Blog

November 08
Scottsdale AZ Stellar wins 2008 USDAA Dog Agility Masters Team Tournament Championship

At the 2008 USDAA Cynosport World Games, Stellar and Linda, along with teammates Marcus Topps and Juice and Joel Lavalley and Marvel, won USDAA Dog Agility Masters Team Tournament Championship. With this win, Stellar helped both Juice and Marvel become “Triple Crown” winners which means they are among the elite few that have won all three USDAA Championship Tournament events. In addition, Stellar’s win marked the 5th time Linda has won the USDAA DAM Team Championship.

Awesome Paws handlers were a force to contend with in every Final this year! Congratulations all, including to Karen Holik and Sizzle who also became Triple Crown winners when they won the USDAA Grand Prix World Championship in the 16″ class.

November 08
Awesome Paws Agility Forum now online!

A new online forum has been added to the website. Everything you wanted to know about Awesome Paws! The following Boards are currently available, with more expected to be added in the future:

Awesome Paws Announcements
Awesome Paws Informal Discussion
Awesome Paws Handling System Discussion
Developing Jumping Skills

Click here to visit the Forum.

August 08
Illinois More superstar puppies born!

Sherry Kluever’s Ransom delivered a litter of healthy BC pups sired by Stellar. To follow the litter’s progress click here.

July 08
Dexter MI Super earns USDAA Master Agility Dog title.

Super qualified in Masters Pairs this weekend to complete his MAD in MI this weekend. Super makes the 8th dog Linda has handled to a MAD title.

June 08
Illinois

Sue Rolek’s Elan delivered this adorable, healthy male BC pup sired by Stellar.

June 08
Mt Gilead OH MACH 3 ADCH Spiffy May 1995 – June 2008

Sadly, Linda lost her Border Collie Spiffy on Sunday June 1st. Spiffy was the 1997 USDAA National Champion, having successfully negotiated Tim Laubach’s infamous Round 2 grand prix course that year. She was the first BC to earn a MACH and was a member of the 1999 AKC/USA World Team.

May 08
Congratulations to Karen Holik and Sizzle, Ann Braue and Scream, Carrie Jones and Jive, Dee Anna Gamel and Kelsi Joan Meyer and Neil and Joel Lavalley and Marvel for becoming members of the AKC/USA World Team that will compete at the 2008 FCI Agility World Championships in Finland in September. Congratulations also to Theresa Rector and her young dog Phoenix for being selected to the CKC/Canadian World Team.

May 08
Ingelmunster, Belgium

Congratulations to USA handlers that ran with awesome paws at the IFCS World Championships in Belgium! (Rachel Sanders and Fable, Mary Ellen Barry and Fizz, Anne Andrle and Ski, Dana Pike and Tangle).

For USDAA’s coverage of the event, click here.
For the IFCS WC website, click here.

May 08
Grove City OH Super earns Master Agility Championship

Super earned his 20th QQ to complete his MACH in OH this weekend.

May 08
Minneapolis MN Super wins spot on the AKC World Team

For the third time since the event began in 2000, Linda won the 2008 AKC World Team Tryouts. This year she won with Super, her 3rd dog to do so. Super was first in rds 1 & 3 and was 5th in rd 2 to be first overall for rds 1-3 and win the first spot onto the 2008 World Team. He earned enough placement points in those rds to place 3rd in the overall for rds 1-5. This will be the 10th time Linda has represented the AKC/USA World Team at the FCI Agility World Championships and this will be her 5th dog to do so.

Congratulations to all of the dogs and handlers that ran with awesome paws!

For video coverage of the entire event, click here. Support the USA/AKC World Team as they go for the gold in Finland by purchasing a World Team Tryout Total Access Pass & DVD. http://usaworldteam2008.agilityvideoservice.com/

For AKC’s coverage of the events and results, click here.

Super’s runs (Courtesy of www.agilityvision.com)
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3

March 08
Tulsa Oklahoma Stellar finishes 3rd in the AKC National Championships

For the fourth time Stellar placed in the top three in the Finals at the AKC National Championships. Super made his AKC Natls debut and was clean in two runs, placing 2nd in one of them. Congratulations to Ann Braue and Scream (3rd in 26″ ISC and 2nd in 26″), Daisy Peel and Jester (4th in 26″), Carrie Jones and Jive (4th in ISC & 1st in 24″), Frank Yang and The Flash (1st in 24″ ISC), Vicki Woods and Piper (2nd in 24″ Challenge Rd), Jenn Crank and Blaster (4th in 18″ ISC), Karen Holik and Sizzle (2nd in 16″). Joel Lavalley and Marvel (4th in 16″), Dee Anna Gamel and Kelsi (1st in 14″ ISC & 1st in 12″), Chris Frank and Boogie (3rd in 12″ ISC & 4th in 12″) and Susan Crank and Splash (2nd in 12″ ISC). Many more dogs and handlers that run with Awesome Paws had great performances!

Click here and here for a photo of Super at the AKC Natls, courtesy of the AKC website.

Grove City Ohio
Stellar earns his 180th QQ and his 9th Master Agility Championship (MACH9).

January 08
Linda’s new book Developing Jumping Skills is now available through Clean Run Productions!
Check it out

December 07
Stellar finishes his breed Championship
Stellar finished his conformation Championship with his 3^rd consecutive major in Cleveland, OH.  The following day, his first time out as a special, he was Best of Breed.

December 07  Long Beach CA
Stellar wins the 20″ division at the 2007 AKC Agility Invitational.

Stellar was behind by over 1 second cumulatively going into round 4 and had to make up that time to defeat the other Border Collies in the field and make the Finals. With nothing to lose Linda and Stellar gave it everything they had and won the round by ~1.4 seconds, earning a spot in the Finals. Smooth and clean in the Finals run, Stellar was 5/5 over the weekend and won the 20″ division, Top BC, and Top Herding Dog.

Awesome also qualified to compete but was unable to due to an injury. AP Betsey Lynch and Trouble were 5th in the 8″ class and Glenn Rawsky and Klondike were 6th in the 16″ class. Yvonne Mancino and Flare earned the Top Dobe award.  Click here for more info.

November 07 Columbus OH

Stellar edges closer to his breed championship

Stellar earned 8 points with a 3 point major in conformation putting him up to 10 points total. Super earned 1 point putting him at 3 total.

October 07 Hamar, Norway
Links:
AKC Coverage
USAgilityTeam Website

Linda and Stellar are members of the silver medal winning USA Large Dog Team at WC
Linda and Stellar on the course in Norway
USA Large Dog Team after receiving silver medals

Jennifer Crank and Guess after receiving bronze medal

Linda and Stellar along with Ann Braue and Spree and Carrie Jones and Jive won the team silver medal as members of the USA Large Dog Team at the 2007 FCI Agility World Championships in Norway. Stellar was 4/4 and, despite feeling a bit under the weather, he not only did his part to earn the team medal, he was 16th overall in the individual competition. AP Jenn Crank and Guess earned the bronze medal in the Medium Dog Individual competition. Overall Awesome Paws WT members achieved 21/24 clean runs, multiple top ten round placements, a team silver and individual bronze medals. To see a video the large dogs winning the silver medal click here.For more info on the event: http://www.agility-wc2007.no/