HISTORY OF OUR FLYBALL TEAMS

2003

The beginning of our team Hop Trop dates from February 2003, when Mila Vrbova found several flyball enthusiasts, which began regulary train to take part at the European Flyball Championship in Holland. To them belonged: foregoing Mila Vrbova + poodle Ginny, Ivana Vlasakova + malinois Kitri, Petra Chalupnickova + mixbreed Tim, Simona Drabkova + dobermann Sara, Michal Jelinek + sheltie Cita, Katka Pokorna + mixbreed Peggy, Simona Hurabova + malinois Sheila, Alena Kralova + border collie Igi, Jarka Purkytova + whippet Easy, Tomas Jeske + sheltie Belinda, Ivana Patakova + sheltie Roxy, ? + border collie Bigi, Jarda Kosnar + malinois Hazel, Petr Pacak + whippet Agbar.

We began to train with borrowed hurdles and with borrowed one-hole box (so called Polish type). 13.5. 2003 we first trained with our own two–holes box.

Not all foregoing people lasted out training flyball, some of them came back to agility, which they applied in previous years. Other reasons were health problems e.g. of border collie Igi. Our name HOP TROP was invented by Igi´s handler Alena and it was really apt for us in those days (it means something like root-hog-or-die).

The first communal „performance“ of our team Hop Trop happened 2.5. 2003 at the BCCCZ Flyball Championship in Kladno. This team composed of Cita-Tim-Peggy-Kitri entirely defeated all other teams and Michal with Cita sensationally won in individual competition. At this tournament border collie Blackie and Martina Vondrackova eked our configuration.

At the European Championship in Holland we sensationally won in 4th division – in Round Robin and also in Double Elimination. Moreover we established the first Czech record – 20,59 s.

From the left: Petra Chalupnickova+Tim, Simona Hurabova+Sheila, Ivana Vlasakova+Kitri, Mila Vrbova+Ginny, Martin Loyaza (box loader), Michal Jelinek+Cita, Katka Pokorna+Peggy, Martina Vondrackova+Blackie.

2004

We moved our training place to Prague–Letnany, and as soon as the weather was favourable, we began with conscientious trainings to forthcoming European Flyball Championship, which took place in Belgium.

After our international success last year, enthusiasm for Flyball increased and it began to accrue fast border collies in our team.

Since autumn 2003 we started to train all beginners with shoot and we waited for effect – whether dogs lose sight of braking in front of the box. In a group of four dogs the result was 50:50. Two dogs didn´t have any problems with changeover to box (border collie Bara became our fastest trained dog – she run to box after two month!), but border collies Laron and Terry still accepted box only as a big treason.

Fortunately we could count on other good dogs – border collie Art and attested border collie Blackie – so, we could put together our second team, Dream´s Family. Except sheltie Cita this team consisted of border collies and they all were related to the first border collie in the Czech Republic named Dreamer Highland. That´s why they are "Dream´s Family".

So, two teams were represented our country at the European Championship in Belgium. Team Hop Trop Prague consisted of malinois Sheila and malinois Kitri and three new dogs – mixbreed Robin with Marketa Sulcova, poodle Ginny with Mila Vrbova and border collie Laron with Alena Kralova. Alena lost her older border collie Igi few months before the championship, so it was good for her, thaht Laron made up with box only one week before this tournament and finally he was a great support for his team.

From the left: Vera Kubickova+Carina (reserve), Katka Pokorná+Peggy, Ivana Vlasakova+Kitri, Marketa Sulcova+Robin, Mila Vrbova+Ginny, Alena Kralova+Laron, Simona Hurabova+Sheila.

Dream´s Family competed in following composition: border collie Bara + Misa Bakrlikova, border collie Art + Petra Juliusova, border collie Blackie + Martina Vondrackova, mixbreed Tim + Petra Chalupnickova, sheltie Cita + Michal Jelinek and border collie Terry + Jitka Slanska. Terry casted off problems with box as his brother Laron – only one week before the European Championship. 

Our box was with two holes and "boomerang" front panel, constructed according to Belgian model.

Dream´s Family took 3rd place in 4th division and they run really fantastic Czech record – 18,70 s. Hop Trop Prague won in 6th division for both days and improved their record to 20,47 s.

Other successes of Dream´s Family in this year: absolutelly clear triumph at the BCCCZ Championship (Hop Trop Prague didn´t compete there) and at the 1st Czech Flyball Championship. This championship they won in composition: border collie Bara + Misa Bakrlikova, border collie Terry + Jitka Slanska, border collie Laron + Martin Loayza and mixbreed Tim + Petra Chalupnickova. Hop Trop Prague (under the modified name Bouraci Hop Trop) composed of malinois Sheila + Simona Hurabova, malinois Kitri + Ivana Vlasakova, border collie Art + Petra Juliusova and sheltie Cita + Michal Jelinek took 2nd place.

From the left: Petra Juliusova+Art, Misa Bakrlikova+Bara, Martina Vondrackova+Blackie, Martin Loayza (box loader), Petra Chalupnickova+Tim, Jitka Slanska+Terry, Michal Jelinek+Cita.

This tournament was the premiere of a new flyball team Hop Trop Prask, which became a kind of test team for our new flyball odds. The team consisted of mixbreed Leo + Kristyna Sulymova, beagle Mates + Klara Mackova, mixbreed Robin + Marketa Sulcova, poodle Ginny + Mila Vrbova, and they won 2nd division.  

From the left: Kristyna Sulymova+Leo, Marketa Sulcova+Robin, Klara Mackova+Mates, Mila Vrbova+Ginny, Eva Chmelikova (box loader)+Flash.

