I would like to introduce you to our team of fantastic judges, although they do not really need introducing as we have all the same judges from the previous truffle festivals! But just in case you do not know who they are…
Stef Roulet
I will start with our leading Judge Stef Roulet who has had a fascinating past, highly regarded in the scent detection world not only as a trainer but an experienced judge. We are so appreciative to have you on board again for another year.
Stef has a background in dog training and canine nutrition. She first started scent detection with her old mixed breed dog. She really got into the world of detection training when she taught her second dog, an Alaskan Klee Kai, to identify gluten and gluten contamination in food, drinks, medicine, and cosmetics to aid her disabled coeliac sister. She is the first person to have trained (and remains the only) qualified Gluten Detection Team in the U.K.
She served on the board of ODOR Service Dogs for a time. Stef is one of the original founders of Detection Dog Trials, designing the competitions and running trials for many successful years before handing it over to her co-founder. Additionally, she assisted in the launch of Scent Ops, one of the most successful scentwork trials in the U.K.
Stef has trained dogs on many odours, including sports odours, nuts, migraines, tobacco, and cadaver. She then wanted a new challenge for her own dogs before settling on truffles. She highly values the ecological perspective of truffle hunting and has thoroughly enjoyed bringing together many different training styles to create a successful truffle hunting team comprised of three Alaskan Klee Kai, proving you don’t need a traditional breed to find those fantastic fungi.
Jules Clapham
Jules has and equestrian background having worked for high level event riders and run her own yard breaking and re training horses. She taught gundog classes, agility and pet obedience
Jules has previously competed at agility at KC G7 and UKA Champ. She is currently one of only six Accredited Instructors with the KC for competitive agility. Looking for something for her retired agility dogs to do she started with scentwork and is, along with a KC approved Agility Judge, a scentwork UK Level 4 Instructor, Decrion Dog trials judge and instructor and has started her own scentwork trials ScentOps which are growing in popularity in the UK. She teaches regular classes and workshops to all levels of dogs and all three of her own dogs make up team_truffle_hunter, a trio of two collies and a spaniel who regularly and successfully go wild truffle hunting.
Thank you Jules for being part of the team again and we look forward to having your expertise on the day again. truly grateful.
Hannah Greeno
Hannah works as a professional dog trainer and behaviourist. She has ran her own business, Canine Needs, for 14 years, servicing the pampered pouches of the rich and famous. She has exhibited at the Kennel Club Discover Dogs show, Judged for SuperDogs Live at the National Pet Show and The Truffle Festival, featured on Channel 4 and appeared as a TV Expert regularly on Sky News Live.
Hannah’s scent training journey began 13 years ago training rescues as Kadaver dogs, then in her business as a companion behaviourist/trainer introducing oils on lost items such as keys and slippers became a fun way to utilise our dogs advanced capabilities and ensure they stayed out of rescue centres.
Her own personal journey towards the Truffle, saw the addition to the family of her Beauceron who loves and she really means LOVES, hunting for Truffles, possibly because she gets so happy when he finds one (even if she has planted them herself!)
Beyond Hannah’s obsession with any restaurant offering fresh truffle dishes on their menu, Since her very first truffle hunt 8 years ago, she’s been captivated by such a productive example of the benefits of working together, human and dog, developing their relationship and communication skills in the field, or should we say forrest? Unearthing the real life treasures and bounties of nature as a reward for commitment to the team.
When asked to comment on the Truffle Festivities, this is what Hannah had to say
“The Great British Truffle Festival for me is a celebration of our human connection to the natural world, what can be achieved when species come together and seek the messages of nature. I sometimes feel isolated in my obsessions with gifts from the Forest, but seeing so many people come together to celebrate their shared appreciation of the Truffle was inspirational and I left with a renewed sense of community and restored faith in all that is good and natural.
I was extremely impressed with all the dogs in attendance, they surpassed my expectations in terms of manners, behaviour, thriving in a festival environment and their human counterparts respectfully managing their dogs brilliantly in a very public environment.”
Thank you Hannah for in fact bringing us all together and initially introducing Stef and Jules to the festival! We are so glad that you will be joining us for another year, gifting us with your knowledge and experience from the world of scentwork training and judging.
Helen Byrne
Helen, a Certified Gold Trick Dog Instructor and Trainer of the Year, with Kyra Sundance’s Do More With Your Dog since 2020. More recently in 2022, Helen completed The College of Scent Dogs, City & Guilds Assured Programme, gaining her CSD Scent Detection Dog Handler & Scent Detection Instructor credentials. Helen is extremely proud to be a CSD Ambassador. She is also an accredited Scentwork Trials Manager & Judge for SWUK, judge for Scent Ops and Nosework Games Organiser.
Helen & her teammate Nellie have had tremendous, proven success competing within many sports scentwork organisations at their highest levels, gaining wins, placings, and winning Championships. Currently competing at Level 9 (highest working level) within Scentwork UK. Winners of SWUK Dog of the Year in 2018 and went on to win the prestigious Clivertons Dog of the Year Award at ExCel in London in 2019.
Helen & Nellie are one of only two teams nationwide who have achieved Excellence in SWUK levels 1-8.
Helen has long had a fondness for training, studying, and achieving her Certificate in Training Practice in 2004 and managing her team of trainers within prestigious National Newspapers and well-known magazines. Helen combined her training skills, knowledge, and passion for scentwork and tricks, thus K9 Scent and Tricks School was born in 2022. Since then, she and Nellie have been captivated by the wonders of truffle hunting and continue to learn more about all thing’s truffle related. She is delighted to be part of the judging team for the second year running; wishing all the competitors much fun and luck on the day.
Finally thanking Helen yet again for another year, you are a great team member, your knowledge, experience and passion will be greatly received by all our contestants.
Stef @little.wolf.canine.services,
Jules @ https://www.instagram.com/team_truffle_hunter/
Hannah @canineneeds,
Helen @tilly_and_nellie.
