MADISON, Wis. — Rain and a deteriorating course didn't deter Juice from winning the Sporting Dogs Agility competition in the ESPN Great Outdoor Games presented by Dodge at Madison's Alliant Energy Center.
Juice, a 4-year-old Border Collie, and his handler, Marcus Topps of Garland, Texas, blazed through the 20-obstacle course in 41.158 seconds to win the gold. Theirs was the final run of the 16 dog-and-handler teams in the Large Dogs category, capping the contest about a half hour after rain began falling over the Games venue.
Mojo and Kathy Keats of Ontario were second and three-time medal winner Spring, handled by Julie Daniels of North Sandwich, N.H., captured the bronze. It is Spring's third bronze (2003, 2002) to go with a 2001 gold.
In the Small Dogs division, Hamlet and Renee King of Richmond, Texas, cruised to the gold medal with a smooth 44.232.
"The run felt really good and smooth," said King, a high school teacher who guided Spring to the IFCS Worlds all-around agility title in Spain last May. "I didn't take any chances and just let Hamlet run her course … but I held my breath on the last bars."
Marvel and Joel Lavalley of Murfreesboro, Tenn., claimed the Small Dogs silver medal in their first outing at the Games with a time of 45.389. Shimmer and Barb Davis of Newman Lake, Wash., took home the bronze with a 46.952.
Eight small dogs and 16 large dogs competed on an identical course that featured 20 obstacles. The dogs were timed leaping over hurdles, running through tunnels, climbing an A-frame stand and weaving through stakes. Time faults were assessed for knocking over hurdles or failing to hit specific marks on the A-frame or stakes.
King and Hamlet did not have to worry about the rain, which began falling after the small dog event was completed and halfway through the large dog competition. But King was striving to stay with Hamlet, a frisky 5-year-old Jack Russell terrier, throughout the course.
"He's a wild man and runs crazy," she explained. "I have to stay with Hamlet to give him enough information early enough to help him make decisions."
Strategies changed a bit during the final half of the large dog competition, with a light drizzle turning into a steady afternoon shower. That made footing on the course slick for handlers and dogs; neither wanted to fall, costing them precious time against the clock.
Topps and Juice were the final team and, by the time they hit the course, it was beginning to show signs of wear. Seven other teams had gone before them and, to win any medal, Juice and Topps would have to get around in a time better than Spring's 42.947 for bronze or Mojo's 42.855 for the silver.
Topps has been competing in agility trials since 1997, starting with a Siberian Husky before working with 4-year-old Juice. As a former soccer player and current student at the University of Texas-Dallas, Topps is no stranger to making sharp cuts and quick turns on a rainy playing field, but doing it around 20 obstacles while trying to coax a dog through them added an extra element.
"I just wanted to get around the course because the field was starting to get torn up," Topps said. "It wasn't too bad, but I definitely was losing traction and I know Juice was, too. I was more worried about her falling than me falling, especially with the obstacles. She already hugs the bar so closely when she jumps over them, any little slip or bobble and that bar is coming down.
"I can tell when she's putting in a good round. This was our first time at the Great Outdoor Games and I'm just very happy she had two clean rounds."
Admission to the Great Outdoor Games is free. The Games will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC from July 14 through July 19.
Final Standings - Agility (Large)
1 Marcus Topps / Juice
2 Stuart Mah / Qwik
3 Julie Daniels / Spring
4 Kathy Wells / Houston
5 Donna Rohaus / Cap
6 Lisa Flowers / Dilemma
7 Sherry Kluever / Ransom
8 Kate Moureaux / Quick
9 Kendall Fairchild / Echo
10 Terry Smorch / Remy
11 Chris Parker / Mayhem
12 Kathy Keats / Mojo
13 Olga Chaiko / Luz
14 Cindy Brick / Ariba
15 Jen Pinder / Dealer
16 Stacy Peardot-Goudy / Able
Results (By Round)
Final (Round 1 + Round 2)
1 Juice 1:12.836 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
2 Qwik 1:18.326 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
3 Spring 1:25.243 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
4 Houston 1:24.032 (5) (00.000) Total: 5
5 Cap 1:24.771 (5) (00.000) Total: 5
