Brags for Merlin's Kids!
These pups show off their agility skills early!
(Left to Right: Chess, Cricket, Rio, Penny and Domino)
Pups out of Merlin and ATCH Metro's Dept. of Transportation, STDds, DNA-VP (Dot)
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Metro Cassie's Test Match, STDds, RS-O, JS-N-OP, JS-O, GS-O (Cricket)
Cricket stayed with breeder Kim-Marie Motoda of Metro Aussies. This adorable little girl is the love of Kim-Marie's life, and is a prodigy, to boot! This girl will do anything - and I mean anything! - Kim-Marie asks of her! She poses for pictures, LOVES agility and herding, as well as cuddles. We know this girl will do great things - in everything she does!
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Cricket running tunnels in her first ASCA agility trial. |
Cricket |
Cricket had a fantastic first agility trial! In October 2008, at just over 18 months, Cricket earned all 3 of her Novice ASCA agility titles - in her first trial! This amazing little dynamo Q'd 15 out of 18 runs this first trial. What a great start!
Cricket headed to the ASCA Nationals just a week later (November 2008), and continued to add to her Q total at the Pre-trials and Nationals - including a 2nd place in Novice Jumpers at the Nationals trial! We are SO Proud of all Kim-Marie has done with Cricket so far, and are looking forward to her debut in Open agility classes and her first stock trial!
July 2009: Cricket is a star! She appeared in a Nordstrom ad for dog beds online - and sold them out in two days! While the beds are not currently available (they are back ordered), you can still see the page showing Cricket modeling! Go Cricket!
Cricket had fun at the ASCA trial in August 2009! She finished all her Open agility titles! Yipee! She rocks! Congratulations to Kim-Marie and Cricket on a great weekend.
Cricket Herding. |
ATCH Metro's Unexpected Grand Master, MX, MXJ, STDs, NJC, NAC (Chess)
Lucky Chess is owned and loved by Lynn Chase! He is an amazing boy! He can also do it ALL! This boy was finding "jumps" (2" high) to take in Kim-Marie's yard at 5 weeks. He needed an owner who was up to everything he wanted to do. Fortunately, Lynn is more than up to the challenge, and Chess has his Uncle Bran and "brother" Sufi to show him the ropes.
Chess began his agility career in AKC agility, with a jumpers Q his first time out! He has since completed his NAJ, and added two Open Jumpers legs! He ALSO had a fantastic first ASCA agility trial in October 2008! At just over 18 months, Chess not only earned all 3 of his Novice ASCA agility titles, but also his Open Jumpers and one leg of his Open Gamblers title! This boy was FABULOUS! He had no trouble with the 12 weave poles, either. What a great start!
Chess also headed to the ASCA Nationals just a week later, and completed his Elite Jumpers title there! While at Nationals, Chess also earned his first Novice obedience leg, with a score of 188.
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Chess completes his ATCH (ASCA Agility Trial
Championship) on 3/20/11.
Huge Congratulations to Lynn and Chess!
Photo by Heidi Erland |
Chess taking the tire jump.
Chess showing off his working skills. |
August 8 & 9, 2009: Chess debuted in stock and MVA at the ASC of WA Lakebay trials this weekend. He earned his second CD leg, and his Started Sheep title - and qualified for MVA his first try! We're so proud of him!!
Lynn and Chess continue to add agility titles in all venues - including their MX and MXJ in AKC!
On March 20, 2011, Chess had a lovely Elite Gamblers run to complete his ATCH (ASCA Agility Trial Championship) under judge Randy Hand, at the RAT/ASC of WA trial. He finished this ATCH before he turned 4 years old - on the same weekend his mother Dot finished HER ATCH! What a great weekend. Huge congratulations to Lynn AND Kim-Marie! I'm so proud of you both!
Chess
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Metro's Rio Carnival, AAD, RS-E, GS-E, JS-E-OP, EAC, OJC, OCC, WV-O, TN-O, TG-N (Rio)
4/17/07 - 9/24/11
We send Jamie and her family our deepesty sympathy on their loss of Rio. He was a very special dog, and will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him. We are so sorry for your loss.
Jamie had this to say about Rio:
"My wonderful, little, blue-merle Aussie, Rio, passed away on September 24th. He came up lame in late August and was misdiagnosed with a soft tissue injury of his shoulder. After several weeks of resting him with no improvement, I took him to a fourth vet who told me that he had a tumor in his chest. It turned out to be a very aggressive, non-operable tumor that was attached to his third rib, just under his shoulder.
