After
Friday’s Big Air leaps downtown, DockDogs returned with another
spectacle during the Balloons Over 66 Festival: the Speed Retrieve
contest. Instead of measuring distance, this event tested reaction
time and swim speed as dogs sprinted down the 36-foot dock, launched
into the pool, and raced to grab a bumper at the far end.
Announcer Caden Krebs, who also guided the Big Air competition the
day before, kept the crowd engaged with steady commentary. “The
objective here is to get that bumper, with a reaction time and a
swim time,” he explained, noting the world record from a Whippet of
just 3.206 seconds.
Two heats filled the poolside schedule on Saturday. Group One opened
with Megan Townsend and her nine-year-old black Lab, Ranger,
followed by Paula Sargent with Charlie, a one-year-old golden
retriever from Pittsfield. Other competitors included Austin Griggs
and his German shepherd Eska, Curtis White with Hydra the young
black Lab, Conrad Haas with Bader the Doodle, Michael Kaliban and
his Sonic-division black Lab Hawk, and Megan Siddens with Maks, a
five-year-old Australian shepherd.
Several runs were marked by false
starts, with dogs sprinting just a fraction of a second too early.
Still, the crowd cheered each attempt, especially when Paula and
Charlie rebounded with a reaction time of 0.434 seconds and a swim
under nine seconds. Hydra, still just eight months old, clocked a
promising 7.56 seconds on one of her runs. Hawk, already a
Sonic-class competitor known for sub-six-second performances, faced
tough luck with a false start but remains one of the fastest Labs on
the circuit.
Local fans had plenty to root for with the return of Max, a
five-year-old Australian shepherd from Lincoln who had already made
a splash in the Big Air contest the day before. Despite a no-score
on his first attempt, Max drew loud applause as he raced down the
dock on his retry, and, for a moment, embodied the spirit of
persistence. However, Max unfortunately slid off the ramp on his
second attempt as well.
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Group Two featured
Mary Beth Sanchez with Chica, a three-year-old Lab already
titled in the Turbo division; Rex Tschantz and Star, a
five-year-old black Lab; Bowen Casper and his yellow Lab pup
Dash; Paula Sargent with another retriever named Tee; Brian
Tonkovic and his chocolate Lab Charlie; and Megan Townsend
again, this time with Draco, a three-year-old black Lab who
closed out the afternoon with a personal best of 6.29 seconds.
The announcer made sure the atmosphere
stayed lively, calling on the crowd to “make some noise for this
pup” when Hydra hit the water, and then mentioning an ice cream shop
across the street. “If you guys are looking for some ice cream.
There is a great spot, Top Hat Creamery right there by the arcade in
the alley. I had some of it earlier this morning. Absolutely
fantastic.”
While official winners were determined by the fastest combined
times, the Lincoln Speed Retrieve was about more than numbers.
Families and handlers praised the community spirit, the cheering
audience, and the chance to watch their dogs shine. Krebs summed it
up best when he reminded the crowd, “Every dog gets two attempts,
and every dog has its day.”
With the Big Air finals scheduled later that evening and Extreme
Vertical still to come, the Speed Retrieve added a thrilling middle
chapter to Lincoln’s DockDogs weekend — proving once again that
whether leaping or racing, the dogs know how to put on a show.
[Sophia Larimore]
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