5 questions with : Diego Marchetti

this photo is a courtesy of Diego Marchetti

name: Diego Marchetti
sport: Discdog
country: Italy
www.disconnecteddog.com


Which division you prefer in discdog?
My favorite division I like to play most is Hyperflite/Skyhoundz. This is for Skyhoundz competitions are true "dog catch discs" contests, so you get scored also for Success (aka catch ratio). I personally found other divisions, like UFO or AWI, very spectacular to watch, but the frisbee freestyle skills of the handler is still more important than the dog ability to catch discs. Said that, I do think that every discdogger should try to play in competitions with different formats, Skyhoundz, UFO, AWI, USDDN or Judge 'n Play.

If you could change one rule in disc dog what would you change?
Well, more than changing a rule, I'd like to add a new one. During competitions I'd like people to get a bonus point whenever they're smiling. When I'm not disc-dogging I follow friends in other k9 competitions, form Agility to Obedience, from Rally-O to Dog Dance. What makes me sad is to look at those teams competing with such serious faces. Even the spectators will enjoy more the sport if the competitors are smiling.

Your expectations for 2011?
I'd like to see the Disc Dog become more popular in Italy. Me and some other friends, like Matteo Gaddoni, Nicola Ratti or Chiara Tomiazzo just to write few of them, even if in different ways, we have the same goal: spread the Disc Dog in our Country. I think it really doesn't matter who is promoting our sport… the important thing is to keep it safe and let the people have fun with their dogs. Make the people happy while playing with their 4-paws friends is the best reward we can have.

A sentence that comes often to your mind?
Have "phun" Jack!
This is a sentence that Mark Muir, one of the greatest discdogger, kept telling me during his 2 weeks stay in Italy. Like in all the k9 competitions, we may lose or we may win, but our dogs won't really care 'bout it. They just want to go out on the field and have fun with us. When I see my dog smiling, I forget about score and everything, I'm focused only to enjoy the moment with my buddy, because if my dog's happy, I already won.

One of the most beautiful moments of your career ?
Last year in Olen (Belgium), at my very first international competition, when I won the Hyperflite/Skyhoundz Disc Dog European Championship in freestyle novice class. I was a rookie and didn't expect to have such a great result. I just followed some advices that people like Peter Bloeme, Mark Muir or Julia Zimmermann taught me during their clinics; the same informations I'm sharing now with all the guys that want to start practicing Frisbee Dog in Italy.

video
introduction to the Discdog with Diego Marchetti at the Flying Dog center of Lucca(Italy)
by dimarchegmail