Press Release - July 17 - Boatyard Dog Entrants Chosen

For Immediate Release—July 17, 2007 Media Contact: Jennifer McIntosh, 207-236-8622 High-resolution images are available for download by clicking here. Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Announces the Field for the 2007 World Championship Boatyard Dog® Trials Rockland, Maine: Eight contestants have been chosen to compete in the 2007 World Championship Boatyard Dog® Trials, a highlight of the fifth annual Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show, Harbor Park, Rockland, Maine, August 10-12, 2006. The trials will be held on Sunday, August 12, 2007, at 10:30 a.m. The contest is equal parts entertainment, silliness, and good wet fun. Note that ONLY pre-qualified competing dogs are allowed on show grounds. Please leave all other pets at home. With the return of Soldado Woollett, 2006 Defending Champion, the competition should be intense. This year’s champion will be featured in Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors magazine’s popular Boatyard Dog® column and will be the keeper of the cherished revolving Pup Cup for one year. Competing dogs (and their people) will be held to judging standards that focus on each dog’s combination of style and pizzazz. The contest is based on three simple rules: Rule 1: Either the dog or handler must finish completely soaked. Rule 2: Cheating is not only tolerated, but encouraged. Rule 3: There are no other rules. Judges are Dr. Bjorn Lee of PenBay Veterinary Associates; Lucinda Lang, Spaniel Aficionado; and Holly Sherburne of Downeast Dog News. This year’s trials consist of at least three events. Dockside Obstacle Course: Dog and handler negotiate a maze of lobster traps, piles of rope, and other assorted dockside paraphernalia. The event is timed, with lowest elapsed time to serve as overall tiebreaker. Dinghy-Hopping Trials: Dog and handler hop into and out of a VERY tippy dinghy that has been tethered to a float. Freestyle Event: This is each dog’s chance to show off any special talents. In the past, one spaniel sang sea chanteys, a German shepherd convinced his human to jump into the water to fetch the stick, and another dog danced in a sailor suit. One dog has even impersonated Elvis! There’s a 3-minute time limit for this event, the funnier the better. Meet the Contestants: Soldado Woollett, Culebrense Defending 2006 World Champion Boatyard Dog® “I am one hot dog!” “The show must go on,” said the returning champion (who was born on the Puerto Rican island of Culebra) on her application. She had been on a dog show high for months after winning the Pup Cup last year, but told us that, “This Sea Dog is now in training.” Our sources say that she will debut a new act at this year’s trials, so look out, all you rookies! In addition, Soldado has continued to hone her skills while sailing as crew aboard Amber Light with Captain Chaos and Rose. She is a true salty dog, and recently earned the official title of First Pup Mate. When not on the water, Soldado is also at home on the farm. She heads the pooch patrol there, and keeps all the pesky squirrels, wild turkeys, and other critters away. She says celebrity status has its perks, especially the star treatment and pampering she has gotten at home. We’re pretty sure that she won’t give up her title very easily! Kylie Davis, Border Collie “If you thought I was good last year…” Kylie finished as runner-up to the winner in the hotly contested 2006 trials, and is returning this year to bow-wow, dazzle, and try again for the Pup Cup. She has a repertoire of spins, leaps, weaves, jumps, and enumeration skills that she tells us she has worked on all year long. In addition, between agility classes and freestyle courses, she has managed to hold down her day job at Journey’s End Marina where she has been promoted to Chief Morale Officer. Her favorite mood-enhancement activity is football, where, of course, she is the receiver. We can’t wait to see what Kylie and her lobster buddies will do to rev up the crowd this year! Kelvin and Cody Penn, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers “We love to show off our strengths!” Kelvin and Cody, a dynamic duo rescued by Chesapeake Safe Harbor in Bremen, Maine, and known as the “Chessie Boys,” have done their research. They have spent hours watching tape of the previous trials, and say they are ready to crush the competition. Both dogs boast extensive agility and obedience training, and in their spare time, they volunteer as therapy dogs. For the show, they have been working with their people, who are the Maine representatives of Adirondack Guideboat, to hone their “Chessie Water Ballet.” Each “movement” involves flying leaps, mad scrambles, and splashing, all in the pursuit of bumpers. Kelvin and Cody promise to get their people wet and the spectators to laugh! If they are lucky enough to tie for first place, they have an encore prepared in which Cody walks the plank… Will Kelvin be able to rescue his brother? We feel confident, because, as everyone knows, swimming is a Chessie’s strongest talent. Poco Pratt, Yellow Lab “I sail every day!” Ahoy, Maties! Poco has been a working dog since he was eight weeks old. He began sailing as powder monkey on Morning In Maine, a windjammer out of Rockland, and has progressed through the ranks to become First Mate. Among his many responsibilities, Poco enjoys greeting passengers on the dock, and using his “dog of nine tails” to herd them into place once on board. Good host that he is, he does allow some petting, however, he considers himself a true pirate dog, and a hungry one at that (he’s still a growing boy). He checks carefully for any foodstuffs brought on board, then tells the passengers about the puny rations the Captain provides to the crew. He has even gone so far as to execrate his plight aboard the vessel! (Look it up, ye landlubbers.) With a passion for tennis balls, Poco is ready to compete and wow the onlookers with his talents—we can’t wait! Shasta Boggs, “Brown Dog” “This is my dream come true!” Shasta originally hailed from the shores of Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, but now makes her home in Bayonne, New Jersey, where she relocated to take on the position of Yard Foredog at Ocean Gate Yacht Basin, a position that requires much skill and tact. She represents Hunt Yachts, of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, too (her person is employed there). Shasta’s CV includes positions as Puppy Sail Trainer, and Delivery Captain. She is also in charge of teaching the geese that fertilizer should NOT be left on the docks, and keeping her person from missing the UPS delivery truck, all this while helping the fuel docks to run smoothly, and clearing the launching ramp of debris. In her spare time she has been training every day. Shasta has high hopes for this competition, and signed her application with big slobbery kisses and a “triple whoof yeah!!” Zeke Chesley, Yellow Lab Alternate Extraordinaire “This year I plan to take home the gold!” Returning this year is Zeke, who splits his time between his camp in New Hampshire and his cottage in Rockport, Maine. He placed third in last year’s competition, and has been training intensively at the camp dock pretty much ever since ice-out, so he is more than ready for the challenge. When he is not training, Zeke works as a canine lifeguard and fetches items lost in the lake (such as sandals). He (self) serves as the camp’s alarm system, waking the children promptly at 7:25 a.m. (so they can feed him at once, of course). Zeke is a sports critic and loves to watch the Red Sox. His favorite player is Coco Crisp. As he says, “a guy with a name like that can’t be too bad.” A dog with discerning tastes, among Zeke’s favorite dishes are salmon with butter sauce and lobster chowder. Zeke cannot wait to perform again, and if he is as good as his bark, then we expect nothing less than a golden performance! Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors • P.O. Box 758, Camden, ME 04843 • www.maineboats.com Back To Press Releases