Welcome Kath Hardman

I have been competing in this sport since 1999 and have been so lucky to have had five “Dancing Dogs”.  Ginnie was 7 yrs old and suffering from epilepsy before I started the sport so we learnt things together at a very comfortable pace.  She was a very successful competition dog in GB competing at Crufts at 14yrs of age and being placed joint first!  Tipp was my second dancing dog and he came to me at 18 months old with problems of neglect, abuse and brain damage, but we worked patiently together and he too qualified to work at Crufts for 3 yrs. I currently work my three dogs 11 yrs old Spice Crossbreed, 8 yrs old Amber Border Collie and my young Border Collie Denby.  

All three dogs are qualified to work in the Advanced Classes in both HTM and Freestyle.

Kath with Spice Team GB Freestyle Member

I have been involved with HTM since 1996; for the first three years I was a spectator due to heavy work commitments, but I have regularly competed and judged since 1999. In 2002 I was a founder member of Canine Freestyle GB and I became involved in the original GB Kennel Club Regulations in 2001 when they were issued to all interested parties. Success in competition with all my five dogs has attracted invitations to train and judge overseas which has given me a better insight into other Countries' Rules and Regulations.  Obviously the GB Regulations are still developing as awareness of the sport increases. I have been involved in the Kennel Club of Great Britain HTM Working Party since its inception in June 2005 and in 2007 I was nominated to become a member of the Kennel Club Activities Sub-Committee (ASC) Judges Working Party to set in motion the Judges training seminars and I am now a Regulations and Judging Procedure Accredited Trainer. I believe it is of paramount importance and of benefit for everyone involved in HTM to increase their personal awareness, knowledge and understanding of the Regulations in order to compete to the best of their ability.

Kath with Amber Team GB HTM Team Member

Highlights of my HTM and Freestyle career:

In 2006 and 2012 I was honoured to judge the FS and HTM Competitions at Crufts.  In 2009  I was honoured to be invited to judge the Nordic Championships in Denmark and in 2012 I was invited to judge the Open European Championship when held in The Czech Republic.

In 2008 my crossbreed "Spice" won both the Crufts Freestyle and the International Crufts Freestyle Competitions.

In 2010, as part of Team GB, my Border Collie Stillmoor Lady In Red (Amber) won the First Individual FCI World Championship in Heelwork To Music. 
In 2011, I was a member of Team GB and the Heelwork To Music Team won the First Open European Championship.

I have now been selected to represent Team GB at the Open European Championship to be held in The Netherlands in September 2013 with my Border Collie Amber (Heelwork To Music) and crossbreed Spice (Freestyle).  We are looking forward to the time preparing for the competition and to the actual competition giving us the opportunity to meet up with all our HTM/FS friends.

I love helping people to train their dogs, finding alternative ways of training moves and Heel Work to suit the different dogs and sharing my experience of training HTM/Freestyle. Fellow Team GB Member Karen and I have travelled extensively together around the World and have received great feedback from all our training.

Amber

Spice

 Thanks to Allan Brown for the lovely photographs