Nearly 1,300 dogs participated in the 2023 AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMOVE to show off their skills as America’s top Agility dogs. From March 16 through March 19, they competed at the Built Ford Tough Livestock Complex at Expo Square in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to become this year’s AKC National Agility Champions.
“What a thrilling competition we had this year,” says Carrie DeYoung, Director of Agility. “These canine athletes and their handlers are the best of the best and never cease to amaze us with their skills.”
Champions were announced in each of the six height divisions: 8″, 12″, 16″, 20″, 24″, and 24C”.
8″ Agility Champion
Gabby the Papillon
First and Fourth Place: Andrea Samuels with NAC GCH CH MACH6 Starstruck Oh My Word! MXS2 PAD MJC2 PJD OF (Gabby), Papillon, in first place, and CH MACH Hallmark’s Hrh Louis MXB MJS XF (Louis), Papillon, in fourth place.
Second Place: AGCH MACH29 Croswynd Making Mavericks MXB8 PDC MJC7 PJC MFS2 TQX T2B9 CA THDN CGC TKP (Maverick), Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and Jeremy Gerhard.
Third Place: So Cal’s Gayheart’s Little Keeper MX MXB MXJ MJB OF (Chelsea), Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and Janelle Julyan.
2023 AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMove, Tulsa, OK.
Call Name: Gabby
Registered Name: NAC GCH CH MACH6 Starstruck Oh My Word! MXS2 PAD MJC2 PJD OF
Breed: Papillon
Handler: Andrea Samuels
From: Cape Coral, Florida
Age: 7
Time: 35.718 seconds
12″ Agility Champion
Nimble the All-American Dog
First Place: MACH Breezy Blue’s Be Quick! MXB MJB XF (Nimble), All American Dog, and Cynthia Hornor.
Second Place: MACH Absolute Silver Hometown Hero MXB MJB (Coos), Poodle, and Laura Dolan.
Third Place: MACH Absolute Silver Malibu Paradise MXB MJB (Maui), Poodle, and Tammie Gigstad.
Fourth Place: MACH5 Safranne’s Have No Fear MXB2 PAD MJS2 PJS (Skye), Poodle, and Han Yu.
2023 AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMove, Tulsa, OK.
Call Name: Nimble
Registered Name: MACH Breezy Blue’s Be Quick! MXB MJB XF
Breed: All-American Dog
Handler: Cynthia Hornor
From: Ellicott City, Maryland
Age: 5
Time: 30.012 seconds
16″ Agility Champion
Vanish the Border Collie
First Place: Without A Trace MX MXJ (Vanish), Border Collie, and Emily Klarman.
Second Place: Devongem Fly High MX MXJ MJB NF (Liri), Border Collie, and Casey Keller.
Third Place: Cedar Raven Rocks My World MX MXB MXJ MJB PJD MXF T2B (Raven), Border Collie, and Mari Jo Reese.
Fourth Place: MACH4 High Tide’s Shape Up Or Ship Out MXB2 PAD MJG2 PJS MFG TQX T2B5 TKN (SeaYa), Border Collie, and Anne Hopkins.
2023 AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMove, Tulsa, OK.
Call Name: Vanish
Registered Name: Without A Trace MX MXJ
Breed: Border Collie
Handler: Emily Klarman
From: Machesney Park, Illinois
Age: 7
Time: 28.656 seconds
20″ Agility Champion
Wit the Border Collie
First Place: MACH Pride Creek’s Walk It Like I Talk It MXS MJB (Wit), Border Collie, and Perry DeWitt.
Second Place: MACH3 Hob Nob Classic Powerful Vim And Vigor MXG PAD MJG PJD T2B2 TKN (Vim), Border Collie, and Kim Terrill.
Third Place: Breezyblue’s Phoenix Force MX MXJ MJB (#1 Hottie), Border Collie, and Don St. Croix.
Fourth Place: MACH Rival’s The Right Time MXS MJB OF (Tempo), Border Collie, and Bonny Henning.
2023 AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMove, Tulsa, OK.
Call Name: Wit
Registered Name: MACH Pride Creek’s Walk It Like I Talk It MXS MJB
Breed: Border Collie
Handler: Perry DeWitt
From: Wyncote, Pennsylvania
Age: 6
Time: 30.003 seconds
24″ Agility Champion
Hogan the Weimaraner
First Place: MACH5 Regen’s He’s On The Dance Floor UD RN MXS2 PDS MJS2 PJD MFS TQX T2B4 ACT1 (Hogan), Weimaraner, and Steve Basson.
Second Place: MACH Belroyale’s Always Bet On Black RA MXS MJS T2B DS (Blade), Belgian Sheepdog, and Bob Nash.
Third Place: GCH CH MACH6 Lazydaze How’D Ewe Like My Darkside MXS2 MJS2 DM DSA (Howie), Border Collie, and Amber McCune.
Fourth Place: Deep Run Live Wire RN MX MXJ MJB MXF T2B SWE SCME SEM (Juice), Labrador Retriever, and Lydia Sharp.
