ESPN Great Outdoor Games

Pedigree or not, plenty of Big Air at qualifier
By Mark Waslick
Special to GOG

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Beth Gutteridge and her Labrador retriever, Heidi, are serious about repeating a gold medal performance in the Big Air competition of the ESPN Great Outdoor Games.

They've spent a year training, so Friday during the practice round of the competition, the two relaxed a little. "Today is all about fun for the crowds," Gutteridge said. "Tomorrow is when it all counts."

As a result, Gutteridge didn't push Heidi, opting instead to save the best jumps for tomorrow. Still, Heidi, who set a world record of 22.44 feet, appears to be the dog to beat when competition begins Saturday. The black lab's practice jumps were consistently near the 20-feet mark.

The practice period offered a preview to spectators on what they could expect during the competition.While Heidi looks strong, there are other dogs with equally impressive jumps.

A short sampling of that competition includes:

Keith Sipsma and his Labrador retriever, Tyler. The two have very little experience, jumping off docks or being together. Sipsma received Tyler as a father's day present in 2000. His son found Tyler at a local Lab Rescue Service in Michigan. Tyler had been found as a stray, living in the woods for at least a year. "When we got him, he weighed only 43 pounds and although the veterinarian estimated his age between 4 and 6 years, his scared and graying muzzle are probably from his stressful year as a stray," Sipsma said.

Last year, Sipsma saw the Big Air event on ESPN and thought Tyler could do well. This year, he and Tyler finished third at the Lake Placid Qualifying event with jump of 16 feet, six inches.

Jerry, an English Pointer, Chesapeake Retriever cross, is the only entrant that is not a full-blooded retriever. This dog may not have the total bloodline, but it has all the jumping ability.

Jerry's first jump measured a short 14-feet. "He gets a little nervous before competition," said handler, Mike Wallace of Troy, N.Y.

But as Jerry became familiar with the crowd, his next two jumps of 19 1/2 and over 20 feet placed Jerry as the dark horse in the coming competition.

The most impressive credentials come with Miranda Wines Labrador retriever, Simon. The dog is the current Purina's Incredible Dog Challenge jumping champion with a 24.4-foot jump.

Although Purina measures jumps from the front of the dog as it enters the water, and the Big Air competition measure from the rear, Miranda feels six-year-old Simon can record at least one jump over twenty feet. If Miranda has a concern, it would be Simon's conditioning. "We were on our way to do the Jay Leno Show in Los Angeles when Simon developed a sudden, life-threatening stomach condition," Miranda said. "We came back from dinner to the hotel to find Simon's stomach bloated as big and tight as a huge water cooler." Simon had to undergo emergency surgery to remove a third of his stomach. While Simon has recovered fully, he can get tired after multiple jumps, Miranda said.

Nick Fiacco's 2-year-old Lab, Sosa, finished second in last year's qualifying event and just missed competing in the 2000 Games. Since then, Fiacco and Sosa have been training hard. As a result, Sosa added five feet to his best jump last year and won the 2001 Lake Placid Qualifier in June with a jump of 19 1/2 feet.

Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories

Related
Event Description: Sporting Dogs Big Air

New York pooch jumps right into the Games

The 'Rocky' of sporting dogs

2001 sporting dog competitors

Sporting Dogs Glossary