Business gifts $900 show ring to local dog club
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IDAHO FALLS – A gift from a local business is making it possible for a 4-H club to continue its annual dog show.
Sara Hatcher, the Bonneville County 4-H Dog Superintendent and leader of the Total Dog Performance club, tells EastIdahoNews.com Lowe’s gifted them a 60-foot by 50-foot show ring, where dogs and their owners demonstrate their skills in various categories to a panel of judges at a summer dog show.
The show is heavily focused on performance in three areas — obedience, rallies (which is a test of the owner’s ability to use hand signals to help their dog navigate a course) and showmanship.
Club members prepare for the show by training their dog in each of those areas throughout the year. The ring, which consists of green plastic netting attached to white plastic tubes, can be easily assembled at any location. Hatcher says the $900 donation will allow the club to have frequent practices and be better prepared for the county fair this summer.
“It is very assuring to see the community come behind the club and really get the foundational things to help them move forward,” Hatcher says.
The show ring was officially donated in February after months of trying to acquire one.
Hatcher came on board as the club’s leader last fall after the previous one left. The previous president owned the ring the club was using, which she took with her.
Since then, Hatcher has made it a goal to provide the club with all the necessary resources so that the program can continue operating and be self-sufficient.
When Hatcher first reached out to Lowe’s, the business originally offered to pay for half of the equipment before agreeing to provide all of it. Hatcher is grateful to Lowe’s and the community for the support.
“Now that it’s happened, we’re also looking at getting obedience equipment, rally equipment and eventually we would like to go to agility, but that’s pretty far down the road.”
Hatcher says she’s seen a downward trend in kids advancing to the state level the last several years due to “rigid standards” in the dog show.
“Bonneville County hasn’t had any of their kids at the state level because of how rigid the last (competition) was. They were judging them to American Kennel Club standards instead of 4-H standards,” she says.
The American Kennel Club is a nationwide not-for-profit organization that promotes purebred dog competitions and sanctions annual events, like the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, with professional standards. Since 4-H is focused on providing opportunities for youth development, Hatcher says that high level of expectation is not fair.
“I’ve judged at the state level and I’ve seen what they do here (in Bonneville County) and a lot of them could have placed last year at the state level, but they didn’t get a chance (because the standards were so high),” says Hatcher.
With a renewed emphasis on its purpose this year, she’s hoping to see more kids participating in 4-H and an uptick in the dog club’s enrollment.
The dog show is happening in August this year and those interested in registering for the dog club can call the Bonneville County Fairgrounds at (208) 529-1390. For questions or more information, call Hatcher directly at (208) 351-1865.