Being selected for one of the US World Agility Teams is considered the ultimate achievement by many in the agility world. Junior handlers who are 18 years old and younger have the same exciting opportunity.
This year’s European Open Junior (EOJ) Agility Championships will take place from July 13 to 15 in Roosendaal, Netherlands. For the second year in a row, Gabbi Kabakchieva and Scotty, an All-American Dog, have been selected as part of the US EOJ team. Gabbi and Scotty have been doing “really well lately,” she said.
Recently, Scotty (pictured above) earned the MX (Master Agility Excellent) and MXJ (Master Excellent Jumper) titles for a second time. Gabbi has focused on retraining Scotty for speed and accuracy, and “it seems that the retraining was a huge success,” she said. “He has improved his speed and has remained just as consistent as he was before.”
In addition, Scotty is helping to inspire Gabbi’s young dog, Kinder, a Mudi who is 1 ½ years old. Six-year-old Scotty and Gabbi have their sights set on the Westminster Master Agility Championship and the AKC National Agility Championships. Scotty is also working on his Master Bronze title and is about halfway to his AKC Master Agility Championship.