The spotlight shines on a special team composed of all Junior Handlers and Australian Shepherds – the Wiggle Butt Crew. The team, which competes in Regulation Senior, is based at Ashley’s Dog Sports in Jacksonville, FL. Dog trainer and mother Ashley Escobar coaches this cute and talented bunch. She tells us more about the team and the importance of mentoring youth in the sport.
How was a team composed of only junior handlers?
My kids both run agility and participate in the league. I have a large group of juniors that I coach, I thought it would be fun to have them all on one team and all the adults on another team.
How did it happen that they are all the same breed?
My personal breeds that I compete in agility with are Australian Shepherds and Border Collies. I participate in our breed specialty club for Aussies so I tend to have a large group of Aussies participating with me at all times. I loved that my entire junior team is also running with Aussies and was excited to compose a team with just that breed and juniors.
How does the League benefit juniors getting started in agility?
The league really gives the juniors a sense of responsibility and camaraderie. They look forward to attending league night and cheering each other on. They help each other strategize for handling options, and getting to participate in an adult-dominated sport with their peers is something special.
It is so important to support the juniors of this sport. The juniors are literally the future of all dog sports, and they bring such positivity and joy to the field on training nights and competitions. As a coach, I have the opportunity to be a part of these young junior’s dog sports related journeys. The accountability that working with dog sports renders to our youth is priceless.
Team Members and What They Like Best About League:
Maddie, 15, & Moon – The league lets me practice without the pressure of having a judge present. I can learn and do the most fun thing ever.
Scarlett, 8, & Māui – I am learning to drive my dog better because we can run a full course every other week. He is a fast dog and not easy to run. We have improved as a team through the league.
Selah, 12, & Shula – I like running in the league because I get to push my handling, and Mrs. Ashley gets to tell me to run faster. It allows me to practice my skills and grow as a team with my dog. The bond I have with my dog is because of agility.
Dakota, 8, & Tux – I love running the courses that are set up and being able to run them at my home training field.
Mason, 11, & Jet – I love doing anything with my dog Jet. We are better now with running hard courses than we were when we first started, so I would say we have won!