Nearly 1,000 of the Nation’s Most Athletic Dogs Competed for Top Honors
Eleven new AKC® National Agility Champions were crowned yesterday at the 2010 AKC National Agility Championship sponsored by LubriSyn CA and J&J Dog Supplies, held March 26-28 in Tulsa, Okla. The American Kennel Club® event brought together nearly 1,000 dogs from across the country to compete for the titles of AKC National Agility Champion and AKC Preferred National Agility Champion. One dog and handler team was crowned in each jump height category in both the regular and preferred competitions.
The AKC National Agility Championship demonstrates the highest level of training and teamwork between dog and handler and is the culmination of thousands of trials held throughout the year. Dogs had to qualify at the highest levels of competition in order to compete.
“We are pleased to congratulate the 2010 National Agility Championship winners,” said Andy Hartman, AKC Director of Agility. “Bringing this event back to Tulsa was a thrill and we enjoyed the hospitality of the city and its spectators who cheered on our competitors, creating a contagious enthusiasm that helped the dog and handler teams perform at the top of their game.”
Agility events allow dogs to demonstrate their athleticism and versatility by racing against the clock and overcoming a challenging course of different obstacles. Success requires proper training, as it is a sport of physical skill, control, patience and – most importantly – teamwork between handler and dog.
Winners of the regular AKC National Agility Championship now have the title “NAC” as a prefix to their AKC names. Placing first in their height division (8″, 12″, 16″, 20″, 24″ and 26″ respectively) were:
AKC National Agility Champions
- 8″ – NAC MACH3 Rosen Hill’s Blink Of An Eye (Toy Fox Terrier) owned by Johanna Ammentorp of Menomonee Falls, Wis.
- 12″ – NAC MACH4 Plail’s Few And Far Between, CDX, RN, PT, MXF (Shetland Sheepdog) owned by Marcy Mantell of Foster City, Calif.
- 16″ – NAC MACH3 Dylan, MXF, TQX (Rat Terrier) owned by Angie Benacquisto of Macomb Twp, Mich.
- 20″ – NAC Drifter, MX, MXJ (Border Collie) owned by Rosanne Demascio of Gilbertsville, Pa.
- 24″ – NAC MACH Peteswickedale, OF (Border Collie) owned by Jackie Bludworth of Clear Lake Shores, Texas
- 26″ – NAC Super Sun, MX, MXJ, OF (Border Collie) owned by Daisy Peel of Sumner, Wash.
In addition, the first Preferred National Agility Championship was added to this year’s event. The top dog in each preferred jump height – 4″, 8″, 12″, 16″ and 20″ won the title Preferred National Agility Champion of 2010. Dogs entered in the preferred competition jump at a lower height and have more time to complete the course than in the regular agility competition. Winners of the AKC Preferred National Agility Championship now have the title “PNAC” as a prefix to their AKC names.
AKC Preferred National Agility Champions
- 4″ – PNAC MACH Sassafras Of Diamond Dream, CDX, RN, PAX, MXP2, MJP3 (Toy Poodle) owned by Curtis Lewis DVM & Nancy Lewis of Ojai, Calif.
- 8″ – PNAC MACH Breezeway’s Blame It On Milly, PT, MXP2, MJP4, PAX, NF (Shetland Sheepdog) owned by Gayle Anderson of San Marcos, Calif.
- 12″ – PNAC Roxy, OA, OAJ, MXP2, MJP2, NF, XFP (Border Collie) owned by Megan Magnant of Midwest City, Okla.
- 16″ – PNAC MACH2 Old West New Kid In Town, MXP, MJP, OF (Australian Shepherd) owned by Naci Berkoz of Tarzana, Calif.
- 20″ – PNAC Peak’s Big Rig, MX, MXJ, MXP, MJP (Border Collie) owned by Elizabeth Armstrong of McKinney, Texas
For more information on AKC events, including photos and additional results, visit www.akc.org