High-Scoring Junior Handler in Agility at the Nationals
Submitted by Mari Bailey-Villanueva
Those of us who hosted the ACDCA Nationals agil-
ity trials had planned on having at least one Austra-
lian Cattle Dog junior handler in agility at Belton
but, due to unforeseen circumstances, there wasn't
one after all. We had several awards at the ready,
including a plush longhorn dog toy, decorated with
a Texas flag bandanna and an engraved and dated
dog tag saluting the High-Scoring Junior, plus a
handmade ceramic plate with the year 2009 promi-
nently displayed on it.
Nearing trial's end on Sunday, we began discuss-
ing what to do with these dated awards, since they
couldn't carry forward in view of their inscribed
dates. We even joked about giving them to the
“Most Junior” of all the Australian Cattle Dog
ADULT handlers!
As we talked, we were all sitting on the bleachers
when a young boy marched an older Golden Re-
triever into the Novice Standard ring. It was obvi-
ous from the start of the run that the dog could no
longer jump or climb well, if at all, but the boy per-
sisted. When the boy ran out of the allotted course
time trying to encourage his happy and devoted
Photo by 2MC Design dog onto and/or over obstacles, the buzzer
sounded and the judge had no choice but to excuse
him. With near tears in his eyes, the boy approached the exit gate – where, unbeknownst to him, we all now
awaited with HIS plush longhorn toy to present to THE best junior handler in Standard in the trial. We told him he
was very brave for entering and trying to run his dog and that other juniors had not been as brave as he had been.
In fact, they had stayed away. As he clutched his award tightly, the corners of his lips went from being turned down
to being turned up and he just BEAMED.
Then again, during the Novice Jumpers With Weaves competition, this same young boy tried to run the 8 year old
Golden and with the same result - the dog would do the tunnel and weaves but no more. This time we presented
the boy with the plate dated 2009 as the best junior handler in Jumpers With Weaves in the trial. He was positively
THRILLED to be recognized for trying!
It was a bit later that we found out that the boy – whose name is Blake - is the son of our trial secretary – Lotus
Kiffe. She could not thank us enough for what we did for her son. She had known that the Golden Retriever might
not do the full courses, but her son had been insistent that he be entered and TRY and so she had entered the dog
for him.
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