Janelle
Julyan and her Pembroke Welsh Corgi Eve
(Willowbend
Enchanted Evening) had the pleasure
of travelling from the United States to England in May 2010 to compete in the IFCS World
Agility Championship at the Hand Equestrian Centre in Clevedon. She was surprised to learn that
Corgis are a rare sight in the agility ring. On the eve (no pun intended) of
the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebration, she agreed to write something about Corgis and agility
for Agilitynet.
Eve is the second Corgi that I have trained and competed with in
agility. In spite of their short legs and unique build, Corgis can make wonderful agility dogs.
They have a strong desire to work and are very intelligent. While they can be opinionated and
do require proper motivation in order to focus their energy the direction you prefer, most can
be easily convinced to love the game of agility using their love of food, play and toys.
Once
Eve began to have a clear understanding of her job, our relationship grew. She became an
incredible agility dog, achieving things that I never dreamed possible. At ten years of age,
she has won five United States national championships as well as a Silver medal at the IFCS
Championships. Her focus and attention to her work at large agility events is in part
attributable to the keenness and loyalty of the corgi breed.
I
was very excited about the prospect of having such a neat holiday experience with my dog as
well as developing friendships with other members of the agility team. I did have some worries
about the travel and paperwork to bring a dog into the UK. In the end, all went well and we
had a wonderful time at the Championships and travelling before and after the competition.
The Championships were a unique and
very exciting experience. Eve and I were thrilled to earn Silver in the Individual Agility
Toy category (12 inches).
While at
the Championships, we enjoyed travelling to the National Forrest, Bath and driving through
other parts of England, enjoying many parks and sights. Those memories are something that I
will cherish throughout my lifetime and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
Eve is my constant companion and her devotion to me is unwavering.
If you have ever had the pleasure of truly getting to know one of these special dogs, this
description will come as no surprise to you.
About
the author...
Janelle Julyan
lives in Chamblee, Georgia
where she is a paralegal.
Agility is the main sport in the Julyan household,
although Janelle has dabbled in herding, obedience, and disc dog. Before agility, Janelle was
an avid horseback rider. She enjoys hiking when she's not on the agility course.
