Posted by: Media Relations
On Friday, April 25th began the first day of the 29th annual Sierra K9 Trials. The event is co-hosted by the Tulare County Sheriff's Department and the Visalia City Police Department K9 Units. K9 teams from all over California are invited, and this year attendees included teams from Fresno City, Coalinga State Hospital Police, Bakersfield City, and many other areas totaling more than 20 teams competing in most of the categories.
The first day had competition in narcotic and evidence detection. This included searching a vehicle for narcotics, and evidence search. This part of the competition was held in another area outside of the Plaza Park Raceway, while on the second day the “main events” – obedience, agility, and protection – took place in the Raceway on Saturday. Other events also featured on Saturday were building search, area search, protection, open class, novice class, top team and top dog.
During the obedience, agility, and protection events the stands held friends and family of the competitors, as well as co-workers when not competing and members of the public. While there had been inclement weather the day before, Saturday’s competition started off cold and grey, and while people nursed warm tri-tip sandwiches and huddled in sweatshirts and blankets, handlers and dogs lined up to show the judges how well they worked together as a team.
The first section of competition, obedience, consisted of a facilitator giving directions to the handler to walk, run, turn certain directions, or order their canine to sit, stay, and come back to their side at different intervals. Agility, the second section, showed handlers leading their dog around an obstacle course that included jumping over fences, walking on tall platforms like wooden beams, climbing up stairs, and walking over a “teeter totter”. After agility was area search, which included an Explorer hiding in one of several wooden boxes on the field, and the dog was ordered to find them. This event was timed, and the dog had to find the Explorer in a certain amount of time, and either bark repeatedly or lay down to indicate that they had found them.
Canines and handlers were taken off site to compete in building search and returned for what may be considered the “main event” of the trials – protection. Volunteers were fitted in “bite suits” that would protect them from the canine’s bite, and were set up into scenarios. The canines and handlers were introduced to those scenarios with specific directions that included ordering a dog to chase after and stop a suspect in a stabbing, and to let a “jogger” run by before stopping a gunman – who, for this situation, had a gun with blanks, or fake bullets.
Below you will find the results for the two days of competition. The Tulare County Sheriff’s Department & Visalia City Police Department, co- hosted this year’s event, would like to thank all those who contributed, attended, and participated. Without those people and groups, the K9 Trials would not be what they are today, and they are very much appreciated.
In the narcotics building search category the top five teams were;
(20 teams competed)
1st place Geoff Tushnet & Kubo, Fresno City Police Department.
2nd place Brian Freer & Cash, Fresno City Police Department
3rd place Adrian Enriquez & Arco, Colinga State Hospital Police
4th place Wayne Brabant & Drago, Kings County Sheriff's Office
5th place Molly Hessler & Carson, Bakersfield City Police Department.
In the narcotics vehicle search category the top five teams were;
(20 teams competed)
1st place Ryan Lasalde & Mack, Visalia City Police Department
2nd place Scott Mackey & Rocket, Tulare County Sheriff's Department
3rd place Brian Freer & Cash, Fresno City Police Department
4th place James Jones & Rico, Bakersfield City Police Department
5th place Thomas Hernandez & Kane, Bakersfield City Police Department
In the evidence area search category the top four teams were;
(19 teams competed)
1st place Geoff Tushnet & Kubo, Fresno City Police Department
2nd place Mark Sotelo & Tico, Fresno City Police Department
3rd place Matt Vincent & Turbo, Fresno City Police Department
4th place Brian Freer & Cash, Fresno City Police Department
The second day had competition in obedience, agility, building search, area search, protection, open class, novice class, top team and top dog:
In the obedience category the top five teams were;
(26 teams competed)
1st place Daniel Roberts & Xero, Visalia City Police Department
2nd place Matthew Vincent & Turbo, Fresno City Police Department
3rd place Jerry Hunter & Jax, Kings County Sheriff's Office
4th place Wayne Brabant & Drago, Kings County Sheriff's Office
5th place Rick Johnson & Duece, Visalia City Police Department
In the agility category the top five teams were;
(26 teams competed)
1st place Matt Cramer & Rudy, Riverside County Sheriff's Department
2nd place Mark Sotelo & Tico, Fresno City Police Department
3rd place Joe England & Roscoe, Tulare County Sheriff's Department
4th place Geoff Tushnet & Kubo, Fresno City Police Department
5th place Scott Mackey & Rocket, Tulare County Sheriff's Department
In the building search category the top five teams were;
(26 teams competed)
1st place Daniel Roberts & Xero, Visalia City Police Department
2nd place Ryan Lasalde & Mack, Visalia City Police Department
3rd place Mark Sotelo & Tico, Fresno City Police Department
4th place James Jones & Rico, Bakersfield City Police Department
5th place Rick Johnson & Duece, Visalia City Police Department
In the area search category the top five teams were;
(26 teams competed)
1st place Matthew Vincent & Turbo, Fresno City Police Department
2nd place Daniel Roberts & Xero, Visalia City Police Department
3rd place Mark Sotelo & Tico, Fresno City Police Department
4th place Ryan Lasalde & Mack, Visalia City Police Department
5th place Chad Haskins & Rex, Bakersfield City Police Department
In the protection category the top five teams were;
(26 teams competed)
1st place Brian Sturgeon & Jack, Fresno City Police Department
2nd place Ryan Lasalde & Mack, Visalia City Police Department
3rd place Tony Rodriguez & Blade, Tulare County Sheriff's Department
4th place Daniel Roberts & Xero, Visalia City Police Department
5th place Mark Sotelo & Tico, Fresno City Police Department
In the open category the top five teams were;
(17 teams competed)
1st place Daniel Roberts & Xero, Visalia City Police Department
2nd place Mark Sotelo & Tico, Fresno City Police Department
3rd place Geoff Tushnet & Kubo, Fresno City Police Department
4th place Matthew Vincent & Turbo, Fresno City Police Department
5th place Wayne Brabant & Drago, Kings County Sheriff's Office
In the novice category the top five teams were;
(8 teams competed)
1st place Dan Scott & Loki, Tulare City Police Department
2nd place Josh Lowry & Aries, Exeter City Police Department
3rd place Jerry Hunter & Jax, Kings County Sheriff's Office
4th place Eric Johnson & Bos, Kings County Sheriff's Office
5th place Doug Burch & Daisy, Tulare County Sheriff's Department
The top team pair competition winners were;
Ryan Lasalde & Mack / Daniel Roberts & Xero, Visalia City Police Department
The overall Top Dog winner;
(26 teams competed)
Ryan Lasalde & Mack, Visalia City Police Department
And this year the host agency competition perpetual trophy was awarded to the Visalia City Police Department.
Both agencies would like to thank the agencies who competed in the 29th Sierra K9 Trials as well as the public who attended the event.