Big Drama in Big Air

Posted on April 09, 2005 by Kevin Frecking 

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va., - Even the great ones can be beaten on any given day, and that's exactly what happened Saturday in the finals of the Big Air event

Wylie, a 2-year-old yellow lab, won a jump off with the dog that goes into every Big Air competition as the favorite. That would be world record holder, Little Morgan, of course. The two dogs found themselves tied after jumping 23-10 in the finals, so off they went into a sudden death round.

First, Wylie leaped 22-3. Then, Little Morgan came in at 21-6.

Wylie's handler, Dean Skillman of Lambertville, Mich., raised his arms in exultation and received warm congratulations from the other handlers.

"My goal in life was I wanted to come down here and just see what Wylie could do against Little Morgan and hope Wylie shows up and Morgan has an off day because Little Morgan is the best jumping dog in the world, and still is," Skillman said. "We just caught her on an off day."

The Big Air competition features dogs of all breeds that run the length of a 40-foot dock and leap into a pool of water. Distance is measured by where the dog's hind quarters (not including the tail) enter the water. The finals featured six dogs, with the top three finishers automatically eligible to compete in the Mack's SRS Crown Championship in Hot Springs June 11.

Little Morgan had the longest leap of the day at 24-6, which is two feet off his world record. But Wylie was more consistent. His final five jumps ranged from 24 feet to his winning jump of 22-3. He's a big, muscular lab who looked like a sprinter settling into the starter's blocks before he begins his run. He holds his rump high in the air and his big, black nose would almost touch the ground before take off. There would be little movement or fidgeting, compared to many of the other dogs when they prepared to jump.

"We really worked on that, because if they creep up on you, they can be off a stride or two when they hit the end of the dock or they peak early," Skillman said.

Skillman said he goes to about a dozen competitive events each year. Last time, Skillman said he got within about 6 inches of Little Morgan. This time, he took home the winning prize of $900.

Little Morgan's handler, Mike Jackson, of Minnesota, said his dog has been hunting since October, so there hasn't been much time put into practicing. He got $400 for the effort any how.

"There on the last jump, I'm sure it was something I did wrong," Jackson said. "Certainly, the winner was well deserving. I'm sure well see each other again."

Rounding out the top six were Beau and handler Chris Piacun, 23-8; Nutmeg and handler Jon Stapleton, 22-3; Buddy and handler Tom Dropik, 21-4; and Dax and handler Terry Alexander, 21-3.