Especially considering the short notice, the response to the Georgia Force tryouts was excellent. Twenty six dogs registered prior to the event. Twenty one appeared for the tryouts. However, three of the twenty one withdrew after viewing the difficulty of the required exercises, which left eighteen participants.
Four judges evaluated the dogs’ performance in each of twenty criteria. The scores for each criteria ranged from zero to five, which created a cumulative score of 100 points per judge and 400 points total.
Overall, the performance of the participating dog/handler teams exceeded our expectations. Nevertheless, six teams excelled above the competition to qualify as members of the Georgia Force Black and Blue Team.
| OWNER’S NAME | DOG’S NAME | BREED | SCORE |
| Jessa Sacco | Piper | German Shepherd | 394 |
| Deanne Barker | Dallas | Choc. Labrador | 389 |
| Richard Heimburger | Sophie | Gordon Setter | 367 |
| Brenda Gale | Teddy | Golden Retriever | 367 |
| Deborah Robbe | Jack | Border Collie/Aussie | 360 |
| Brenda Fetta | Winston | Cocker/Border Collie | 360 |
The qualifiers will practice under CPT’s tutelage for three months to prepare for a national television appearance at the Georgia Force’s home opener against San Jose on Sunday February 16. CPT and the Georgia Force appreciate the efforts of all the participants and congratulate those selected for the Black and Blue Team. We look forward to coaching the outstanding persons and dogs who qualified for this elite team.
CPT’s staff is proud that the Force selected our company and our clients to create “Black and Blue”- the nation’s first tee retrieving canine mascots. The team will appear at each of the Force’s eight home games, during special promotional events, and (hopefully) during the Force’s home playoff games. If you prefer observing the Black and Blue Team perform in-person, contact the Georgia Force for ticket information either by phone (770-813-7610) or via the internet (www.georgiaforce.com).