2023 AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMove, Tulsa, OK.
Call Name: Hogan
Registered Name: MACH5 Regen’s He’s On The Dance Floor UD RN MXS2 PDS MJS2 PJD MFS TQX T2B4 ACT1
Breed: Weimaraner
Handler: Steve Basson
From: South Windsor, Connecticut
Age: 8
Time: 37.579 seconds
24C” Agility Champion
Typo the Border Collie
First Place: CH MACH6 Elachies Ewe Can’T Mistake My Darkside MXS2 PAD MJS2 PJD DE DM HDM (Typo), Border Collie, and Amber McCune.
Second Place: MACH Grand Oakes Maui Jim MJB (Maui Jim), Border Collie, and Melanie Rock.
Third Place: MACH2 Grand Oakes Foreign Fast And Furious PT MXS MJG PJD CGC (Wynn), Border Collie, and Michaela Krohn.
Fourth Place: MACH Game On Heartlight Hankerin’ For Somethin’ Special JH MXG MJS MFB T2B2 (Hank), Golden Retriever, and Vee Balma.
2023 AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMove, Tulsa, OK.
Call Name: Typo
Registered Name: CH MACH6 Elachies Ewe Can’T Mistake My Darkside MXS2 PAD MJS2 PJD DE DM HDM
Breed: Border Collie
Handler: Amber McCune
From: Bedford, New Hampshire
Age: 6
Time: 31.137 seconds
AKC Preferred National Agility Champions
AKC Preferred Agility is a great program for senior dogs or dogs that have suffered injuries. It allows dogs to jump at one height division lower than the regular course, as well as giving them five extra seconds to complete the course.
04′ – MACH10 PACH6 Kayangee Wishing Well Excuse My Dust MXG3 MJB4 MXP16 MXPS2 MJP17 MJPG2 PAX6 CGC (Zoom), Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and Antonia Rotelle.
08′ – MACH13 PACH Eaglehill-South Dreams Dancing With Stars MXC3 MJS4 MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX OF (Aleena), Poodle, and Paiboon Janlek.
12′ – Ignited Fire Burn And Cauldron Bubble RN MX MXB MXJ MJB MXP MJP MXF MFP SWN TKN (Jax), Border Collie, and Karena Kosco.
16′ – MACH Gameonrich Is Better MXB PAD MJB MJP (Rich), Border Collie, and Mia Grant.
20′ – PNAC MACH PACH Mack’s Strider MXB MJB MXP4 MXPB MJP4 MJPB PAX CA CGC (Strider), All American Dog, and Hayley Mack.
2023 AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMove, Tulsa, OK.
Below are this year’s Preferred Champions. The full results can be found at the AKC Companion Events page.
4″ Preferred Agility Champion: “Zoom” MACH10 PACH6 Kayangee Wishing Well Excuse My Dust MXG3 MJB4 MXP16 MXPS2 MJP17 MJPG2 PAX6 CGC, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, handled by Antonia Rotelle of Dover, Pennsylvania
First Place: MACH10 PACH6 Kayangee Wishing Well Excuse My Dust MXG3 MJB4 MXP16 MXPS2 MJP17 MJPG2 PAX6 CGC (Zoom), Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and Antonia Rotelle.
Second Place: MACH PACH Kameo Dawns Light’Em Up! MXB MJB MXP3 MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX (Teila), Poodle, and Sherry Speckels.
Third Place: PNAC GCH CH MACH3 PACH4 Starstruck Predict My Future MXG MJG PJD MXP11 MXPC MJP12 MJPB2 PAX4 BCAT (Fortune), Papillon, and Andrea Samuels.
Fourth Place: CH MACH2 PACH Aerilee’s Sparkling Treasure MXS MJG MXP4 MXPB MJP4 MJPB PAX T2B (Cadence), Papillon, and Julie Currier.
2023 AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMove, Tulsa, OK.
8″ Preferred Agility Champion: “Aleena” MACH13 PACH Eaglehill-South Dreams Dancing With Stars MXC3 MJS4 MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX OF, a Poodle, handled by Supavee/Paiboon Janlekha/Tanapipatkulchai of Chicago, Illinois
First Place: MACH13 PACH Eaglehill-South Dreams Dancing With Stars MXC3 MJS4 MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX OF (Aleena), Poodle, and Paiboon Janlek.
Second Place: Sonic’s Ultimate Synge MX MXJ MJP (Synge), Poodle, and Suzanne Wesley.
Third Place: PACH Diego KickFitz MXP4 MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX XFP TKN (Diego), Miniature American Shepherd, and Matthew Fitzgerald.
Fourth Place: NAC AGCH MACH6 PACH My-T-Hi Impossible Dream MXS2 PDS MJG2 PJS MXP3 MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX MFS TQX MFP T2B3 T2BP (Kaemon), Shetland Sheepdog, and Kory Kaye.