2005

Our flyball season started with trainings in riding school Ctenice. At the end of March the persistant winter passed away and we could come back to Letnany.

At half of March we took part at the Polish Flyball Championship in Katowice. Dream´s Family in composition Bara-Terry- Laron-Tim won, Hop Trop Prague composed of Sheila-Kitri-Leo-Robin-Ginny were 2nd and they defeated all five Polish teams. On Sunday mixbreed Tim became the winner of individual competition.

We planned our teams for the participation in the European Flyball Championship in following composition:

Dream´s Family – border collie Bara + Misa Bakrlikova, border collie Terry + Alena Kralova, border collie Angee + Jitka Slanska, mixbreed Tim + Petra Chalupnickova, sheltie Cita + Michal Jelinek. Unfortunately Laron´s new owner Martin Loayza (our former box-loader) discontinued with flyball and border collie Art was injured. As a reserve there was Bara Stouracova + border collie Fanny.

Hop Trop Prague – malinois Sheila + Simona Hurabova, malinois Kitri + Ivana Vlasakova, mixbreed Leo + Kristyna Sulymova, poodle Ginny + Mila Vrbova, mixbreed Robin + Marketa Sulcova, mixbreed Jim + Martina Tocekova.  

The international Flyball tournament Eager´s Cup was held as homage to a great border collie Igi, who, untimely, left for dog´s heaven in the spring of 2004. At the same time it was a good part of our trainings for European Flyball Championship. Dream´s Family composed of Bara – Terry – Angee – Tim – Cita won, Hop Trop Prague composed of Sheila – Kitri – Leo – Robin were 3rd (Dutch team Flying Dutch took 2nd place).

4th place of our young team Hop Trop Prask was a big sensation, because this team was full of new dogs – mixbreed Jim with Martina Tocekova, cairn terrier Alp with Diana Vyskocilova, beauceron Berta with Eva Havlova and border collie Fanny with Bara Stouracova. Poodle Ginny and beagle Mates belonged to the flyball professionals.

Although we prepared to the European Flyball Championship (this year organized in Germany) very conscientiously, finally we decided to cancel our participation. The reasons were following: Organizers of this tournament gave us the wrong information about seed time/break-out time rules and it meant, that our teams were placed into divisions with teams running in fact at least 1,5 second faster than our teams. Although we informed about this mistake in time, organizers told us, that it was our problem, that we had sent wrong times and they could´t change this partition. Under those circumstances we didn´t have any enthusiasm for investing to the participation and for possible mockery of experienced Belgians in 1st division (where our Dream´s Family were inconceivable placed.).

From the left: Alena Kralova+Terry, Michal Jelinek+Cita, Misa Bakrlikova+Bara, Jitka Slanska+Angee, Petra Chalupnickova+Tim.

From the left: Diana Vyskocilova (box loader), Marketa Sulcova+Robin, Ivana Vlasakova+Kitri, Simona Hurabova+Sheila, Kristyna Sulymova+Leo.

So, this year we competed almost only at home tournaments. Dream´s Family were still successful - they won June flyball tournament in Letnany (in composition Bara - Terry - Angee - Tim - Cita) and August BCCCZ Flyball Championship (composed of Bara - Terry - Angee - Tim - Cita). They won also at the 2nd Czech Flyball Championship, which was held in Nova Ves. The triumphal composition formed: border collie Bara + Misa Bakrlikova, border collie Terry + Lucka Plana, border collie Angee + Jitka Slanska, border collie Laron + Martin Loayza, mixbreed Tim + Petra Chalupnickova and sheltie Cita + Michal Jelinek.

Hop Trop Prague run valiantly both tournaments only in the four-member composition: Kitri-Leo-Jim-Ginny and always they won 2nd place. Paradoxical they were 3rd at the Czech Flyball Championship, where their composition included six dogs (malinois Kitri + Ivana Vlasakova, mixbreed Leo + Kristyna Sulymova, mixbreed Jim + Martina Tocekova, border collie Fessy + Sarka Seemannova, poodle Ginny and Mila Vrbova, Parson Russell terrier Tessa and Renca Kvechova) and it began to stabilize.

The composition of Hop Trop Prask began to stabilize too. Constant members became beagle Mates + Klara Mackova, mixbreed Robin + Marketa Sulcova, cairn terrier Alp + Diana Vyskocilova and border collie Fanny + Bara Stouracova. In Letnany and Brno border collie Fessy + Sarka Seemannova took up with them. At the Czech Flyball Championship Fessy was replaced by dobermann Rita with Martina Cervenkova from Kladno and the composition was followed up with Parson Russell terrier Jackie + Katka Meierova. At this tournament they took 4th place.

The tournament in German Giessen became our top of this season. Friendly invitation and pleasant course distinctively made right our (after the events about the European Championship in Germany) considerably skeptical outlook on Germans.
Dream´s Family composed of Bara-Terry-Angee-Tim-Jackie and border collie Bonnie with Stana Balogova from Usti won this tournament.
Hop Trop Prague consisted of Kitri-Leo-Jim-Fessy-Tessa-Ginny was 3rd in 1st division.
Hop Trop Prask with a new support - poodle Baby with Klara Mackova, but without their fastest dog, border collie Fanny, were 6th in 2nd division. It was the last tournament for this team, because in the following season they will compete as two teams - Hop Trop Sprinters and Nimbus Hop Trop.

At the end of this year Hop Trop became the official civic association Flyball Hop Trop.