Congratulations to the first and second All-American Dogs to become AKC Rally® Champions: RACH Chloe Wild Child UDX OM1 BN VER RM3 RAE3 SWN SCNE SCA SIA SEA THD CGC TKA owned by Nancy C. Nelson of Manorville, NY, and RACH Maxwell Ferguson Mullen Awtrey CD BN RM4 RAE3 FDC CGCA CGCU TKN owned by Barb and Robert Awtrey of Ellicott City, MD!
To earn the prestigious RACH, dogs must achieve a minimum of 300 championship points from the Excellent B and Master classes, and 20 triple qualifying scores obtained from the Advanced B, Excellent B, and Master Classes.
The first All-American Dog to earn the RACH:
RACH Chloe Wild Child UDX OM1 BN VER RM3 RAE3 SWN SCNE SCA SIA SEA THD CGC TKA owned by Nancy C. Nelson of Manorville, NY
Chloe (pictured at top) was rescued from a kill shelter as a puppy. “When I adopted her, she was 6 months old and her rescue foster mom told me that Chloe wanted a job,” Nancy said. “Look at all those titles – her rescue mom was right!”
“Chloe is an amazing, intelligent dog who loves the challenge of new things to do. The first time we tried those side by side circles in Rally Master, she looked at me and said, ‘Huh?’ But in no time at all and with a little food lure in practice, she said ‘I got this!’ We love doing them – it’s like we are dancing together.”
Nancy added that Chloe is quite the entertaining character when it comes to training and trialing. “She always works with that sparkle in her eye, so I never know what she may surprise me with! Every time we pass that finish sign, her head goes up high and her ‘woo woo woo’ starts – and the more the judge, stewards, or spectators chuckle, the more she’ll ‘woo woo woo.’ She is just telling them she knows she is done, and a jackpot is waiting back at the crate.
“Chloe, you have given me so much besides all those titles… you’ve taught me to relax, enjoy the ride and be in the moment. Chloe, you are my joy and my treasure.”
Chloe earned her RACH on July 20, 2018, at the Susque-Nango Kennel Club trial in Binghamton, NY, under Judge Elizabeth Elvidge.
The second All-American Dog to earn the RACH:
RACH Maxwell Ferguson Mullen Awtrey CD BN RM4 RAE3 FDC CGCA CGCU TKN owned by Barb and Robert Awtrey of Ellicott City, MD
Maxwell Ferguson Mullen Awtrey earned the RACH on Nov. 29, 2018, at the Catoctin Kennel Club trial in Point of Rocks, MD. At that same trial, he also earned his Rally Master 4 and his Rally Advanced Excellent 3 titles. Additionally, Max achieved eligibility to compete at the Champion level at the 2019 Rally National Championships.
Max was born in the wild in Montgomery County, MD, in 2014 to a feral mother, Fergie. At the age of 2 ½ weeks, Max and his six brothers and sisters started escaping from the den, and a rescue group removed the litter to a foster home. For the next few weeks, the puppies were bottle fed, almost around the clock, and they flourished under the love and care of a fabulous family. “From the very beginning it was obvious that Max was a very special talented pup with a tremendous sense of humor,” Barb said.
Every week Max continues to train in obedience and rally while also acting as the demonstration dog for beginner classes. He will soon take an Introduction to Agility class and continue to compete for additional RACH titles as he pursues his CDX title in Obedience.