NATCH & Vers-NATCH Kant!!

When I started in agility almost 10 years ago, everything was new and titles made no sense. I had no idea what I was getting in to, where I was going, or what I was doing! The things I would do, the places I would go, the people I would meet on this journey, and the dogs that I would get! Hershey was a great first agility dog; he taught me so much, even through all the frustration, and got me hooked on the sport.

And at 10 years old he is still running and we are having a great time, finally! But I knew he was not the competitive dog I needed so the search began…

After looking for a while I was finally introduced to Gail Dickson and Weathermans Shelties in Spokane Washington. In the fall of 2002 she did not have any puppies available but a couple of month later Gail got hold of me to tell me she had a litter that she thought I should look at. So in January 2003 I drove to Seattle Washing to me meet Gail for the first time at an AKC show. And the next month Jordana and I drove to Spokane Washington to look at puppies. I went to bed the first night not knowing which of the wonderful puppies I would be taking but I knew one of them would be going home with me and I had it narrowed down to the blue merles. Gail said she knew which one I would pick and she was right!

Who would have known what this fuzzy little puppy would do to my life!

What is a NATCH? Well NATCH stands for NADAC Agility Trial Champion so what does that mean. It means that we have gotten Novice and Open Titles in Regular, Jumpers, and Chances, we stayed in each level to earn the Superior Titles which just means we stayed in each level working on teamwork until there were no further titles to earn. Then in Elite you start earning points in those classes towards a NATCH, something I never thought Kant would live long enough to earn. After earning 230 points in Regular, each qualifying run is worth 10 points, 130 in Jumpers, and 130 in Chances you earn the NATCH! There is also a Versatility NATCH which means besides the NATCH points you also completed your Novice, Open, and earned 130 Elite points in TouchNGo, Weavers, and Tunnelers, we did the Superior Titles in all those classes at each level also.

Jumps have always been our issue. I have tried almost every training method and trick but we still struggled. I questioned several times whether I should give up trying for the Open Superior Jumpers Title and just move to Elite. But I kept saying after next trial. Until we finally finished our Open Superior Jumpers in Moab Utah at the judge’s clinic, May 2009! Later that same month at the NADAC Fun-raiser in Corvallis Oregon we got our first Elite Jumpers Q only 12 more to go! I would have never guessed that one year later at the same NADAC Fun-raiser that I got my first Elite Jumpers Q I would get the last Jumpers Q needed for the NATCH & Vers-NATCH and on the first day of the trial! We went on to get Jumpers on Sunday! Someone asked me “Now what?” NATCH & Vers-NATCH-2 of course only 9 more jumpers to go. I was asked if I cried, YES and I still do when I watch the video or think back about the run. Here is the link to Kant’s NATCH run on You-Tube, we had a couple small bobbles but remember I was a little nervous, I did not know an arena that big could get so quiet, and even though the run does not last long it is very hard to get commands out when you are not breathing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jou-yJJIGTA

Thank you everyone for your congratulations and celebration for Kant and I!! Your words mean the world to me. And in case you did not know yet…MY DOG ROCKS!!

Traci and Vers-NATCH Kant

PS – Kant was entered in 8 classes this weekend and Q’d in all of them; earning 4 more Elite Regular Qs and 2 Elite Hoopers Qs besides the 2 Jumpers. Kant has run clean in the past two trials!! I am so proud of my big blue dog and our teamwork!

Echo was also entered in this trial and Q’d in both Open Hoopers on Friday night. Saturday we struggled a bit with timing which is very hard for me with a puppy that is faster than Kant. But she did Q in Regular and Jumpers and got her first Open Tunnelers Q. Sunday we were a much better team and she Q’d in all 5 classes finishing her Novice Superior Regular title, finally 12 weave poles maybe a have a chance to catch up with her. I have absolutely nothing to complain about she Q’d in 10 of the 13 classes! I am thrilled with what a team we are becoming and I can see a NATCH in her distant future.

Thank you Gail for the puppy picture of Kant and
Joe Camp for the agility photo!!