User:Maggie Gallop
From BCDS
[edit] Maggie Gallop
I am very pleased to be a member of the BCDS committee. Unlike other members I have not been involved with horses or dogs all my life! In fact I was a ‘cat person’ and had a wonderful Siamese for 18 years. My conversion began when husband Ron bought me a carriage driving lesson for my 53rd birthday. I was hooked. I bought my own horse and carriage as a retirement present. Steep learning curve! Ron said he wanted a dog for his retirement! Quite by accident I found the BCDS website and we discovered an activity we could enjoy together.
As if by magic, our first Dalmatian, Mr Darcy, appeared at the local vet’s to be ’put down’ by his owner. We could not allow that! In 2007, we competed at our first trials and he achieved his Bronze Carriage Dog Award. Three years later, he got Gold with 100% in his obedience tests.
As some say about children: ‘I only ever wanted one!’ We now have three rescued Dalmatians! And daughter Jenni has joined us in the family activity. She competes Miss Mollie as a Road Dog. Charlie Brown, our third rescue dog needed serious re-habilitation. He achieved Bronze Carriage Dog this year and, like Darcy and Mollie previously, was Best Rescue Dog.
Soon after joining the society I became editor of the Trailblazers newsletter – a great way to learn from others about training dogs and horses. I then took on the development of the DaliMiles programme. This not only promotes the endurance capabilities of the Dalmatian, it highlights the vital importance of sufficient exercise for the breed – something we take very seriously as owners.
Most of my life has been spent working in education: teaching including headship, and developing national curriculum, qualifications and approaches to assessment. This meant writing, editing, working with professionals, presenting at conferences and organising workshops. I am hoping some of these skills can be used to benefit the society in the future because I now have a fascinating ‘rest of my life’, thanks to the BCDS.