6 Dilemma 1:16.705 (10) (00.000) Total: 10
7 Ransom 1:16.740 (10) (00.000) Total: 10
8 Quick 1:19.778 (10) (00.000) Total: 10
9 Echo 1:19.794 (10) (00.000) Total: 10
10 Remy 1:15.493 (15) (00.000) Total: 15
11 Mayhem 1:17.795 (15) (00.000) Total: 15
12 Mojo 1:20.251 (15) (00.000) Total: 15
13 Luz 1:18.348 (35) (00.000) Total: 35
14 Ariba 1:26.776 (35) (02.462) Total: 37.462
15 Dealer 1:26.547 (40) (05.660) Total: 45.66
16 Able 1:18.681 (65) (00.000) Total: 65
Round Two
1 Juice 31.678 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
2 Ransom 34.474 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
3 Mayhem 34.596 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
4 Qwik 35.018 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
5 Dealer 35.887 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
6 Spring 42.296 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
7 Able 34.839 (5) (00.000) Total: 5
8 Echo 34.876 (5) (00.000) Total: 5
9 Dilemma 35.428 (5) (00.000) Total: 5
10 Houston 39.153 (5) (00.000) Total: 5
11 Cap 41.738 (5) (00.000) Total: 5
12 Remy 33.668 (10) (00.000) Total: 10
13 Quick 35.661 (10) (00.000) Total: 10
14 Mojo 37.396 (15) (00.000) Total: 15
15 Luz 37.000 (30) (00.000) Total: 30
16 Ariba 39.314 (30) (00.000) Total: 30
Round One
1 Juice 41.158 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
2 Mojo 42.855 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
3 Spring 42.947 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
4 Cap 43.033 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
5 Qwik 43.308 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
6 Quick 44.117 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
7 Houston 44.879 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
8 Dilemma 41.277 (5) (00.000) Total: 5
9 Luz 41.348 (5) (00.000) Total: 5
10 Remy 41.825 (5) (00.000) Total: 5
11 Echo 44.918 (5) (00.000) Total: 5
12 Ariba 47.462 (5) (02.462) Total: 7.462
13 Ransom 42.266 (10) (00.000) Total: 10
14 Mayhem 43.199 (15) (00.000) Total: 15
15 Dealer 50.660 (40) (05.660) Total: 45.66
16 Able 43.842 (60) (00.000) Total: 60
Qualifier
1 Juice 39.047 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
2 Remy 39.947 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
3 Dilemma 40.517 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
4 Qwik 40.940 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
5 Luz 40.988 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
6 Cap 41.245 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
7 Houston 44.844 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
8 Echo 45.106 (0) (00.000) Total: 0
9 Able 41.033 (5) (00.000) Total: 5
10 Quick 41.428 (5) (00.000) Total: 5
11 Mayhem 42.254 (5) (00.000) Total: 5
12 Ransom 45.239 (5) (00.000) Total: 5
13 Ariba 48.222 (5) (02.222) Total: 7.22
14 Dealer 51.370 (10) (05.370) Total: 15.37
15 Mojo 1:02.945 (10) (16.945) Total: 26.945
16 Spring 43.604 (25) (04.000) Total: 29
Final Standings - Agility (Small)
1 Renee King / Hamlet
2 Barb Davis / Shimmer
3 Christine Frank / Kimie
4 Joel Lavalley / Marvel
5 Karen Holik / Sizzle
6 Jean Lavalley / Taz
7 Susan Garrett / Decaff
8 Cynthia Ernat / Hope
Results (By Round)
Final (Round 1 + Round 2)
1 Hamlet 1:19.194 (0) (00.000) Total:0
2 Shimmer 1:22.919 (0) (00.952) Total:0.952
3 Kimie 1:26.998 (0) (01.860) Total:1.86
4 Marvel 1:19.945 (5) (00.000) Total:5
5 Sizzle 1:22.285 (10) (02.282) Total:12.282
6 Taz 1:21.243 (25) (02.126) Total:27.126
7 DeCaff 1:25.587 (30) (00.000) Total:30
8 Hope 1:37.246 (50) (11.803) Total:61.803
Round Two
1 Taz 33.117 (0) (00.000) Total:0
2 Sizzle 34.003 (0) (00.000) Total:0
3 Hamlet 34.962 (0) (00.000) Total:0
4 Shimmer 35.967 (0) (00.000) Total:0
5 Kimie 39.138 (0) (00.000) Total:0
6 DeCaff 39.701 (0) (00.000) Total:0
7 Marvel 34.556 (5) (00.000) Total:5
8 Hope 39.443 (25) (00.000) Total:25
Round One
1 Hamlet 44.232 (0) (00.000) Total:0
2 Marvel 45.389 (0) (00.000) Total:0
3 Shimmer 46.952 (0) (00.952) Total:0.952
4 Kimie 47.860 (0) (01.860) Total:1.86
5 Sizzle 48.282 (10) (02.282) Total:12.282
6 Taz 48.126 (25) (02.126) Total:27.126
7 DeCaff 45.886 (30) (00.000) Total:30
8 Hope 57.803 (25) (11.803) Total:36.803
Qualifier
1 Sizzle 41.804 (0) (00.000) Total:0
2 Shimmer 47.896 (0) (00.000) Total:0
3 Kimie 48.984 (0) (00.000) Total:0
4 Marvel 42.718 (5) (00.000) Total:5
5 Taz 46.627 (25) (00.000) Total:25
6 Hope 56.289 (25) (07.289) Total:32.289
7 Hamlet 50.350 (40) (01.350) Total:41.35
8 DeCaff 48.436 (60) (00.000) Total:60