I have had a very difficult time putting in to words what Rio meant to my family and me. I miss everything about him. He was special, as all agility dogs are, but he really was the "whole package" and everything I could ever have wanted in an agility dog. He was always on for me and he always tried to be "good." His work ethic, energy, intelligence, and athleticism knew no bounds. He would run for Brysen, my 10 year-old son, almost as well as he would for me, because he loved us and he loved agility. This spring, Brysen and Rio easily completed their Junior Handler-Senior title.
Rio's agility skills stayed amazingly consistent through our several years of trialing. The only thing that he was not good at was staying; he had his own way of scooting right up to the first obstacle, because he just wanted to go so much. At our last trial at Brownsville in Master's Jumpers for the first time I experienced him actually blowing past me before I released him. For some reason, I let it go and the rest of our run was flawless. I came off that course telling him that we were going to have to "go back to the drawing board" and work hard at those start line stays. We never got that chance.
I guess Rio never was very good at staying… Rest well, my friend. May there be lots of agility equipment on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge for you with no need for a stay at the start."
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Zooming out of the tunnel.
Rio flies over the jump at super sonic speed!
Photo by Joe Camp
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Rio stretching out of the weaves
Photo by Joe Camp
Nailing the A Frame
Photo by Barb Riebold
Doing the Dog Walk
Photo by Joe Camp
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Rio was the blue boy from this litter. He was loved and trained by Jamie Winthrop. Rio made his agility debut October 2008, at the ASCA trial with the other kids. He only competed in Gamblers and Jumpers for one day - and Qd on one of his gamble runs! This boy loved gamblers.
Rio earmed his first Rally Novice Q, down at the Portland show in Jan. 2010 - with a first place! He did a great job, and is ready to go again. He earned another leg in 2011, with another 1st! Way to go!
Jamie brought Rio out for another NADAC trial in July 2009. We had a "fabulous weekend in Newport. I just could not be happier than I am with Rio right now. He is such a joy to run and to train. I finished Rio's Open Agility Certificate in one weekend with four clean, fast, perfect runs. In addition we got one Open Chances Q, earned two Weaver's Q's (one was the fastest out of all classes, even the judges said "wow"), and a Touch N Go Q. Eight out of ten for the weekend. Ironically, I am just as proud of Rio for his NQ Open Chances run. He was running beautifully and fast, of course, and at the third to last obstacle, which was a send to a tunnel about 15 feet ahead of us, with layering, I said "out tunnel" instead of "go tunnel". Well, Rio, my good dog, went way out to find the other end of that 15 foot tunnel, just like I asked him to. The judge said later that weekend that Rio's Chances run that we didn't Q was one of the most memorable runs of the entire weekend." Congratulations on a SUPER weekend, you two!!
August 8 & 9, 2009: Rio and Jamie had a perfect weekend! 7 Qs out of 7 runs! Rio has now finished his SSA, SJ and SG at USDAA!! Rio also ran with his Junior Brysen for the first time, and they had 2 Qs! Way to go, you guys! That is just AWESOME!!
March 2010: These guys came up "our way" for the ASCA trial, and it was SO much fun to watch them compete! They had a super weekend, completing their GS-E title!
April 2011: Jaime tells me "One of Rio's most important accomplishments involves running with Brysen in the USDAA Junior Handler program. They finished their JH Senior Agility certificate in March. Rio is such a good dog to run with Brysen. I think that Rio has taught Brysen just as much about handling a dog in agility as I did." That is just awesome! Huge congratulations to Brysen for doing such an excellent job with Rio! (See their picture below.)
Rio has completed his AAD for USDAA, and continues to excell in all 3 of their chosen venues - USDAA, ASCA & NADAC! It is so much fun to watch them run - they are a spectacular team!
I am so very proud of this pair! They are destined for lots of great things. Keep your eyes open for a blue blur at agility trials in the Portland area!!
Brysen and Rio competing in USDAA
Photo by Joe Camp
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Momma Dot and Cricket. |
Proud Daddy Merlin. |
Family Portait - May 2009
(From Left to Right - Back: Merlin and Dot
Front: Chess, Penny and Cricket) |
Family Portait - March 2010
(From Left to Right - Back: Merlin and Chess
Front: Rio, Dot and Cricket) |
Watch for Merlin and his kids in shows around the Pacific Northwest, AND all over the US! For more information on breeding to Merlin, or for a stud packet, please feel free to email me.
Go to Merlin's Page
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