November 1996 was the proud owner of a dog “Jazz” Grelganna Blues. Trained Obedience at the Daventry Club then started Agility Training, unfortunate did not get the training I wanted and resulted in the lack of quality results. It was a struggled  training his dog by him self and it was not until May 1999 he got his first clear round 1^st Novice Jumping. This won Alan out of Starters over the next few weeks won several Elementary classes including his very last Agility one at the Agility Club show at Luton.

Alan Jazz struggled with the lack of training and results showed i.e. NONE, and did contemplate on giving up Agility, until we were introduced to Alan Bray at Fox Agility (thanks Lesley and Gill).

Been a member of the UPANOVA TIGERS AGILITY Club since the start, "it’s the best".

Since then results have been achieved and have many top ten places, won Novice Agility (believe it or not also at the Agility Club show) June 2001 to make him a Senior Handler. Has qualified for the Norfolk Novice Finals 2001 and finished 4^th.

At his first Senior Show Pembrokeshire was 2^nd Senior Agility and is still gaining many top ten places, finishing in the top 20 places in the overall points of the Agility Eye, and was the TOP novice dog for 2001 with Upanova.

His second dog in October 1999 Soul (Just More Blues) trained for Agility from the start and the results have shown getting to Senior within the first year of competing, qualified for two finals 2002 Novice Grand National and the Adams Derby ……….. need more!!

Was the Winner of the Upanova Agility Club "Most Improved Dog of the Year"

Alan has started Judging, also has organised Agility shows and is a trained Domestic Obedience Dog Trainer.

Now an Advanced Handler with Soul in September 2002 WINNING 4 Agility Classes also WINNING the Pedigree Novice Grand Notional Final at Longleat at the end of that season.

2003 Many good results with soul qualifying for the Chum Semi at Stoneleigh and the Power and Speed Final at the Agility Club Event.  Was the Winner of the Upanova Agility Club "Senior Dog of the Year"

2004 Was not a good year, with injuries to myself and Soul  also handling problems withheld results.  However did qualify for the Advanced Power and Speed Final .. again but failed to get a result,  WON the Upanova Agility Club "Senior Dog of the Year" again.

My first collie, Pippa was a great ‘hit’ with all the family and soon had both me and Alan completely hooked on collies and agility…….

Now, with my increased K9 family I travel from Southampton to Preston, in all kinds of weather conditions, often leaving home before 5.00 am, then sitting in traffic and not returning home until 8-9 pm. All this in the name of fun?

Later dad went into hunt service, I loved being with the hounds and spent more time with them than at school.

I have been in agility now for about 3 years and love it, the atmosphere and the people are great, except for the gray haired grannies that keep beating me!

My best day in agility was Saturday 1st March 2003 when Cali WON Novice Agility and made her a senior dog (also, ME a senior handler) and it was made even better by the Upanova Tiger members cheering me on.

After sailing through their Obedience course I commenced agility training and, 5 months later, was let loose on the agility circuit at my very first show.

That was it. I was bitten by the bug and have been an addict ever since!!

It wasn't until I was lucky enough to be introduced to Alan and Jayne and invited to train with 'Upanova Tigers' that I realised this to be true, at last some professionalism and expertise!!!

I have now been competing in agility for five years and it has been fun, competitive, consuming and sometimes sole destroying but most of al my dogs and kids love it and we have made a lot of good friends along the way.

Gina Scott .......  

As the classes grew in numbers Selena decided to commence agility training with her husband Alistair and so I began agility training in February 2004 with Fox Agility (which Selena used to run with Alan).  

I entered my first ever agility show in September 2004 at Daventry with Jake and managed to get a clear on our first ever run, with Joy Costello being my judge (who may I add I didn’t know at the time !!) …..and that was it the agility bug had well and truly bit !  

 Lynn Marlow .....

Then I spent many years at Milton Keynes with my Border collies Cherrone Chancer  (Sweep) & Cherrone the Dividend (Glen) 

I had a bit of a gap from agility due to health reasons and have found it quite difficult to get back into it with all the new ideas in training…….until I met Alan & Jayne Bray, the back end of 2005 !!

 

We rescued Chip, an 11-month-old WSD, to keep Billy, our miniature poodle, company while we were at work.  I started agility training with Chip to give him something to think about but he had never been socialised and although he showed great promise in training he got very stressed at shows and lost all confidence in the ring.  He finds the whole experience too stressful.  I persevered with Chip for 2 years until I decided to retire him from the ring and now he just “plays” in training.

Upon retiring Chip from competition, I decided to get another dog to continue competing in agility and, having already rehomed three dogs, I wanted a puppy.  As luck would have it, I heard about Mouse, a border collie from Lyka (Raeannes Luna Quest) bred by Angela Gadenne.  She was the last of the litter and Angela was going to keep her, after I spoke to her she emailed me a picture and I was sold!  Mouse came to live with us and is the best dog to live with, she really is “quiet as a mouse”.

Colin Johnson .....  

Billy had previously done agility, but didn’t enjoy it at all and when we started together he lacked motivation. Lucky for me (but not for him) my will power was stronger than his and with a lot of hard work I got the little man enjoying agility.

 In 2003 we won out of Starters at Bretons, in 2004 we went Senior at Aylesbury and we reached Advanced by winning the Open Agility and Jumping on the same day at North Derbyshire in 2005. Along the way we have qualified for the Dogs in Need Finals, Olympia Semi Finals and numerous Championship finals.

 I have retired Billy from competition now, although he will continue in the juniors with our son, Luke. I will always be grateful to Billy who taught me so much and was always consistent – he never let me down.

 I rehomed another dog from another friend (I know I never learn), Berri who is a WSD. Berri could jump but didn’t do contacts and her weaves weren’t up to much either. We managed to get it together and she won out of Starters in her own right, two weeks after Billy at Dogs in Need 2003 – which also helped qualify her for the end of week finals, which she enjoyed very much. Unfortunately, Berri had a couple of strokes in 2004 which ended her agility career. She still enjoys life but is now deaf and often appears quite “vacant”.  She is a wonderful dog and I thoroughly enjoyed every run I had with her. Having “done my bit” for the waifs and strays, I decided to get a puppy so the only baggage it had was what I gave it.

 

I started agility with Lynn Marlow back in 1999 when I took my then seven year old sheep dog, Mott along to her training group. Nearly a year later we managed to get him to jump a pole and I started to go to a few shows picking up a fair few clear rounds on the way and the odd place.

Three years ago now I got Bob who was to be my new sheep dog but agility got in the way! I have made some wonderful friends and had great fun doing agility - long may it continue!