2023 AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMove, Tulsa, OK.
12″ Preferred Agility Champion: “Jax” Ignited Fire Burn And Cauldron Bubble RN MX MXB MXJ MJB MXP MJP MXF MFP SWN TKN, a Border Collie, handled by Karena Kosco of Poway, California
04′ – MACH10 PACH6 Kayangee Wishing Well Excuse My Dust MXG3 MJB4 MXP16 MXPS2 MJP17 MJPG2 PAX6 CGC (Zoom), Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and Antonia Rotelle.
08′ – MACH13 PACH Eaglehill-South Dreams Dancing With Stars MXC3 MJS4 MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX OF (Aleena), Poodle, and Paiboon Janlek.
12′ – Ignited Fire Burn And Cauldron Bubble RN MX MXB MXJ MJB MXP MJP MXF MFP SWN TKN (Jax), Border Collie, and Karena Kosco.
16′ – MACH Gameonrich Is Better MXB PAD MJB MJP (Rich), Border Collie, and Mia Grant.
20′ – PNAC MACH PACH Mack’s Strider MXB MJB MXP4 MXPB MJP4 MJPB PAX CA CGC (Strider), All American Dog, and Hayley Mack.
2023 AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMove, Tulsa, OK.
First Place: Ignited Fire Burn And Cauldron Bubble RN MX MXB MXJ MJB MXP MJP MXF MFP SWN TKN (Jax), Border Collie, and Karena Kosco.
Second Place: MACH2 The One And Only Mini Great Ape Joe MXS PAD MJG PJD MXP (Monkey Joe), All American Dog, and Naci Berkoz.
Third Place: PNAC MACH2 De Ja Vu MXS MJG MXP2 MJP2 XF (Vu), Border Collie, and Brenda Kelly.
Fourth Place: MACH PACH2 Scarlatti RN FDC MXB MJB MXP6 MXPS MJP7 MJPS PAX2 XF MFP TQXP T2B T2BP DS DJ CGCA CGCU TKE (Scarlatti), Australian Shepherd, and Lisa Sickles.
2023 AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMove, Tulsa, OK.
16″ Preferred Agility Champion: “Rich” MACH Gameonrich Is Better MXB PAD MJB MJP, a Border Collie, handled by Mia Grant of Goleta, California
First Place: MACH Gameonrich Is Better MXB PAD MJB MJP (Rich), Border Collie, and Mia Grant.
Second Place: MACH2 Holly’s Hope Goes Far MXG PAD MJG PJD MXP MFG TQX T2B3 (Fargo), Border Collie, and Kathy Wells.
Third Place: MACH PACH Hob Nob Black Bullet MXS MJG MXP3 MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX (Jet), Border Collie, and Michael Gully.
Fourth Place: MACH Whirlwind’s Ice Jam! MXB PAD MJB MXF CA BCAT SWN CGC TKA (Jelly), Border Collie, and Catherine Laria.
2023 AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMove, Tulsa, OK.
20″ Preferred Agility Champion: “Strider” PNAC MACH PACH Mack’s Strider MXB MJB MXP4 MXPB MJP4 MJPB PAX CA CGC, an All-American Dog, handled by Hayley Mack of Hesperia, California
First Place: PNAC MACH PACH Mack’s Strider MXB MJB MXP4 MXPB MJP4 MJPB PAX CA CGC (Strider), All American Dog, and Hayley Mack.
Second Place: AGCH MACH33 PACH2 Shambhu Source Of Joy MXG8 PDC MJC8 PJG MXP5 MXPS MJP6 MJPS PAX2 MFC TQX T2B6 CGC (Shambhu), Poodle, and Russell Thorpe.
Third Place: GCH CH PACH5 Curly’s One For Sparta BN RN SH MXP11 MXPC PADP MJP12 MJPC PAX5 OFP DS CGC TKN (Leonidas), Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and Thomas Martin.
Fourth Place: NAC GCH CH MACH5 PACH2 Shorelands Explosion On The Darkside CD BN MXS2 PAD MJS2 PJD MXPB MJPB PAX2 XF T2B DJ (Kaboom), Border Collie, and Amber McCune.
2023 AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMove, Tulsa, OK.
Want More?
On Monday, May 8, at 8 p.m. ET, viewers can tune in to ESPN2 to watch the AKC NAC finals, hosted by ESPN’s Phil Murphy, with play-by-play from sportscaster Carolyn Manno and analysis from Terry Simons.
You can also learn about the oldest dog who competed this year, as well as other canine competitors like Monkey the Lagotto Romagnolo, Streak the Poodle, Spice the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen, and Wushu the All-American Dog. You can also learn all about star handler Amber McCune, whose dog Typo won in the 24C” Division.
Getting Started in Agility
Any dog that is registered with the AKC can participate, including All-American dogs registered as Canine Partners.
A great first step to getting involved in agility is working toward your Agility Course Test (ACT) title. The ACT is an entry-level agility event designed to introduce beginner dogs and their handlers to the sport. Any dog that is at least 15 months old can participate, and the title can be earned virtually.