Boatyard Dogs are the BEST!
The World Championship Boatyard Dog Trials is a zany head-to-paw competition among the cream of Maine’s canine corps and is always a crowd favorite. The field of competing dogs has been pre-selected, and organizers would like to emphasize that ONLY those dogs (and legitimate service animals) will be allowed onto show grounds. They ask that all other pets be left at home to avoid disappointment, because they will not be allowed in.
Competing dogs (and their people) are held to uncompromising standards that focus on each dog’s combination of style and pizazz. The trials consist of three primary events: first, the Dockside Obstacle Course, in which dog and handler negotiate a maze of lobster traps, piles of rope, and other funky dockside paraphernalia; second, dog and handler hop into and out of a very unstable dinghy that’s tethered to a float; and third the Freestyle segment, during which each dog (and handler) shows off any special talents.
There are but 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.
The trials will take place during the tenth annual Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show, which will run August 10-12, 2012, at Harbor and Buoy parks in Rockland.
Any canines interested in competing in 2012 should urge their people to send a letter to Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors explaining why they should be chosen to compete in this wacky and fun event. Extra points given for a sense of humor. Please include a high-quality, clear digital image. Applications will be accepted until
JUNE 1, 2012. Letters can be e-mailed to
byd@maineboats.com or mailed to:
BYD, Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors
P.O. Box 566
Rockland, ME 04841
We are appreciative of the support from our Boatyard Dog® Media Sponsor, The Bark magazine and from our Supporting Sponsors: Sea Bags & The Loyal Biscuit
2011 BYD Winner: Fenway
Click here for a video of
the 2011 Boatyard Dog trials.
Six canine competitors and their human companions strutted their stuff and showed off their skills during the World Championship Boatyard Dog® competition at the Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show on Sunday, August 14, 2011. The wild and wacky competition returned for a ninth year before a large and lively crowd. The trials kicked off with a parade, complete with the Lobster Festival’s newly crowned Maine Sea Goddess, Shriners in lobsterboat go karts, a flock from Project Puffin, volunteers and shelter dogs from the Humane Society of Knox County and the Camden-Rockport Animal Rescue League, and of course, the competing canines.
Fenway, a newcomer to the trials was crowned World Champion. One of the tenets of the trials is that cheating is not only tolerated, it’s encouraged. Breaking the rules was a challenge for Fenway, since her handler was Officer Joel Neal of the Rockland Police Department. Still, the pair wowed both crowd and judges. Perhaps it was the sight of a policeman being thrown in the drink by a dog. Or maybe the judges were swayed by the “Get Out of Jail Free” passes and Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards they received as bribes from Joel and Fenway. Regardless, the pair’s speed through the obstacle course and agility getting into and out of a very tippy boat during the “Dinghy Hop” portion of the trials were notable.
The duo combined two other critical components of the competition, that either dog or handler must end up soaking wet, and that a rubber duck must be used. Officer Neal stood on the edge of the dock with the duck clenched in his teeth. When Fenway leaped up to get the duck, she pushed him over backwards into the water, and the crowd went wild.
As winner of the competition, Fenway will be featured in Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors magazine’s popular Boatyard Dog® column (Winter issue) and will keep the coveted revolving “Pup Cup” for a year. The cup was presented by the newly crowned 2011 Maine Sea Goddess, Kristen Margaret Sawyer of Tenants Harbor. Crypton Fabric, of West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, also provided a “Throver” blanket for the winner.
To read the press release
click here.
2011 People’s Choice Award Winner: Pixel
Back for a second year was the People’s Choice Award. Show attendees and exhibitors cast monetary votes for their favorite competing canines in this fundraiser for two local shelters—the Humane Society of Knox County and the Camden-Rockport Animal Rescue League.
Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors is pleased to announce Pixel as the winner of the 2011 People’s Choice Award. While Pixel didn’t take home the “Pup Cup” perpetual trophy, she did capture the hearts of show-goers with her creative antics and impressive entourage (“Pixel’s Posse”), thus earning the honor of being the first People’s Choice Award winner. Pixel received additional “People’s Choice” prizes, including a dog pillow bed donated by West Paw of Bozeman, Montana, as well as her own special People’s Choice trophy. The People’s Choice award is a fundraiser for the midcoast’s two local shelters—the Humane Society of Knox County and the Camden-Rockport Animal Rescue League—all monies raised were evenly divided between the two. Both shelters also received a generous donation of dog treats from Wellness Pet Food and Old Mother Hubbard Dog Treats.
To read the press release
click here.
