Off to a BAD Start
Bad AttitudeSeven Western Agility Beardies
or
"All in the Family"
Seven Western Agility Beardies Seven Agility Beardies competed in the AKC trial in Davis, California this weekend and did the crowd notice! "Has agility become a Beardie sport?" "Look at those Beardies!" "Can I get a Beardie?" Six of the seven earned at least one leg, three earned two and Sharon Prassa's Annie got her Open title!
Saturday 26 April 1997: What a stunning day for Pam Harris with a THREE GENERATION win at her first AKC event ever! Is this a first? She qualifed with BOTH of her beardies in Novice A. Grandma Tessa (Ch Glengarry's Twilight Fancy, CD, PT), 9 years old, took the course calmly and got a leg with a score of 85. Tessa's daughter Amber (Ch. Spindrift Pride of Glengarry, HC) had a clean run, score of 100, and took 4th place. She had the best Beardie score of the day under Pam's expert handling! Amber's son, Spiff (Ch. Chantilly's Look Before You Leap, HCT, JHD, NA, AD, NAC, NJC, FD, CGC, TT), was a dynamo as usual, finishing with a 95 on his first Open 24" run. Used to the more stringent NADAC rules, Iris, Spiff's owner, thought she had failed the course when Spiff zipped into the tunnel directly opposite the dog walk, instead of taking a jump. Nevertheless she ran the rest of the course "for the fun of it." When we told her Spiff had a 95 and a fourth place, she couldn't believe it. Spiff now has his first Open leg. Spiff is becoming something of an agility celebrity here in California, excelling in USDAA and NADAC as well as in AKC. Be sure to see him as the Cover Boy on the 1998 USDAA Calendar!
Sharon Prassa was really pleased to have finished the Open 20" title with Annie (Moonsong Klassical Legacy, CD. PT, JHD, OA). "Well, the beardie community can add one more Open Agility title to their repertoire...Annie did it! She took 4th with a score of 85 (For those of you unfamiliar with agility, that's the minimum score you can get and still qualify). How did she manage that?? She walked THE ENTIRE COURSE! What a way to get a title, eh? The poor thing had to stay at the vet's all day yesterday and wasn't quite up to herself today. I went with the thought that if she refused an obstacle, I'd call time and stop. The trooper didn't refuse a one...she just took her sweet time." Despite a sore paw (fox tail removed yesterday), Annie walked the whole course readily and was only 5 seconds over time. She had one course fault, stopping to look at Sharon after the first weave pole. Skyedance (Ch Melita Skyedance, HC, HCT, NA, OJC, CGC) ran the same Open 24" course as Spiff, also taking the tunnel out of turn, but he flew off the down contact of the dog walk and was eliminated. Jack was very disappointed when he found out! Caper (Skyedance Lord a-Leaping, HC, HCT, CGC) was magnificently under control, running the Novice B 20" course, despite the bicycles whizzing past. He had broken from Libby during the judge's briefing and Jack had to chase after him, to the amusement of many. Nevertheless, he ran a nearly perfect course, except for knocking the final plank in the broad jump. All in all, it was a very nice day for beardies and agility in Davis, CA.
Sharon Prassa, Amos and Annie
Libby Myers-Buhite, Skye and Caper
Sunday 27 April 1997: Skyedance was the first Beardie in, running the 24" Open course. When he stepped up to the starting line, the wind was blowing, the cross bars were falling, and the judge was calling for rubber bands! There knelt Jack with a very excited, eager Beardie who had to be kept in a state of controlled energy, actually more control than energy, and focused on Jack rather than on that inviting first jump! The whole circle of spectators was tense as Jack held on to Skye, softly whispering in Skye's ear his favorite song, "Happy Birthday, to you!" about the only thing powerful enough to hold his attention! After what seemed like an interminable wait, the cow bell rang and Skye was off like a flash over that jump but under enough control to execute an immediate 90 degree left turn into a tunnel, avoiding the temptation of a dog walk straight ahead of him. The whole Open course was planned with turns and call offs, a very challenging experience! Skye ran it with full Beardie vigor and beauty and truly deserved that second leg. When he finished flawlessly with the fastest speed in his class of fifteen, the suppressed ringside excitement exploded into roaring applause and hoorays! It was a first place perfectly run. Fortunately Pam Harris' friend Gail caught it all on tape! A thanks to Jean Richland who bred this exciting dog!
Spiff, Skye's cousin, (both are Choirboy grandsons) was the next Beardie in, also competing at 24" Open. With a nearly flawless course and placement yesterday, he had his own record to maintain. That he did in a highly competitive situation, earning a 95 and his second Open leg this weekend. Congratulations again to Iris Berry, his owner and handler, Spiff's breeder and co-owner, Pam Harris, and his co-owner and stud owner, Kathy Pavlich.
Our youngster Caper was the third Beardie Boy of the day, competing in Novice B. He also wowed the crowd, but as a clown! Though he began the course perfectly, when he didn't hear Jack's voice after he entered the tunnel, he popped back out again to see if he had got it right. When Jack put him back in, the course suddenly turned into, "Look, Dad, Look! I'm having fun!" If you're going to blow a course, you may as well do it in a BIG way. It doesn't hurt as much as a tipped bar on the final jump! The judge stopped us later to say that Caper will be a great agility dog.
Pam Harris and her Beardie Girls were back for Novice A. Having set the precedent yesterday of a THREE GENERATION win, could they do it again today!!!! Pam started out with Tessa, her nine year old veteran. This obedience Beardie turned agility Beardie had a great time running a fine course with a score of 90, earning Tessa's second Open leg of the weekend. Next, Shelby, Tessa's granddaughter (StCh, StIntCh Spindrift Best of Both Worlds), ran a course in 27 seconds under time with the drive of her brother Spiff! This Beardie is a girl to look out for! Jana Dozet, her owner/handler, did a superb job with her and kept her moving on a perfectly run course except for a skid over the table. Shelby earned her first Novice leg and a third place. Way to go, Shelby! Congratulations also to Pam Harris, her breeder and co-owner, and Beth Tilson, her stud owner. Not to be outdone, Amber, Tessa's daughter and Shelby and Spiff's mom, ran last but best of the Beardie Girls today! Under Pam Harris excellent handling, she aced the course with a perfect100 (two days in a row!) and came in 21 seconds under course time earning a second place. Way to go, Amber and Pam! This was Pam's first AKC agility trial ever and she had four winning beardies and a two day THREE GENERATION win! When we told the judge, Marquand Cheek, he offered to be in the family picture with: Grandmother Tessa and Pam-first and second Novice legs Mother Amber and Pam-first and second Novice legs Granddaughter Shelby and Jana-first Novice leg Grandson Spiff and Iris-first and second Open legs and Cousin Skyedance and Jack-second Open leg Our Beardies were a sensation today!
Libby Myers-Buhite and Jack Buhite
Skyedance, Caper, and Caprice, who loves agility HER way.