After two years of competing locally and regionally in AKC and USDAA, Karrie and I made our national debut at the Cynosport® World Games in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA held October 31 ~ November 4, 2007. We qualified to compete in the Grand Prix Dog Agility Tournament and the Dog Agility Masters Team Tournament. We had a great time, and Karrie ran fast and strong, especially since it was nearly 100 degrees the last two days.

Karrie's Agility Accomplisments At-A-Glance

She’s 5/5 on USDAA Grand Prix courses
		5th place ~ June, 2007 in Caddo Mills, TX
		5th place ~ July, 2007 in College Station, TX
		2nd place ~ September, 2007 in College Station, TX
		10th Overall ~ 2007 Regional Championships ~ September 7-9 - South Central US, Ft. Worth, TX
		Without a knocked bar on the last jump (my fault for celebrating early), her time would be in the top 20 of the Grand Prix Semi-Finals course in Scottsdale.

Qualified for The AKC Nationals in March, 2008 ~ Tulsa, Oklahoma
		During the state tournament on Friday, Karrie finished 2nd out of 109 dogs that represented Texas.
		On Saturday morning she knocked one bar in Round 1 ~ the 3rd bar from the end. This was a heart breaker but totally understandable as many dogs knocked this jump. It was an all-white panel jump set on a turn that faced white ring-divider fencing. I was extremely proud of Karrie for this run, though. Right after this jump, I thought she slipped and did a shoulder plant. Upon closer inspection of the video in slow motion, what looked like a shoulder plant to me in the heat and speed of the moment wasn't a shoulder plant at all. Karrie had totally read the line I communicated to her, and she sliced that jump and then in her effort to turn towards the next one, her right shoulder was nearly parallel to the ground as she powered towards the next jump. Just like Scottsdale, Karrie seemed to understand this was an important event, and she ran her heart out for me. If I loved my "Karrot Kake" any more, my heart would literally burst!

AKC Finishes of Note in Ex B Std 20”
		1st place ~ December 8, 2007 in Tulsa, OK
		3rd place ~ December 9, 2007 in Tulsa, OK
		2nd place ~ October 6, 2007 in McKinney, TX
		2nd place ~ October 6, 2007 in McKinney, TX
		4th place ~ March 16, 2007 in Carthage, MO
		1st place ~ December 2, 2006 in McKinney, TX
		2nd place ~ November 18, 2006 in McKinney, TX

AKC Finishes of Note in Ex B JWW 20”
		4th place ~ August 25, 2007 in Fort Worth, TX
		2nd place ~ March 16, 2007 in Carthage, MO
		2nd place ~ March 17, 2007 in Carthage, MO
		2nd place ~ March 18, 2007 in Carthage, MO
		4th place ~ December 17, 2006 in Witichia Falls, TX
		5.92 yps ~ fastest yards per second course time to date

A Brief History on Karrie

Karrie and I began competing in the Spring of 2005. I was very much a novice handler at the time, so Karrie has taught me invaluable lessons about handling. She has journeyed with me through the challenges of controlling large gestures, too many verbal commands on course, and my adrenaline. Oh, how I just love this sport! Her long stride and efficient jumping style have taught me about timing and made me work hard to become a smoother handler. Karrie would also work through moves time and again until I could get it right without losing her motivation or her playfulness. (Even as an adult, she is so cute when she pounces on her tug! Makes my trainer and me laugh every time.)

Karrie’s love for agility and her ever-present grin have helped us make lasting friendships and have kept agility fun and fast for an adrenaline junkie like me. Above all, she came into my life as a four-month-old gift to help heal my heart after the tragic loss of my first border collie Buck. The potential and speed I saw in Karrie helped me continue training in agility during those first raw, grief-stricken months after Buck’s death… when everything to do with agility reminded me of him.

Karrie's Temperament and Personality

Perhaps the most noteworthy thing about Karrie is her even temperament. Nicknamed “Karrot Kake” because of her love of cream cheese icing on carrot cake or “Kare!” when I’m calling her name in delight, she is “Miss Kool as a KuKumber” when in her crate at trials and lounging on various pieces of furniture at home. However, she has plenty of drive and speed at practice and competitions; the best of both worlds come with Karrie. Several of my close friends are not “border collie people,” but they would tell you that they love Karrie… my friend Lynn has always had labs, but “Kara,” as Lynn calls her, is her favorite of all my border collies.

Others remark that Karrie is quite biddable, and she is. She is extremely confident and outgoing, yet she is eager to please and gets embarrassed if she happens to get “in trouble.” She is also a typical border collie in that’s she’s very smart and seems to understand English. Kare doesn’t know a stranger, human or canine, and she loves to say hello to anyone who’ll pet her at shows, at practice or in our neighborhood. She definitely understands the excitement of a show and loves to compete, but this excitement does not manifest itself in a nervous stomach or a lack on control while on course. She’s just a healthy, strong, confident girl.

Karrie’s coat is also extremely soft. She carries a full coat, but it’s not long hair. Honestly, not a person can touch her for the first time without remarking, “She’s just so soft!” Karrie loves this attention, and this just makes her think she’s all the more beautiful. She has a longer muzzle, which looks even longer b/c of the white on her face. She is almost always grinning, and to me she looks like a bottlenose dolphin. Because of her grin and playful spirit, I often refer to her as my land dolphin. Karrie is a joy to run in agility, and she’s a cherished member of the Filly’s Run family.