When the One Great Scorer comes to write against your name - He marks - not that you won or lost - but how you played the game.  -- Grantland Rice

ARF! Mascot Whizzy

According to a random survey taken the week of August 5-11, ARF! Summer Games Mascot Whizzy was voted more lovable than Izzy by an overwhelming percentage of those polled. The results to the question "Which mascot do you find more likable, Whizzy or Izzy?" were as follows:  Whizzy 100%  Izzy        0%

Olympic Mascot Izzy

The canine world came to Atlanta on June 23rd for the third annual ARF! Summer Games. Competitors came from all over the world - from Germany (German Shepherd Dogs), Hungary (Kuvaszok), England (English Shepherd), Scotland (Scottish Terriers), and America (All-americans) for the opportuntity to compete in a variety of athletic events. And when it was over there was no equivocating - these were the best ARF! Summer Games ever. To the organizers, spectators, volunteers, handlers, and competitors, the ARF! Summer Games Organizing Committee (ASGOC) says "Well done!"

The Games began with the traditional torch run from the site of the first summer games in Conyers (a journey of 40 miles) to Mimosa Downs in Decatur, the site of the 1996 games. As the Summer Games fanfare blared on a cassette player, the crowd gave a tremendous cheer when the torchbearer, ARF! president Daniel Pyron, entered the stadium with the torch held high. Whizzy, the Summer Games mascot, was at his side. Daniel and Whizzy then climbed to the apex of the A-frame and proclaimed "Unleash the hounds and let the games begin!"

The day's competitions then began. There were five events - the Earthdog Trials took place in the shaded area on the north end of the field, while competition in the Hot Dog Dash took place on the south end of the field. Some dogs participated in both events.
The earthdog trials were popular with the smaller dogs, who enthusiastically went through the maze of tunnels, following the scent of the caged quarry (Miss Mouse) at the end of the tunnels. Miss Mouse was safely resting in her cage and seemed indifferent to the event, quite oblivious to the barking dogs that approached her with intense enmity. Sam, a beagle-pug mix, went so far as to clamp his teeth around a bar of the cage and began dragging it off the field. All participants received a certificate recognizing their earthdog talent.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the field, the Hot Dog Dash was being held. In the Hot Dog Dash, two dogs race against each other to find, and eat, the hot dog at the finish line. The winning dog advanced to the next round. Two small black dogs advanced to the championship match-up. Jesse, a mixed breed, proved to be the best hot dog eater of the day, and Emma, the Scottie, finished second. Sierra, a GSD (pictured on this page) finished third.

The agility competition was next. Eight dogs performed at a level to earn ARF! agility titles. Jimi earned the highest ARF! title, the EGAD. Tigger and Sassy earned beginning level titles (RAD), and Sierra, Tammy, Sunnee, Trinket, and Timmy earned TAD titles.

The final activity of the day was the Canine Good Citizen Test, a test of a dog's manners, training, and demeanor. Under the watchful eye of evaluator Daniel Pyron, five dogs earned their CGC titles on this day - Bernie, Sunnee, Shelby, Shadow, and Jesse.

The day ended with the much anticipated closing ceremonies. The plans called for Whizzy, the mascot of the Summer Games, to extinguish the torch. This turned our to be quite a letdown, though, since the owners of the torch had gone home and took their torch with them, so we just said good-bye to each other, locked the gate, and went home.