Heinz 57

In the context of ongoing League Play I get to play a lot of games that aren’t much in the mainstream. Many of these are an absolute hoot and would make extraordinary fun for the canny handlers to play in the TDAA. This is a game that Marsha and I invented some five years ago… we just wanted a game called “Heinz 57” because it is a term sometimes applied to the all-American muttly dog. This is the game we came up with.

Briefing

The purpose of this game is to score 57 points as quickly as possible. For the purpose of point accumulation, point values are:

• 1 pt for Jumps
• 2 pts for pipe tunnels and the tire
• 3 pts for contact obstacles and the weave poles
• The collapsed tunnel is a doubling obstacle

Obstacles can be taken twice for points, but back-to-back performances are never allowed. Another obstacle must be performed before the dog can be redirected to an obstacle (whether or not it was faulted). The collapsed chute has a special value, it is a doubling obstacle, and can be taken twice, like any obstacle, and can be taken at any time during the dog’s run. If the dog touches the table at any time scoring ends and the run is over.

No specific faults are associated with the weave poles. However, any error must be fixed or the dog will not earn points for the obstacle.

With the exception of jumps, if a dog commits to any obstacle he is required to reattempt that obstacle until it is not faulted to keep the handler from doing something unsafe for the dog should the dog volunteer for an obstacle unaccounted for by the handler’s strategy. No new points will be awarded until that obstacle has been performed.

In this course the dog getting on the table marks the finish of the course. The table becomes live after the dog has earned one point (the Mr. Banks Rule). The handler should exercise caution when directing the dog to obstacles near the table because if the dog gets on, then the game is over, without regard to the handler’s intentions.

Scoring and Qualification

Heinz 57 is scored points then time. 57 points is the benchmark. Any amount over or under 57 will be subtracted from 57 to determine the dog’s final score. 57 points are required to qualify at any level.

Art

This depicts a Heinz 57 dog. Heinz 57 Original Watercolor painted in 2009; 4 x 4-1/8; Watercolor on board; Unframed; $800. Available at: www.pbuckleymoss.com; Code: 09_00206.

More Art

The Nietzsche Family Circus

The Nietzsche Family Circus pairs a randomized Family Circus cartoon with a randomized Friedrich Nietzsche quote: http://www.losanjealous.com/nfc/

Morality is: the mediocre are worth
more than the exceptions.

One must still have chaos in oneself
to be able to give birth to a dancing star.

BLOG502

Questions comments & impassioned speeches to Bud Houston: BudHouston@hughes.net. And Check out my latest publication the Just For Fun Agility Notebook #30 available at www.dogagility.org/store.