| 
2. COL: What accomplishment are you most proud of?
Shelley Bergstraser: Oh boy, there are so many, but my little "Karma" has been my dream dog. She and I have learned a lot together about competing. I think she could have gone further if I had been a better trainer/handler when she was younger, but our younger dogs will benefit greatly from what I've learned with her. She is CH Wild Wind's Just One Look UDX2, HSAs, OA, OAJ, RN, ASCA CDX, VX. The day we got her last leg on her first UDX was a day I'll never forget. She was the third UDX collie and the first champion UDX2 collie. The other one is our CH Wild Wind's Dressed to Kill CDX, HT, AX, AXJ, RA, VX. "Kiss" has been a top special, even as a veteran -- she is 8-1/2 years old. This year she finished her CDX and her AX; She is working on her MXJ and MX and is about ready to compete for her UD. I have a lot of special times with dogs, but, with Kiss and Karma reaching the levels they have, these are, at the moment, the most memorable for me.
Beth Elliot: Wow, tough to pick just one. My top ones are probably the CCA in Virginia Beach where my two dogs earned High in Trial (Teine) and High Combined (Pooka); getting my youngest, Ravin', to like agility again after a serious fall off a full-height 4-foot dog walk; Strider being my first Most
Versatile Collie qualifier in La Crosse, qualifying at least once in all four of the events he was entered in.
Carol Dunton: I am proud of each accomplishment with each dog in each venue. Each dog poses its own specific set of strengths and its own set of challenges and each dog has its own favorite venue or venues. I find great satisfaction in celebrating the achievements with each dog, gearing their training to optimize their strengths, working toward strengthening their weaknesses, and, in the end, celebrating when it all comes together whether that time is in practice or in a trial. I would have to say that some of my proudest moments have been when my dog and I have struggled with something, and after training that problem area we successfully conquer the challenge.
Dr. Deanna Levenhagen: In the past year, I earned a MACH with my older collie (Hayden). Although that was a very special moment for me, Hayden didn’t know the difference. To her, it was no different than the hundreds of other agility runs we’ve done (except for the weird celebration lap around the ring at the end). Even though I’m proud of that title (and others), in the long run, it really hasn’t been about any one title. I’m most proud of the relationship that I have with my dogs. When it all comes down to it in the end, it won’t be about a title. If it were about the title, then years of work might be defined by a single 40 second agility run and it would be over and done in a flash. Rather, it is about the journey getting there and all the memories I have of the times I spent with my dogs.Ultimately, despite how special that title (or any title) might have been, I think most of us would give up even the highest of titles for another day, week, month, or year with our dogs.
Sue Larson: Wow, that's hard to come up with after 40 years of showing. I guess
there are a couple of things I'm really proud of. One is being breeder, owner, handler of all-breed BIS winning Ch. Trailwind's Bright 'N Breezy, UDT, the only BIS winning CH UDT collie in the history of the breed. As far as just performance accomplishments, I'd have to say passing a really difficult TDX test (at a place I'd never trained) with Trailwind's High Country, CDX, TDX, HS, MX, MXJ. The
excitement I felt when he found the final article was as good as Wink's BIS. And then, of course, there's taking "Bright" to her MACH.
Vicki Loucks: Putting my first MX, MXJ on the dogs and the AX, AXJ on my second BIS
dog. BIS/BISS Ch Kayloma's I'm Just a Lil Dear CDX NA NAJ CGC Sch B AD,
"Bambi," winning the Open A class towards her CDX.
Jan Shields: A collie bitch I bred became CH and OTCH Northshields Windfire TDX, PT, VCX. She was the second dog of any breed to earn all these titles. This was before agility, rally or VST. She earned the best all round collie at the Collie Club of America in l989 and earned High in Trial in obedience and herding at the national as well.
Marilyn Clayton: Hmmmm. That's a tough one. The OTCh on my first dog was pretty exciting;
Zeph's BISS was a real thrill, but then so was his herding High In Trial awards earlier this year. Herding is something that came very naturally to Zephyr but has been very difficult for me. I never considered we could be contenders for a HIT, let alone earn two HIT (Arena) and one RHIT
(StockDog) in one weekend amidst such experienced handlers and good dogs. That truly was an unexpected thrill.
> go to Question #3
> Back to Question #1 |
