Home Team Update: Local Pair Turns in Strong Performance at World Agility Contest

Annette and Moxxy represented team USA with skill and style! photo: courtesy Annette Thomason

Last month in this space, I profiled Annette Thomason, the Marin Humane Behavior & Training Agility Program Supervisor. At that time, she and her canine partner, Moxxy, had earned a spot on the U.S. team for the Senior Open Agility World Championships and were off to the competition in Mannheim, Germany.

Annette and Moxxy, a six-and-a-half-year-old Border Collie, were one of 37 dog-handler pairs representing the United States, competing against teams from 35 nations and over 625 dogs in the senior division. Their events were held alongside the Junior Open Agility World Championships, where more than 560 juniors competed across three age categories. As you may recall from last month’s piece, the international courses favor big, sweeping lines over the tight turns of the U.S. courses, ideal for a large, fast dog like Moxxy who thrives on momentum.

The U.S. senior team turned in strong runs across the board in Germany, with numerous Top 10 finishes, several placement ribbons, and two individual bronze medals. Annette and Moxxy competed as part of the four-pair team called USA Age Is Just Our Alibi, which finished a respectable 8th overall among 45 large-division teams. Unfortunately, she and Moxxy were eliminated in the team agility round after Moxxy went off course, but they rebounded in team jumping, finishing first for their team and 50th overall out of 180 dogs. Their individual competition ended early when Moxxy fell on the dog walk, resulting in an elimination and a minor injury that kept her out of Sunday’s final course.

“While I was disappointed to miss out on running our last course, I thoroughly enjoyed this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Annette said of the event, which gathered over 1,000 of the best senior and junior teams from around the world to celebrate their shared passion for dog training and the sport of agility. “One of my favorite moments was making a human chute to welcome our bronze medal finishers to the podium. Even the junior competitors got in on the fun, breaking into a sing-along of ‘Sweet Caroline’ as an honorary senior anthem. The camaraderie was electrifying.”

Back home, the Marin Humane Agility Program continues to reflect Annette’s love of big, international-style courses, with weekly changes on its newly renovated 130' x 70' turf field in Novato. The program welcomes newcomers from Marin Humane’s Companion Dog Training Program while building the precision needed to advance to domestic or European-style competitions. If you’re looking for physical and mental stimulation for you and your furry best friend, come on over and check it out.

Meanwhile, please join us in extending congratulations to Annette, Moxxy, and all the other outstanding dog-handler pairs who represented the United States in Germany this summer. You did us proud!