Agility
Agility is a wonderful way to build a relationship with your Ridgeback. It requires close teamwork between the dog and handler to navigate a series of obstacles including jumps, tunnels, weave poles, and contact items. Agility has grown and there are many agility venues now. Azize has had dogs participate in UKC, AKC, and NADAC agility. Azize has had Ridgebacks participating in agility since Teri and Cyrus participated in UKC agility. Cyrus earned his UAG1 by getting three first places. Teri also participated in AKC agility with Vicky, who earned her NAJ (Novice Agility Jumpers) title by taking first place at the Rhodesian Ridgeback National Specialty in 2013. She also placed first in her Novice Standard course at the Specialty. Living in a rural area made it hard to continue training in agility for Teri and Vicky, but other Azize dogs have followed in their footsteps.
Wrigley (PACH Azize's Double Your Fun RN OA AXJ MXP5 MXPS MJP6 MJPS PAX NF XFP CA DCAT) competes in agility with her handler Deb in Minnesota. She has had an amazing agility career, earning her PACH (Preferred Agility Champion) and was the top preferred dog at the 2019 AKC Invitationals. Wrigley is out of our Tchaka x Scarlet litter in 2012.
Vicky’s daughter Libby (Tchaka x Vicky in 2016) and granddaughter Eve (Bayden x Xena in 2020) participate in agility with Shellie in Minnesota. Libby (MBIF FC Azize's Liberty Queen VC RN MC AX AXJ NF CA FCAT CGC CGCA TKI LCM2 ATT SSR IAC TG-I O-GR-I WV-I IJC TN-I) has placed first at the National Specialty and is working on her Master level titles in Standard and Jumpers.
Eve (MBIF MRBISP Nat/Int/HonJrCH DC U-CH Azize's TaylorMade Legacy FCh RN SC NA OAJ OF DCAT CGC TKI VHMP JSR VC ATT) has taken to agility quickly, and has also placed at the National Specialty. As both girls advance in agility, Shellie has been both proud of her girls and humbled by them. Running agility with an independent sighthound doesn’t always go as well in competition as it does in practice. The important thing to remember is enjoy the relationship and journey, the rest is just pretty things to hang on the wall. But, they have both earned plenty of pretty wall hangings!
Vicky has another granddaughter getting started in agility. Kinky (Azize’s Midsummer Daydream of Orion CGC BCAT TKN ACT1 ACT1J) from our Abel x Xena litter in 2021 competes with her handler Eva in Wisconsin, and can really catch air. We look forward to watching her agility career soar!