Few month of preparations, good dogs, lot of optimism, good will, myriad of warm wishes, support of Croatian Kennel Club, our main sponsor Masterfoods Pedigree, our friends and Club koleagues... It seems that everything is on the right place before the trip to mountain part of Switzerland.
Excelent last year's results (1st and 3d place individually and 1st place as a team) gave us favourable wind and we felt great.

Our team, when we compare it to the last year, had some changes. Ana with her Mona and me and Gunna were border collie part and Tibor with Mav, Tomislav and Tajga were golden retriever part. Goga went with us as a team leader. We started our trip at Saturday, 17th of July, in the morning ours. Monday and Tuesday should started with registrations and veterinary check and Wednesday with team trainings. Competition should start at Thursday.

So, full of initial enthusiasm we came at our destination: familiy ranch Plantahof in Landquart. At distance of 300m, there was a stadium.

We used Sunday for resting but also, for visiting near city Chur. All that part of Switzelrand where we have been, there's a mountains from left and right side as far as eye can see. Like in popular Heidi story. Compare it to the nature, we were unpleasantly surprised by Swiss expensiveness.

Part of Monday we spent of registrations which were at the stadium in big tent aprox. 20X60m. Immidiately after registrations we had a veterinary check. Veterinarian look over heart bit, throat, microchip and tetovier number, paws, temperature... In spite of lack of ambulance feeling, Gunna hasn't been cheated and didn't show any of happiness :-)
After, nice and sunny weather promises a good day.
Nobody couldn't dreamed of what will destiny prepare...

Till then, there were only few teams who didn't registrated yet. Besides all, also slovenians. We expected them with impatiance. We were looking forward with happiness that moment when we'll wind up for each other as we did at last year's Worldchampionship in France.

Few ours later, sky was full of dark clouds and rain shower with hail and with storm wind spread all over the locality. That nature can't be taken for granted we understood by black sky, curved trees and strong moaning which was going even through closed windows.
Only one hour later, sun shined like everything never happened. Only wet ground with hail-stones and few broken tree brench reminded us of storm. We knew nothing about the drama which took place in the tend...
Whatever, after the storm, we dicaded to go to the stadium. On half way to it, one man stopped us and informed us that team leader meeting will be earlier because off the accident. As soon as he came, he left off. Then, we saw a broken tend with broken construction. Around it, there was a lot of people in working clothes. We thought that they and policemen only trying to bring some order. Later, we came to know what really happened: somebody from Slovenia died. Incredulity on our faces and panicly searching of mobile phone couldn't describe all the feelings which flowed chaotic. We have trying to convince each other that that information is only broken telephone game and we're waiting for the answer. The answer was: Mojca. Mojca Plaznik...

And so, the sorrow knocked on the door that day...
What really happened, how and why?
Lot of questions went through our minds and tears just flow on our faces. This report was made three weeks later day by day because - it's hard to remind oneself of something which you wish that have never been happened. Let alone to describe and put all as letter on the paper.
At the team leaders meeting, Goga found out that Championship still has to be but it will be dedicated to Mojca. All ceremonies are canceled.
That night, with all that messed up feelings and asking ourselves should we stay or should we go, we went to hotel to meet with slovenians.
There, we found out what really happened. After they arrived, they immediately went to registrate. Suddenly, storm came and the organizer tried to close the tend doors one opposite to another. They closed one door but then the wind burst into another door, got up the tend, broke construction and crashed it into the ground. On fortunately, Mojca stood right there and one of the construction sticks momentariliy killed her. Next few moments, place of demolished tend started to be the place of rescuing. The dogs who were near by are released to find some other possible victims...

It was very hard to sit with friends and koleagues who went through all of that. We talked trying to give some normal note to the evening but thought of Mojca always came back. After talk and hugging, we felt little easier because sorrow always connect human hearts with new strenght.
They left next morning and from that moment nothing seems to be right.
It's not that we didn't try to be good or the best, but we lost initial impuls. Priorities are strange things. In one life moment you realize that nothing, I mean nothing, isn't more important than the life itself.

In Tuesday was starting number drawings. Before drawings, all participants stayed and took a minute of silence in memory to Mojca. Striken slovenian flag with black ribbon also gave a memory. Organizer bring a little black ribbons for sleeve for all participants which our team wear through all events in Swiss.
We all draw good mornings numbers, at least we thought we did. As time went by, it has been shown that the best numbers are that in the afternoon: only when the air was warm enough, thermics would make the winds. So, the wind appeared every day but only after 11 am.

