Wallace by Jim Gorant

Author:Jim Gorant [Gorant, Jim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781101590843
Publisher: Gotham Books
Published: 2012-08-29T16:00:00+00:00

7

Piedmont Park is 189 acres of trees and fields and ponds dotted by athletic courts and walking trails that sits about a mile north of downtown Atlanta. From almost anywhere on the grounds the city skyline provides an eye-catching backdrop. When Roo, Clara, Josh, and Jen arrived on Saturday morning for day two of the competition, one of the more expansive fields was decked out for the event. Banners and flags hung everywhere. There was a judging tent with event logos on it, a merchandise tent, and an on-deck tent. The field was marked with small flags that also bore the name of the event, and the grass was thick and soft.

The sounds of unpacking and setting up—the shouting and grunting and clanking of poles—was drowned out only by incessant barking. A tangle of quick-fold canopies and portable crates spread across one end of the field. The park was one of the things Josh had loved about his first experience in Atlanta. It was simply a great place to hold the competition.

The field sat next to a large dog park, so there were a lot of dogs and dog lovers already assembled, and on a late-summer weekend a fresh crowd of passersby were constantly stopping to watch the action, mixing in with a crowd of spectators to create a competitive atmosphere that topped any other event Josh had been to. It felt like a world championship.

The pairs finals wouldn’t take place until Sunday, so they settled in to relax and watch the day’s events. Except Roo. He was still searching for a disc dog and had made arrangements to meet up with Dolly, another pup he’d learned about online. He also made small talk with other competitors and introduced himself to people he’d met on the forums. And while the day off helped them all relax, it also built anticipation for the next day. Especially that night, when they attended the Banquet of Champions.

A large tent had been put up back at the field where qualifying had been. White linen tablecloths covered the tables. A buffet dinner stretched across one end. Everyone received a plaque for making it to worlds and the individual winners from the day’s action accepted congratulations.

The Rochester quartet found themselves at a table with a few other newcomers and they all talked about what they had seen and heard so far. As they ate, a man named Zak George, a seasoned competitor who would end up with a show on Animal Planet, stopped by the table. “Are you the guy with the pit bull?” he asked Roo, who nodded, unsure what to expect. “There’s nothing like it out there. Very unique. You’re doing a great thing.”

The program moved on. A man named Chuck Middleton was presented with a lifetime achievement award. Middleton had been one of the pioneers of the sport, winning many titles with his dog, Donnie, and helping found the first disc dog club, in Dallas. Middleton spoke about the good ol’ days and about the advances in performance, and finally spoke about Donnie, who had since passed on.

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