USDAA Performance Versatility Pairs

Over the weekend, Tess participated in her first USDAA Performance Versatility Pairs competition. Two dogs/handlers run as a team and their scores are combined and they must earn a percentage of maximum points to qualify.

Tess and Jim were invited to be on a team with our friend Margaret and her Border Collie Josie. Our team was called "Black and White and Spotted All Over." Long name, but appropriate for these two! My sister embroidered their team name on t-shirts, along with their logo, which was the yin-yang symbol.

Tess and Josie made a great pair, not only qualifying, but taking first place in Performance Pairs! Tess also did well in individual competition, earning her very first Super Q in Snooker! Way to go, Tess, Jim, Josie, and Margaret! What a fun weekend.

Judge Bud Houston, Jim, Tess, Margaret and Josie

Tess with the team medallion she won, with Jim in his team shirt

A closer view of Tess with her medallion


While Jazz did not compete this weekend, she was a very busy girl chasing grasshoppers and playing with her friend Abby in the field at the trial site! Jazz and I always enjoy trialing at K9 Four Seasons Athlete Center, because it's on a big farm and there are lots of places for us to run and play!

Happiness is...

...a big, wet doggie smooch!

Jazz at CPE Agility

The photographer just posted these two pictures of Jazz from the CPE trial in Slippery Rock a few weeks ago, and I thought I'd share. This trial was held in a horse arena, and this is the first time that either Tess or Jazz has run on a surface like this. Our spotty friends in Florida seem to run most often in these conditions, but up here in PA, we're used to running indoors on artificial turf or a rubber matting. Running in a horse arena on a dirt floor with horsey scents and birds chirping in the rafters was a challenge for us! Despite that, Jazz did very well. She qualified with first place in Full House, qualified with first place in Colors, and qualified with second place in Standard. She also had a non-qualifying first place in Standard and a non-qualifying second place in Jumpers, where Jazz ran with her favorite Aunt Mariann! This was Jazz's first CPE trial and only the second time overall that she's run in a trial, so I'm very pleased that she qualified in three out of five runs.

Tess also had a good weekend, qualifying in six out of eight runs. We're taking most of the month of July off from agility, as there are too many things that need done at home! Tess will run in her first USDAA Versatility Pairs tournament at the end of July, and both Tess and Jazz will be back in the CPE ring in early August.

All American Dals

Happy 4th of July

From Tess and Jazz!

Meet Tigger

I've posted a few pictures of our first Dalmatian, Dottie, but today we're celebrating Tigger's birthday. Tigger was our second Dalmatian. She joined our family in 1991 as a seven-week-old puppy. This is a photo of Tigger as a pup. She was a beauty! While Dottie was somewhat shy and timid, Tigger was as outgoing as they come. Some of that rubbed off on Dottie, and the two of them were great together and had many fun adventures.

Happy Birthday, Tigger!

Kingdom's All That Jazz, RN

With a first place qualifying score of 95, Jazz earned her AKC Rally Novice (RN) title today at the South Hills Kennel Club trial in Waynesburg. She did a great job and finished her title in three successive qualifying runs. While we're not quite ready to move into Rally Advanced just yet, we look forward to some additional training and being in the Rally ring together again soon!

Tess - AXJ Title!

Tess and Jim had an awesome first place qualifying run on a very tough course to earn their AKC Excellent Jumpers with Weaves (AXJ) title today. Tess was the only 24" Excellent A dog who qualified. Now it's on to Excellent B JWW, where we'll need 10 qualifying runs to title. Wow!

Tess also had a beautiful Excellent A Standard run with another first place qualifying score. This was her first leg towards her Agility Excellent (AX) title. Tess and Jim have been running great together. Perhaps Tess senses the upcoming competition from little sister Jazz!!