Ft. Collins, June 12th, 2005:
The annual Fort Collins frisbee dog contest *might* be remembered as being
one of the more "wet" contests the club has ever held, but there were just
too many special frisbee dog memories to be made!
The event has been known simply as the "Ft. Collins frisbee dog contest" for
over 10 years. On Sunday the event was officially renamed the "Payton
Classic" in honor of our club's first State Champ, Payton. Payton's
owner/trainer (and thus the other half of the team) was of course Mr. Todd
Stevens. Todd was one of the founders of the Northern Colorado Disc dogs-a
club that preceded our current club, but was part of the base on which it
was built (along with the Front Range Flyers). Todd was integral to the club
in the early years as an innovative competitor, an event organizer, and as
an ambassador of our club. His early efforts helped make this club what it
is today. As we told you before, his dog Payton, a Border Collie, passed
away last year. This was truly a sad time for all of us that knew Payton and
count Todd as a friend.
In honor of Payton, and the newly christened "Payton Classic", commemorative
black and gold frisbees were given to all competitors.
After the freestyle completed (which Todd helped to judge), the club
inducted Todd into the Colorado Disc Dogs Hall of Fame. He was presented
with a handsome frisbee-shaped wooden trophy plaque, and I think he can be
assured that his place in frisbee dog history is secure. Those of us that
played on the same field as Payton will certainly remember her.
These events did a lot to lift damp spirits, and the event charged on, with
only the slightest of rain delays when it *REALLY* started to pour!!
This event was a UFO local, as well as a Colorado State Championship Series
event.
In the Novice division, we got to see several new faces. In third, making
a very strong bid to be the first woman to win the Rookie of the Year
title, Kerry Samet finished high with Maggie. Finishing secon was big
Jake-easily the biggest dog at the event-with Lance U'Ren. This was Lance
and Jake's first event!! Taking first place, all the way from Utah,
Brendan P. and Flash earned the gold medal.
The Intermediate division continues to provide us with amazing performances
in Throw and Catch. Taking third, we got to see Jane Brunton and Ringo back
in the form that nearly won Rookie of the Year in 2004. Ringo was flying
high! In second, Gayle O'Malley and Sheela are still sizzling this year.
With 2 firsts and a second on the season, could we see a Throw and
Catch-only team contend for the State Championship? Sheela's got the paws
and the jaws to do it!! Taking first, we all saw the rain pushed back a bit
as Nitro Nana and Darrel Earle exploded for a huge win. Nana may need to be
checked for performance enhancing ROCKET FUEL at future events!
The UFO rolled out a new freestyle judging system this year, and for many
teams, this was their first taste of it.
The UFO board members are not allowed to accumulate any World Cup points,
but they can compete in local events. Due to this, Even though Chris Sexton
finished 4th with Banzai, and 3rd with Laika, the UFO website will recognize
Marie Earle and Nana as the third place team for this event (Chris and his
dogs still pick up Colorado Cup points for their finishes). In second place,
the very strong season continues for Mark Brisse and Gabby. It doesn't seem
to matter what judges, what scoring or even what weather they play in, Mark
and Gabby are kicking some tail this year! In first place, Christi Goodman
connected with Rider for 3 big catches in the bonus zone. They danced
through the rain, and in doing so, moved into the top spot in the World Cup
standings.
A fun contest was topped off with tasty treats from the grill at Amanda
Guth's house.
The Payton Classic will be remembered for the rain, but Payton's legacy, and
Todd's contribution to the club, will be timeless and ever-appreciated.
Congrats to all the teams that weathered the storm! and a very big thank you
to the club members that jumped up to help make the event a big success.
"Payton" Stevens - 1994 to 2004
1997 Colorado State Champions
