Welcome from Nick Chester, NZDAC 2017 Chair
Welcome to the 2017 Black Hawk NZ Dog Agility Championships! Zone 1 is pleased to be hosting you here at the Kihikihi Domain, in the heart of the Waikato. I am sure many of you will be excited and nervous to compete. This will be the 14th DAC I have attended, and the event still holds as much anticipation as ever.
I have no doubt that you and your dogs are
going to love this venue. The Kihikihi
Domain is expansive, with all the room we
need to run a great event. It is somewhat
daunting to have nine competition rings
but we think it will all pay off and make the event run smoothly. The running surface is one of the best I have seen in New Zealand, and should help dogs to compete at their best. As always, please respect the venue – I have a feeling it’s one we would like to use again sometime.
An event of this magnitude is the result of a coordinated effort over many months. The support we have had to run this event has been phenomenal. First and foremost, our premier sponsors, Black Hawk. This is a great new product and we know your dogs are going to love it. A natural food using top ingredients, those dogs who win some of the product are sure to enjoy it. We encourage you to speak to the team from Black Hawk at the event and find out more.
Please read through our catalogue and take note of the numerous sponsors we have. We couldn’t provide an event of this size without the generosity of so many individuals, clubs, agencies and businesses. It really is appreciated – and I hope you will support these groups in turn.
To our judges and volunteers – I will say thanks in advance. We have assembled quite the team of judges to deliver some great courses to you. They will be standing through whatever the weather, so please respect and be nice to them! Also, a massive thanks to the many people who have helped make this event happen. You all know who you are, and your work is greatly appreciated. We are very lucky in Zone 1 to have such a wealth of talent and experience to draw from, combined with a willingness to get stuck in and get the job done.
For my committee and me, this weekend is the culmination of 18 months of hard work. The DAC has grown over the years from a fun extended weekend of agility into something of a behemoth. Events like this don’t just happen; they require a huge amount of work. I want to say thank you to my incredible committee – Rosemarie, Laura, Debbie, Janette and Bevan have worked hard to provide an outstanding event for you. Please feel free to shout them a drink at the Social event – they deserve it.
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