BAD Greetings!

1 May 2006

Happy Spring to all Beardie Agility Diehards!

On April 1, 2006, we celebrated our ninth anniversary of being BAD and are looking forward to our tenth anniversary celebration. On New Year's day we celebrated the eighth anniversary of our Website, which is dedicated to you and our Agile Beardies and will reflect your ideas and achievements. Already many of you are very involved and it is due to you that this organization exists and is flourishing. I look forward to receiving your letters about your weekend adventures and training insights, as well as more pictures of you and your Beardies.

First, a big Thank You! to Karen Norteman who suggested the Web Site, started it, and gave me many hours of technical assistance and training before transferring the site to me for the final touches and up-dating.

Thank You! to Gretchen Blackburn, who designed our BAD Logo and made our BAD T-shirts. It is truly an outstanding design, which won first place in the Professional Art Category at the '97 Specialty! As we wear our BAD shirts we feel a sense of unity and many attest to the luck it brings them in Agility (and Herding!) trials. It was great fun inaugurating them at the '97 Specialty and at the '97 AKC Nationals!

Special Thanks to Betty Winfield, Jerry Bergen, Glenn Hamilton and Emily Venator, who helped me in my pursuit of the NADAC and USDAA Beardies back in the Spring of1997 and inspired me to found BAD.

Thank You! to Sharon Prassa who supported me when I first started thinking about turning my new found connections with Agility Enthusiasts into a cohesive group of Diehards!

The 2005 Specialty Agility Trial, our 10th annual, was held on 28 September in Omaha, Nebraska and had our largest entry ever, with 73 entered and 69 participating.

The 2004 Specialty Agility Trial held on 29 September in Fort Collins, Colorado had 66 participants.

The 2003 Specialty Agility Trial held on 29 September in Asheville, North Carolina had 51 participants and received rave reviews!

The 2002 Specialty Agility Trial held on 30 September in Monterey, California had 59 participants and was all we could have hoped for!

The 2001 Specialty Agility Trial was beautifully organized by Beth Canner. All 51 had a great time!

We all have reason to thank Mazie Blanks, who does such an outstanding job with our Specialty Agility Casual Shots videos.

We are blessed not just with one BAD Artist, but with three! Thank you to John Wilkins of MacLean & Co for sharing his cartoons, which you will find on the Northern California Beardie Fanciers' page and on our BAD history page. He makes delightful stationery and shirts, so that we can stay BADly attired for every occasion!

Chet Jezierski has sent us a picture of Diehard Trophy print which you can see under BAD Goods.

I have also added a few designs of my own: Joie de Vivre and Weaving through the Aspens.

Thank You, too, to those of you,who wish to remain anonymous, who contributed well in excess of your membership dues! You are truly helping us in our Agility Publications!

My personal thanks, to my husband, Jack Buhite, whom you may remember as our '97 Specialty piper and course builder and the runner of two very fast Beardie boys at the '99 Specialty. He is the one who trains and handles Skye and Caper, inspires me in my BAD endeavors, bought me a MAC G4, a scanner, PhotoShop, and Page Mill, so that I can really give my all to this project. I look forward to many happy hours of learning!

As you explore our site, you will see that there are several categories:

Join the BAD Group will take you through the process of becoming a Member or joining the BeardieAgility E-mail list.

BAD News will keep you up to date with the latest Agility News, such as changes in AKC, USDAA, and NADAC policy. As of 1 January, each organization is implementing change with regard to Jump Heights and titling requirements.

How We Got to Be So BAD is our history, which tells how we got started and decided on our name.

BAD Handlers is our membership list.

BAD Dogs gives a list of all our Beardies doing agility and links to their personal pages.BAD Galleries lists our Beardies by geographical recgions and shows pictures of our Beardies in action.

Agility Beardies at the Rainbow Bridge has pictures and tributes to our Agility Beardies who were so dear to us.

BAD Things We've Done tells us about the activities of our Agility Beardies in AKC, USDAA, NADAC, CPE and UKC.

Beardie Agility Firsts lets us know about which Beardies were first in AKC, USDAA, NADAC, UKC, and CPE titling.

BAD at Beardie Events tells us about the activities of our Agility Beardies the BCCA and Regional Specialties.

BAD Things to Come gives links to National and Regional Agility Calendars.

BAD Honors tells about our most outstanding Agility Beardies. We look forward to creating awards, with your help, some serious, some funny. We especially want to create a BAD award which recognizes those Beardies which are truly outstanding across the board. With agility successes in seven North American Organizations, it is sometimes hard to get the overall picture.

Sarah Halsey's Wizard has 98.
Jack and Libby Buhite's Caper has 82 and Skyedance* has 32.
Karen Barratt's Jet has 80 and her Bud has 20.
Jerry Bergen's Breezy has 75.
Leslie Dawson North's Chase has 59 and her Kassi has 45.
Anne Kajava's Olav has 56.
Shiela Franklin's Bracey has 54.
Pat Coreris' Chipper has 49.
David Williamson's Harley has 46.
Linda Porter's Bailey has 42.
Amy Steltz's Bobby has 37.
Nancy May's Farley has 36.
Christiana Taylor's Jake has 34.
Jeff Ipser's Jax has 33.
Nikki Ryan's Smitten has 32 and Doodles has 27.
Patti Bott's Spice has 29.
Neil and Ruth Bryden's Talisker has 28 and Jura has 18.
Ann Chandoha's Arbi has 27.
Betty Winfield's Miss C has 27.
Joanne Williamson's Beau has 26, Rob has 22, and Sean* has 22.
Sonja Moore's Snuffy has 24 and Wally has 22.
Sharon Williamson's Brio has 24.
Jana Dozet's Star has 22.
Andrea Hobe's Barkley has 22.
Charles Gibson's Mikie* has 21.
Andrea Hobe's Barkley has 20.
Jan Norikane's Gina has 20.
Cheri Omnus Miller has 20.
Jill Scarborough's Jack has 20.
Barbara Stone's Colton has 20.
Ann Krafcheck's Tasha has 18.
Mary Lott's Patch and Harper both have 18.

*Rainbow Bridge

BAD Awards tells about the Annual Awards given to our BAD Members.

Bad Attitudes and Tales are full of our Agility poems, songs, funny moments, and weekend successes.

BAD Advice gives training tips from Nancy Gyes and Stuart Mah, world class competitors, as well as many of your questions and tips. We look forward to having more articles from Professional Trainers as well as your many discoveries and helpful hints, as we train our Beardies.

BAD Goods includes BAD Wear, such as Gretchen Blacburn's BAD T shirt and BAD Sweatshirt, my two designs-Joie de Vivre and Weaving through the Aspens, Chet's Performance Beardie Shirt, and links to John Wilkin's Website. You can order Mazie's a"MAZ"ing Video, Agility Magnets, and Agility Equipment.

BAD Links takes you to all the BAD places you want to go! I look forward to having more links to your Club Agility pages!

I have updated the BCCA Section of the Website:

BCCA Agility Committee tells about the current members on our Committee.