Super Retriever Series makes its debut at Nebraska State Fair

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - New attractions made their debut at the Nebraska State Fair, one of them including some talented canines. Super Retriever Series allows dogs to show off their aerial capabilities in a series of events.

The furry friends underwent challenges including how fast they could swim, along with how high and far they could jump. Super Retrievers have hosted a number of shows across large platforms like ESPN.

“We have our Super Fly which is our distance jump. It’s kind of like the Olympics of dog sports,” said James Birch, super dock organizer for Super Retriever Series. “We have our Super Vertical, which we hang a bumper over the pool at eight feet and we start out at a starting height of four feet, six inches and our Raider Run.”

The Raider Run times the pooches on how fast they can swim the pool from one end to the other.

The event has become quite a hit with Central Nebraskans.

“I think the crowd loves it,” Birch noted. “They can cheer for a dog that’s barely jumping off the dock versus a dog that’s going to jump 20 something feet. They’re going to cheer on a chihuahua just as much as a Great Dane. The crowd can walk up and not know anything about it and their just going to cheer for the dogs.”

The crowd showed out for the event and welcomed it with open arms.

“We’ve really enjoyed being here the crowds have been great,” Birch said. “Everybody’s been really supportive of it and really enjoyed watching. We had a few new dogs that’ve never been on a dock or even in clear water, that have come out and they’ve starting jumping really well. They were a little timid and shy at first and now they’re jumping.”

Birch noted the fairgrounds policy on not allowing dogs making it hard to get them into the fairgrounds. That is the main thing he would like to see improved next year for an event that was a big hit with the locals.

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