre-school group, which proved to be very popular with children and adults alike!

The team has been entertaining crowds for around forty years with successive dogs and handlers. The half hour display routine consists of a series of team, group and individual items all of which are fun for the dogs and handlers and hopefully for our audiences! This usually includes – races over a series of jumps; flyball; tunnels; weaving poles; retrieves; novelty items and the spectacular fire jumps! The team regularly attends a number of events such as Lowestoft Carnival Fun Day, Oulton Broad Gala Day and several others and can also carry out “mini-displays” at schools, care homes etc.

The team is part of the Lowestoft Alsatian and Dog Training Society and has been attending all sorts of outdoor events around Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex for a good many years. Whilst Alsatian is used in our society title, we have a variety of dogs in our team including pedigrees, crossbreeds and mongrels, several being rescued dogs. All have done at least a degree of obedience training (some having reached a high standard – at least at club level) as well as agility and specialised training for individual or group items.

Lowestoft Dog Agility Display Team is usually available for weekend days, bank holidays and for occasional evening events during the Summer period, subject to availability, for events large and small within about a two hour drive of Lowestoft and can be contacted on
01502 581452
or by email at
[email protected]

Fancy Joining our Team?
There is always room for potential new team members, so if you are interested and have a suitable dog (with some, not necessarily formal, obedience training and at least a year old) why not get in touch? Mark Willeard is the team co-ordinator and can be contacted on
01502 588083
or email at
[email protected]

Jerry Hepworth
Bookings Organiser