Wood was very nice and enough hard for the Wolrdchampionship. It took place about 15km away from Landquart in Trimmis. It was mixed forest of middle density with uphill from left and downhill from right side. The dogs must show an excelent physical condition, less 'cause of uphills/downhills and more 'cause of many of hollows. Dogs must climb and come down all the time through that hollows and scent stayed on the bottom most of time, especially if there wasn't a wind. So, they must show great independance because handlers couldn't direct them because they didn't be able to see them cause of density. Near the road (handlers walked on the road and direct dogs 50m to the left and 50m to the right) were big accumulations of tree sticks. As we saw it later, sometimes in this accumulations were figurants and you could walk, have it near by and don't see it. It was a chalenge because dogs could easiliy missed figurants hidden in accumulations, especialy dogs who going very far from handlers. The terrain measures was standard: 300X100 meters. Alongside the rode were tablets with every 50 meters which was great idea because handlers doesn't have to memory the distance they walked. Three persons were hidden and must be found in 20 minutes. That combination was very hard because handler must walk pretty fast and risk a little. Also, dog must be very quick and selfconfident. Every dog could be watched although at the start at the competition the organizer didn't know what he'll allowed. During searching one of candidates, HUOPP koleagues, organizer didn't allowed the trainer to watch which was a big oversight when we compare it to others who could watch. Such events are great oportunity for watch other people and for learning other methods.

Gunna searched very motivated, independently and very fast. She showed all her qualities. Not to break a tradition, she found first figurant for about 400 meters far away and I had a heart attack from running :-) Not to mention that second figurant was 20 meters from this one and she found him immediately after the first so I run again.
But, at the start I made a big mistake. First, I send her to left side and when she came out 30 meters from the start not finding anyone, I send her from that spot to the right side. She obey and ran into the wood and went further. As I saw later, first figurant was in that first right 30 meters which I missed because of my bad handling maneouver. I payed that very hard and didn't qualified :-(
I'm sorry most because of Gunna: she did the best of herselve and worked very good all the time...
That fact also saw the judge and gave us 139 points which is the max. for two figurants.
In obedience we weren't so good and took 38/50 points while dexterity was better: 44/50.

This year, nobody of us hadn't luck...

During competition, in Thursday, was IRO delegate meeting and Goga and me participate it. One delegate who I knew from Bogota, Engels, told me one news: in 2011 the Worldchampionship will be in Bogota!

The judge at obedience was Christine Geritzer and at the dexterity was Astrid Laner. They both were very rigid but same for all. At area searching was Pavel Sabacky, very likable judge with whome we had a nice chat. It's interesting: he's a double winning worldchampion in area search with his former dog Airedale Terrier.
Every competitor had one discipline per day which was very optimal.

At Saturday was organized special dinner. We sit at the same table with french people who showed to be very likable, friendly and interesting. They showed to us a same hospitable as they showed it last year at 11th Worldchampionship in France. They called us to training weekend near Paris in November :-)
I can imagine that Worldchampionship organization is very hard thing but we stayed amazed with few details. For special dinner we got tickets but our team leaders didn't get it.?! The ticket could be bought for 26 Euros. We were little angry because we think that team leader is the part of team and has an equal rights.

Second detail was at closing ceremony which was at the stadium during sun heat. Nowhere wasn't any of water for dogs who were dying from the sun for about two hours. We called in memory last year in France where firemen watered concrete with big water pipes and provide to the dogs water boils all three hours during the ceremony.
Anyway, SAR work is, before all, humane work and nobody mustn't forget it, even it's only become competing.
Also, we didn't understand why dexterity and obedience is at the same time for some candidates. In that way, some candidates at dexterity have gunshot and some are not (gunshot shyness is only in the obedince). I believe that time scheduale can be arrange without simillarity of dexterity and obedience.
But, there was also a good stuff. Stadium was very well prepared, grass was excelente which is very important during aport excercise. Time scheduale was very precise. Grandstand was secured and near the stadium the food was served at very acceptable prices. Also, the army had a stand where they showed us some technical interestings.

Very nice gesture from organizer was mass for Mojca which was at Friday at 7 pm in nearest church. We all walked to the church in long file where everyone had hisown thoughts. Mass reminded us of only one true value in life and that is the life by its own. The church was surrounded by many of people who listened charizmatic priest Brent Fisher. An immense number of his word conect to comfort sentences pour out into another and entering into us like healing comfort: " (...) Place and time are only dimensions into which our earth life is entering going by its way. It is the place and time which are taken away by death. (...) "
But, what's really important is soul. I believe that the soul never die and that it changes only dimension and level of being.

For that, dear Mojca, while we don't meet at soem other crossroad where we'll continue by new or maybe the same road, let love be your partner all that time, because - love is our soul and the reason why we exist.