THE PLAINS, Va. -- Three canine teams from the Aberdeen Proving Ground Directorate of Emergency Services competed in the 2010 Virginia Police Canine Association
10th Annual Iron Dog Competition at the Great Meadow Event Center in mid-May.
Thirty-eight teams competed in the event and the APG canine teams took home 11 out of a possible 30 awards, including first place in the Team Overall category and second and third place in the Individual Overall category. They also won a narcotic storage safe.
The teams members were Officers Ronald L. Colbeck II and his military working dog partner Heidi, Christopher J. Damko and MWD partner Laga, and Leonard A. Moses Jr. and MWD partner Bleky.
The VPCA Iron Dog Competition tests the strength, stamina, abilities and teamwork of law enforcement dog handlers and their K-9 partners.
The competition consisted of a number of stations with obstacles, firearms, scent tracking, decoy apprehension, vehicle searches, and environmental distractions to determine the overall Iron Dog winner.
First, second, and third-place awards were given at each of the eight event stations, as well as an Overall Individual Winner and a Team Award; for a total of 30 possible awards in 10 different categories.
The team award was given to the jurisdiction with the best combined overall score of its three K-9 teams for the entire event. During this timed competition, K-9 teams were required to complete rigorous tasks at multiple event stations along a one and-one-half mile course. The event stations included firearms, scent tracking (either narcotic or explosive), decoy apprehension, vehicle searches (either narcotic or explosive), and environmental distractions.
The teams had to navigate multiple obstacles like fences, hedges, creeks, and horse jumps while running from station to station. Each event station was timed and the overall course completion was timed.
The event was Officer Colbeck and K9 Heidi's fifth competition in the past two years. When asked why he enjoys competing, Colbeck said, "I enjoy the camaraderie amongst law enforcement officers at the events, learning new things and overcoming challenges.
Heidi is now almost ten years-old and it amazes me that she still has the desire and stamina to go through these competitions; and not only do we compete, but we have done very well in all the competitions that we have attended. I'm proud to represent the Army."
Officer Damko and K9 Laga were competing in their second competition. Damko said he trained especially hard for this competition with balanced nutrition and daily rucksack runs with Laga. When asked what inspired him to train so hard for the competition, he said, "The first time I competed in an Iron Dog Competition was last fall. At that time I really was not prepared for what I encountered. The course went up a hill that looked like a wall - straight up. So, for this competition, I vowed that I would finish a heck a lot better than I did last time. It looks like the training paid off."
Officer Moses and K-9 Bleky also were competing in their second competition. Moses has been with his K-9 partner for less than a year and has made great strides in training and conditioning.
"I think that the sky is the limit," Moses said when asked about his and Bleky's future in dog competitions. "I have been fortunate in being paired with a fantastic young dog in Bleky. It is a pleasure to come to work each and every day, knowing that (Bleky) is waiting for me. As far as the other handlers at APG, they make me want to try harder to be better, I love a challenge. Bleky is only four years old, [and] he has unlimited potential. I look forward to the next event."
The Aberdeen Proving Ground Canine Section supports the APG Community through force protection measures, narcotics interdiction, law enforcement support and public safety. The sections' five certified canine teams support day and night operations for the APG Community, as well as special missions for the Department of State and the United States Secret Service.
View the complete results for the 2010 VPCA Iron Dog Competition <a href="www.vapolicek9.com">online</a>.
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