How did the Artful Dodgers agility group get started?
I don't remember which club it was, but a group in PA offered an agility seminar. Several of us decided to go and see what it was all about. I believe Rae Tanner was doing the seminar. We all got hooked, and at the next Oriole meeting I proposed that we look into it and the measure passed. The next thing you know we were meeting in Jo Kendig's living room on a regular basis, and Artful Dodgers agility was born. The early members included Janet Gauntt, (Janet came up with our name) Debbie Meyers, Ginny Howe (Ginny designed the logo), Jo Kendig (Jo later became the training director), Eunice Morgan (Eunice built most of our original equipment and still helps to build and maintain some of it today), myself, and I am probably leaving some folks out.
Of course in those days we were doing Kramer (NCDA) agility, which was very different from the USDAA agility that we do today. (My very laid back 10-year-old Westie Scruffy was able to do Kramer.)
What was the first trial like?
Our first NCDA trial took place in April 1990. It was a one-day trial, and the site was at Oregon Ridge Park. Bev Franklin from B & B Agility in Danville, VA, was our judge. I was the score keeper, score runner, and general purpose person. I worked off a TV tray table. Just imagine the difference from how we are today with two or more rings and dozens of people doing those jobs. Anyway, it had rained, but just as we got ready to start the sun came out, and what a sight it was to see our equipment glistening in the sunlight at our very first trial. We had several qualifiers. In those days you got a certificate if you qualified, so they had to be made up ahead of time and ready to give out. Scruffy didn't qualify at the first trial but did have quite an amazing view from atop the A-frame as all his friends wildly cheered to get him to come down. Judge Bev was very patient with us, taking great pains to explain scores and faults.
What happened next?
By the fall our now seasoned group was ready for trial number two. This was held at Timonium Fairgrounds in the 4-H Building. Rae Tanner and Jo Kendig judged. (Yes, Jo was a Kramer judge). I am happy to say Scruffy did qualify at this one!!! Janet Gauntt at this point was showing video of USDAA trials and also signing up folks for our many clinics and seminars. Within a year we were putting on our third trial, which was our first USDAA trial. That trial was held at Timonium too, but this time at the Cow Palace. I am sure Darlene Woz loved designing the course around the pillars. On Saturday we had a match and Sunday was the real thing. If I remember right we had one qualifier and that was Tuck, Sue Haney's cairn terrier.
By the spring we had joined forces with Keystone Agility Club and were putting on trials with them. (Back then, in order to have two days of standard titling, two clubs had to work together.) In the spring in Pennsylvania we were at the Cedars Country Store, and in the fall in Maryland we were at Essex Community College. Later outdoor trial sites in Maryland included Goucher College, Towson State University, and finally Arcadia Volunteer Fire Department Carnival Grounds. We also now use the Westminster Indoor Sports Center for some indoor trials.
