Who are we?
I, Katie, stumbled upon my first barn hunt trial in winter 2019 , a trial hosted by this very club and Janet Oatney. Not knowing much about the sport, I quickly looked over the rule book before stepping into the instinct ring. Well, that went really well so I entered the novice ring... and that also went really well. My young Aussie, Flint, and I took home Rookie Ratter and the Super Ratter Novice award for that weekend, and the rest is history. Being so new to the dog sport scene I was absolutely sold on the community that barn hunt offers. Barn hunt was one of the few sports that was continued during lock down, as most facilities were outdoors for training, however few were close enough for me to easily practice. I had decided to apply for club status to bring the opportunity to my my community, but was denied due to the abundance of (dormant)clubs in the PNW area. Never discouraged I continued playing when I could and the thought crossed my mind that I should apply to be a judge and continue to support the sport this way. COVID did make it challenging to complete the extensive judging requirements and I continue to be in the works of becoming your next BHA judge. When Janet, former owner of River RAT, approached me in 2024 to take over her dormant club I jumped at the opportunity. Shelby, my best friend and dog sport support system, and I worked so hard to make this all a reality. Since acquiring the club in summer we successfully have hosted our first trial, clinic, classes, and drop ins within the first 6 months. I am up to my ears in rats, and can't wait to continue the healthy and solid lines of the RiverRat rattery. When we are not playing with rats, we compete in a variety of sports & venues. Our love of nature and living near the magnificent Columbia River was the nexus of our RiverRat name - join us on the river & get your Rat On!
