Despite a blustery and showery day, we had over sixty entries for Oars and Paws FUN Dog Show raising £420 for St Georges Chapel/Community Centre. This was the 7th year that the The Basin Oars Charity Rowing Team organised this event ably assisted by members of the Row4AReason Committee – and it is now a firm favourite on Heybridge Basin’s calendar. Two rings were set up, one for the ‘showing’ events, and another for the Agility Course. Rosettes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd, and Specials for best child handler.

The Agility Stakes is another timed event which causes amusement, especially when the owners negotiate the ‘tunnel’ along with their dogs. Our aim is for everyone to have fun and love their dog.

We were so pleased to have so many lovely dogs and competitors, and our judges certainly had a difficult task. There are two events where the judges can take a back seat, The Fastest Sausage Eater – an event run in pairs, against the clock. The owners have to eat a donut without licking their lips, then negotiate two jumps to get their dog to the sausage distributor (this must be the most dangerous job – our young assistant Cullan Frost kneeling down holding a sausage in each hand at arms length!) – as soon as the dog had consumed the sausage then the clock is stopped. And yes, Cullan did have ten fingers left at the end of this competition.

HM Prison Service were kind enough to demonstrate with two of their Drug Busting dogs, Ranger and Zac, passive and active drug searching techniques.

We would like to say a BIG thank you to all our helpers, broadcasters, judges, catering and the ‘biggest beefburgers in the world’ suppliers, and to the children that so willingly helped us. Also to Megan Tolfrey and her friends, who tirelessly found entrants for “How Many Dog Biscuits In the Jar” and ‘Name The Cuddly Dog” competitions.

The only down side was the lack of a public convenience, which MDC removed a month ago. We installed a loo tent and porta potti, but it wasn’t adequate. So if there is anyone out there that can assist us with a Portaloo for next year, please get in touch with us.

Our First Oars Quarterly Big Draw was held in The Jolly Sailor on Tuesday 27th March at 7.30pm. Many thanks to those who kindly pulled the numbers out of the bag and well done to those who won!! With over a hundred numbers sold, the amount being raised for the RNLI is increasing and so is the prize fund!