December 5, 2015
En route to Florida, we stopped for a barn hunt trial at “Tailwaggin’ Events” in Robbinsville NJ. The weather was glorious. Blue sky and radiating warm sunshine. Climate change at its best!
The rat King Installation by Katharina Fritsch
..and a real rat king from the collection of Naturkundliches Museum Mauritianum in Altenburg, Germany. (if you do not know about rat king, you might want to check it out)
Have you ever been at a barn hunt event? The course is built of straw bales where the dogs must navigate through tunnels, ramps, and other straw structures to find the rat in a tube somewhere under or between the straw bales. By looking at these straw bale structures that appeared so similar to the structures of Stonehenge, I thought, I just solved the approximately 5000 years old great mysteries of Stonehenge. Those New Stone Age (Neolithic) stoners must have played barn hunt. Rats should have been abundant and therefore, good farm dogs, had to be in great demand…
Stonehenge, the real stuff…
Anyway, the place was packed with people and tons of dogs. It always makes me wonder what makes dogs so special in our lives that we create crazy events and form organizations to entertain these four legged beasts… Four Pumis entered out of 12 (!) present! With such a rate, the unique Pumi cuteness fast will turn into everyday delight.
Strawhenge, the real stuff…
There were 43 entries in novice class and two of the two Pumis have stolen the show. My Kaffogo Agyag has won second place. It has been the happiest second place I can think of, because, the winner was Catskill CAVU from our B-litter (owner Sandy Mainardi). CAVU recently recovered from a serious knee surgery after an unfortunate accident during agility training. No wonder, I was so happy that she beat Agyag. It was nice to see him happy and healthy again. Marika Foreman has also entered her two Catskill Pumis, Csibesz and Bikfic. This event was their barn hunt debut. Both dogs were very excited and Csibesz passed his rat instinct test.
the villain of the barn hunt – the rat…
Barn hunt is in great demand… handlers’ meeting
The rest of the Pumis were cheering from the sideline. People could not stop smiling by looking at the cutest and biggest herd of Pumis in Robbinsville today.
The Hero and star of the story, Kaffogo Agyag…
There was even a rat bar… The rat wrangler recommendation was, Rattus Norwegicus on the rocks…
After the event, we are back on the road today. We plan to spend the night in Virginia and tomorrow to complete the last leg of the annual Eukanuba pilgrimage to Orlando Florida.
No one can resist barn hunt…so why don’t YOU try it next time…?