Agility Dog Association of Australia Ltd

Handler Profile (June 2005) ~ Stacy Richards

Where do you live? Castle Hill, Sydney

Occupation: Sales Representative in the Office Products Industry

Describe yourself in 25 words or less: Friendly, team-spirited, helpful and out-going with a competitive and fun nature.

Describe your Agility vehicle: I am lucky to be chauffeured around by Chief Dog Handler Tony in a Ford Territory.

When did you start playing Agility and what drew you to the sport? I started in 1998 as a means to build confidence in my shy and fearful Pap Spice. Never wanting to trial, just to socialize. However I was soon addicted and after 2 years we did our first trial.

Dogs and their achievements:

   Spice – Papillon 6 yr at Rainbow Bridge. MAAD 2, AATD, Toy DOTY 2003
   Missy – Cavalier 5 ½ yr MAAD 2, AATD
   Bella – Papillon 1 yr B.O.S.S.Y
   Buddy – Papillon 6 months C.U.T.E

Where do you train? PICSI (Parramatta International Canine Sports Inc) is a Flyball and Agility club with some outstanding dogs in both sports. We also run and are a great club team in the IAL heats each year. The IAL is a great way to introduce our new members to the fun and excitement of running in a trial.

What do you like about Agility? Being out and about with and having fun with my dogs. Club and team comradery. I love that Agility is a sport that virtually any 'man and his dog' can do, and I love to show new members to the club how easy it is to get out there in the ring with the 'run & fun' factor and introduce them to trialing in my 2 favourite codes of Agility at every opportunity I can get.

What is your favourite Agility event? Well I’d have to say the event that has it all: Speed, plotting, planning, partnership, fun, panic, laughs, screams, panic again and of course confusion………………Strategic Pairs.

What is the most important piece of advice that you have been given about Agility? “Patience and Practice”  “Great things come in small packages”

What was the most difficult training problem that you have had to overcome? The cloth/chute tunnel with Spice. Patience and practice paid off after about a year of set backs.

What are your most memorable moments in agility? Missy gaining her first Q card in Open Jumping after 12 mths to gain her final pass for her MAAD. I think we made it by about 2 seconds phew!  And recently Missy receiving her first Purple Advanced card.

What will your next dog be and when do you think you will get it? Well my dance card seems to be full at the moment. (unless there is someone out there who wants to trade a Papillon for a husband)

What is your favourite training game and how do you play it? I don’t really have a game, I just run around with Missy and yahoo and whoop it up so she thinks it’s all a game.

What is your next goal in agility? Oh well there’s heaps really, getting through every trial is a goal.
Short term goals:
Missy – to gain her MAAD 3 this year and to get into the Medallion Stakes final with her at Uralla.
Bella – teach her to weave before Uralla (her debut trial)
Buddy – Just to focus on me and not Bella !
Long term goals:
Missy – get her Advanced title
Bella – to be the smallest ADAA titled dog ( 20 cm 1.8 kg)
Buddy – not to lift his leg at every opportunity and focus on me and not the girls.

Any other interesting information about you that you would like to share with the members:  Along with training my dogs at PICSI, I assist with the organizing of our ADAA trials, instruct once a month and was Trial Secretary for our past AA trials.
I worked with Dr Harry and Steve Austin when I worked for a pet food company.
 

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