Gemma Osmond, Committee member & Instructor
ACAI 1st Class - Agility Club Approved Instructor
MAPDT 01069 (Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers)

Significant others:
Married to Mike Osmond in June 2007, they live in Yatton with dogs Kai, Ella and Diva, their two cats Whisper & Tinker, and rabbit Poppy. In addition to their extensive menagerie, they're also proud parents to Jamie Osmond who was born in January 2008 & Callum Osmond who arrived in February 2009. Parents Susan & Bryan Fisher and brother Matthew live nearby in Backwell with Toby & Lucy. Mum has run Toby in the past, but prefers spending time with her horse Puzzle.

Age (optional!): 28

What do you do for a living?
Proud full-time mum to sons Jamie & Callum, and on the side have pet care & dog training business' - Daybreak Pet Care & Daybreak Dog Training.

When did you start doing agility?
I started with Lucy in 2002, took over Toby’s training in 2003. Kai's been competing since the beginning of 2006. Ella’s started her agility training in January 2007, and the baby of the group Diva is too young to have done any agility training yet, but watch this space!

Dogs (names, breed/s, ages, competition standard):
Lucy, Terrier cross (sister to Toby), DOB 4/7/00, Large Grade 3
Toby, Terrier cross (brother to Lucy), DOB 4/7/00, Medium Grade 1
Kai, WSD, DOB 8/7/04, Large Any size jumping & other fun classes
Ella, Border Collie, DOB 25/3/06, Large Grade 5
Diva, Shetland Sheepdog, DOB 30/9/2009, Small/Medium?? Grade 3

The newest addition to the pack is Ella, a Border Collie who was hindered by a heavily pregnant handler for the first couple of years of her agility career! I've decided to give baby-making a break for a while (!), and I was delighted when we won Grade 1 Agility at the club's North Somerset show at the beginning of May 2009. This was our first Kennel Club show of the year since Callum's birth in February, so not bad going. It was a sign of good things to come - we finished the season at Grade 5 on agility wins, the most memorable being her Grade 3 win at the Kennel Club's International Festival in a class of over 360 dogs. I am a very proud handler, she's a fabulous dog.

When did you start doing agility?
I started with Lucy in September 2002, Toby in January 2003, Kai in March 2005, and Ella's began seriously in July 2007. Both Kai & Ella's training was very different to Lucy & Toby, which I'm sure has contributed to their ability within the sport.

Why did you decide to become a committee member?
I love our club! I wanted to make a positive contribution to its future and continuing success in this area.

What jobs/ tasks do you perform on the committee?
I’m responsible for website updates and club clothing.

Best bits about being a committee member:
Helping to make decisions about what happens at training and being able to pass on feedback from other club members.

Worst bits about being a committee member:
I haven’t found any yet! Ask me again in the run up to our show and I might give a different answer though!

Thoughts about the club:
There are some great people, some fantastic dogs, and it’s an enjoyable club to be a part of. I would like to see our dogs and handlers succeeding even further at shows, so that we have a range of abilities within the club e.g. elementary to advanced. It would be nice to see guest trainers introduced, and more social evenings organised. I'm pleased that since I've been part of the committee we've introduced another training evening & offered our trainers opportunities to improve on their instructor skills. More than anything I hope that our members continue to enjoy our sport with their precious dogs for many more years to come.

When did you start teaching other people to do agility?
I began taking classes with Sue James in January 2006.

What courses have you attended in being an instructor?
Kim & Sean Hunt's 'Agility Training for Trainers - Starting Out' course, September 2005.
Lois Harris' training course in December 2005.
Steve Croxford's 'Trainer Training Programme' course March 2006.
Kim & Sean Hunt course 'Handling Training for Trainers' in April 2006.
Steve Croxford's 'PACE-Agility Trainer Training Course' September 2006.
Kim Hunt's 'Agility Training for Trainers 3 – Top Up', May 2007.
The Agility Club Instructors Seminar - October 2007.

Which classes would you consider your speciality to be, or those that you prefer e.g. small/ medium dogs, beginners, more advanced handlers etc.
Having handled small/ medium & large dogs (my own and other people's) I feel I am able to instruct all three groups. My main experience is training beginner dogs & handlers.