Agility Trophies - 2007 Sponsors and 2006 Winners
The NCBCF has had twelve very successful Agility years. Since Iris Berry's Spiff, Ch Chantilly Look Before You Leap, first set paw to an agility course in 1995, 50 of our Beardies have competed, earning 696 agility titles in five of the American Agility organizations. We have 47/364 (13%) AKC Beardies, 31/145 (21%) NADAC Beardies, 18/ 85 (21%) USDAA Beardies, 13/30 (43%) CPE Beardies, and 1/23 (4%) UKC Beardies. Of the 78 Versatility Excellent Beardies in the country, 14 (18%) belong to the NCBCF.
In the early 1990's we held two informal introductions to agility and in 1996 we held our first all day workshop with Nancy Gyes and Jim Basic of Power Paws Agility. By that time Sharon Prassa's Annie, Moonsong Klassical Legacy, and Jack Buhite's Skye, Ch Melita Skyedance, had joined Spiff in competition.
In 1997 I was appointed Agility Chair and set up our first Agility Committee. On August 9, 1997 we held a workshop in preparation for the BCCA National Specialty and a Sanctioned "A" Agility Trial, also with Nancy Gyes, and on September 4, 1997 we received AKC licensing for Agility.
In 1998 we had a successful Intermediate/ Advanced workshop with Nancy Gyes and Jim Basic and a very well attended Beginning/ Intermediate Workshop with Kathie Leggett of Touch and Go Agility. Both Nancy and Kathie were invited by the AKC to represent the USA on the World Team. Kathie's Mini Team brought home the Gold in 1998 and Nancy's Open Team brought home the Gold in 2001! Both were USA firsts.
In 1999 we had our Annual Introduction to Agility at Starfleet with Bruce and Marj Vincent, both NADAC judges. The experience was so fine that we have held three of our Annual "Bounce-Ins" at their outstanding Elk Grove Starfleet facility.
On March 9, 2001, we had our First Regional Specialty Agility Trial hosted and judged by Nancy Gyes. Twenty eight Beardies entered from six different states and volunteers from all over the West Coast came to help. The High in Trial Standard went to Tammy Domico's Sparkee and the High in Trial Jumpers with Weaves went to Jack Buhite's Caper. In all ten Beardies qualified.
In October 2001, Sharon Prassa and I travelled to Maryland for the BCCA Nationals. Sharon's Zoot took first place in the Novice B Jumpers with Weaves class and I had the fun of judging the Beardie Relay Teams!
On April 19, 2002, we held our Second Regional Specialty Agility Trial at Jump Start Agility Center in Vacaville with Candy Gaiser as judge. Sharon Baker's Pearl took High in Trial for Standard Agility and Sarah Halsey's Wizard took High in Trial for Jumpers with Weaves.
On August 25, 2002, we greatly enjoyed an "Every Beardie Agility Fun Day" planned by Pat Coreris and held at Shamrock Park in Pacifica. Tammy Domico, an NCBCF/ BCCA member and AKC/ USDAA/ NADAC judge, gave an introduction to agility for those Beardies who had never been on agility equipment. Tammy and Jack Buhite then took turns judging the trial level Beardies in courses they designed for relays and Strategic Pairs, the agility game held at the 2002 National Specialty in Monterey. We enjoyed ourselves so much that in August of 2003 we repeated our every Beardie Agility Fun day with Pat Coreris and Jack Buhite planning the introduction, courses, and games.
On April 18, 2003, we held our Third Regional Specialty Agility Trial at Hall Park in Dixon with Ann McQuillen as judge. Sarah Halsey's Wizard took High in Trial for both Standard Agility and Jumpers with Weaves.
On April 15, 2004 we held our Fourth Regional Specialty Agility Trial at the Dixon May Fairgrounds with Kera Holm as judge. Jana Dozet's Star took High in Trial for Standard and Jack Buhite's Caper took High for Jumpers with Weaves.
On April 21, 2005, we held our Fifth Regional Specialty Agility Trial at the Dixon May Fairgrounds with Pam Richcreek as judge. Jana Dozet's Star took High in Trial for Standard, the second year running, and Kathy Haas' Godiva took High for Jumpers with Weaves.
On April 20 2006, we held our Sixth Regional Specialty Agility Trial at the Dixon May Fairgrounds with Cindy Macklin as judge. Jack Buhite's Caper took High in Trial for Standard and High for Jumpers with Weaves.
Sarah and Wizard participated in 2001, Pat Coreris and Chipper in 2002, and Wizard, Chipper, and Sharon Williamson's Brio in 2003. Our very own Tammy Domico judged the top dogs in the country in the final "National Championship" rounds in 2002. It was great fun watching her on Animal Planet.
Anne and Olav participated all three years and on 9 September 2000, were among the finalists in Del Mar, CA, where Olav placed 11th out of 110 in three separate competitions: the Grand Prix, Open Jumpers, and "In and Out." Sharon Prassa and Annie participated in 2000. Sarah participated with Wizard in 2001. Sharon Williamson and Brio participated in 2000 and 2001. All who participated in 2001 made it through the first semi-finals round.
In 2004 two of our Beardies qualified for
the CPE Nationals:
Jana Dozet's Star and Jack Buhite's Caper starred and capered at the 2004 CPE
Nationals held in Elk Grove, CA. Star
took High in her 16" Standard Class over four rounds and
Caper finished his level three title.
Caper also qualified and attended in 2006.
In 2006 several of our Beardies qualilfied for the Nationals: Sarah Halsey's Wizard qualified for the AKC Nationals and is #1 in the AKC invitational, which she attended. Jack Buhite's Caper qualified for the USDAA, the NADAC, and the CPE Nationals. He attended CPE nationals. Sharon Williamson's Brio also qualified for USDAA and attended.
We are especially proud of our three Senior handlers (over 70), Charlie Banfield, Iris Berry, and Mary Edner.
We are also proud of our many Versatility Beardies, especially Sharon Prassa's Annie and Zoot, Pam Harris' Amber, Picard, and Jodie, Beth White's Mirage, Jack and Libby Buhite's Skyedance and Caper, Kathy Pavlich's Fallon, Pat Coreris' Chipper and Bingo, Mary Edner's Trouble, Jana Dozet's Star, and Molly McNamara's Max, our fourteen Versatility Excellent Beardies.
Sarah's Wizard was the third Beardie to earn the ADCH, the third to earn the MACH, and the first to have earned BOTH Agility Championship titles. Wizard is also the first Beardie to have earned all three of the BCCA's top AKC Agility Awards in the same year! At the 2002 National Specialty in Monterey, besides winning HIT for JWW and first place in the Pairs Relay, he received the Denia Award for Standard Agility, the High in Jumpers with Weaves Trophy in Honor of Mirage for JWW, and the Diehard Trophy for being the top Beardie in the Country. He also received the Diehard and Jumpers trophies in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.and has been recognized by the AKC as the top agility Beardie five years running! Wizard earned his MACH5 on 3 September 2005 and his MACH6 on 1 January 2007.
9/13/05
<< A huge CONGRATULATIONS to Pat and Chipper. They have worked very hard and not given up and finally added MACH to many other titles. I am extremely proud of you both for being such a versatile team!.
Who would have thought that when you and your three daughters came to pick up a little 8 week old brown boy that you would accomplish so much in the next 11 yrs.
So Pat, what's next. I hear you are going to do some more herding, finish his RA , start over in Preferred and ???
I know you will have a great time!
Pam Harris
Spindrift >>
