One of the Police Dog Training Centre’s recent graduate teams has triumphed at this year’s national police patrol dog championships.
Waikato District’s Senior Constable Blair Spalding and his canine partner Rush graduated as an operational team from the Police Dog Training College just three months ago, and at two years old, Rush is the youngest dog to win the national championship.
The dynamic duo beat 10 other police patrol teams drawn from regional trials around the country to win the Frank Riley Cup for the top police patrol team. The late Inspector Riley was the first chief trainer for the New Zealand Police dog section.
Senior Constable Spalding and Rush also won the Commissioner’s Challenge Cup for highest marks in obedience and the Monaghan Trophy for highest marks in heelwork.
“It’s a total shock. I’m over the moon,” says Senior Constable Blair Spalding. “It’s definitely something I wanted to achieve but having only graduated a couple of months ago I didn’t think it would happen so soon. Rush did an outstanding job.”
Second place went to Constable Andrew Douglas and Ox from Wellington, while Senior Constable Owen Davies and Quid from Auckland came third.
The top three all scored more than 1,000 points out of a possible 1350. A score of over 1000 is an outstanding achievement.
New Zealand Police also won the explosive detector dog title and Aviation Security Shield thanks to the teamwork of Senior Constable Andrew Phillips and Doug, from Christchurch.
Aviation Security officer Philip Brooke and Nitro, from Auckland, and their colleagues Aviation Security Officer Nicholas Hunt and Jake, from Wellington, finished second and third respectively.
The narcotic detector dog title went to Senior Customs Officer Chad Golding and India, winning the Alan Symes Cup for best working narcotics detector dog and the New Zealand Customs Cup for class ‘A’ narcotics detection.
Runner up for the second year running was Corrections Officer Karina Thomas and Jesse, from Auckland. Third place went to Senior Corrections Officer Damian Hancock and Storm, from Christchurch.
Two teams each from Police, Corrections and Customs took part in the narcotics detection category, while two teams from Police, Aviation Security and New Zealand Army competed in the explosive detector category.
Three days of intensive competition in the greater Wellington region ended this afternoon with the awarding of cups and trophies in a ceremony at the Police Dog Training Centre, Trentham, attended by Deputy Commissioner Mike Clement and representatives from the competing services.
Inspector Todd Southall, national coordinator: police dogs and the championship referee, praised the skills, focus and calibre of all teams as they were put through a variety of tasks based on their day-to-day working environment.
“The excellence achieved reflects the work the handlers and their instructors put into developing high performing teams,” Inspector Southall says.
“To have three patrol dog teams scoring more of 1000 points, and the winner being a junior dog, is truly outstanding.
“These teams are on the operational frontline. They’re tracking and catching often violent offenders, finding stolen property and giving resolution to victims, and preventing crime by detecting drugs, firearms or explosives on our streets, in buildings, vehicles, ships or aircraft.”
Inspector Southall says this week’s championships highlight the excellent operational performance and international recognition of New Zealand’s enforcement dog teeams.”
FULL RESULTS
Patrol dogs
1st place and the Frank Riley Cup for highest marks overall; the Commissioner’s Challenge Cup for obedience; and the Monaghan Trophy for heel work: Senior Constable Blair Spalding and Rush, from Waikato
2nd place: Constable Andrew Douglas and Ox, from Wellington
3rd place: Senior Constable Owen Davies and Quid, from Auckland
4th place: Senior Constable David Robison and Isaac, from Whakatane
5th place: Constable Cameron Gunn and Chuck, from Hawke’s Bay
6th place: Senior Constable Karl Hansen and Jag, from Christchurch
7th place and the William Rose Bowl for criminal work and building search: Constable Nathan Kluit and Raja, from Auckland
8th place: Constable Anthony Harris and Phoenix, from Auckland
9th place and the Colin Guppy Trophy for tracking: Senior Constable Shane Chambers and Bax, from Whanganui
10th place: Constable Stuart Rota and Dakota, from Wellington
11th place: Senior Constable Gary Donnelly and Blaze, from Christchurch
Narcotic detector dogs
1st place, the Alan Symes Cup for best working narcotics detector dog, and the New Zealand Customs Cup for class A narcotics detection: Senior Customs Officer Chad Golding and India, from Auckland
2nd place: Corrections Officer Karina Thomas and Jesse, from Auckland
3rd place: Corrections Officer Damian Hancock and Storm, from Christchurch
4th place: Senior Customs Officer Debbie Baldock and Jerry, from Wellington
5th place: Senior Constable Phillip Taylor and Murphy, from Rotorua
6th place: Senior Constable Matt Fage and Tasman, from Wellington
Explosive detector dogs
1st place and the Aviation Security Shield: Senior Constable Andrew Phillips and Doug, from Christchurch
2nd place: Aviation Security Officer Philip Brooke and Nitro, from Auckland
3rd place: Aviation Security Officer Nicholas Hunt and Jake, from Wellington
4th place: Senior Constable Christopher Clarke and Kea, from Auckland
5th place: SPR Aidan Cornwall and Yardley, from NZ Defence
6th place: LPCL Thomas Hynes and Chuck, from NZ Defence
ENDS
Photos attached: Winning NZ Police patrol dog champions Senior Constable Blair Spalding and Rush, from Waikato.
Media contact: Jo Haywood at joanne.haywood@police.govt.nz or 021 903 469
