MACH5 Al
(MACH5 Willowmere's Jazzman D'Laviere)
Lavonda Herring and Karen Winter Judges
On August 29, 2008, Al earned his 100th Double Q and finished the AKC’s requirements for the title, Master Agility Champion 5, better known as MACH5.
Al is the only Sighthound in the history of the AKC Agility to have reached this level of achievement.
I will probably say way too much about my little guy, but he deserves all the praise I can heap on him, so I’ll apologize in advance as I bless over him.
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Only 3 Sighthounds have earned the MACH4 title. The first was MACH4 Karin’s Midnight Fury JC an Afghan (earning MACH4 on 12/19/2004 at the age of 9 years and 10 months). The second was Al an Italian Greyhound who earned MACH4 on March 21, of this year (2008) at the age of 8 years and 2 months. The most recent is the famous Keno (CH MACH4 Bijan-Lyrix Megabucks, MXF) another Afghan Hound who was the 3rd to earn MACH4 and did it June 21 of 2008 at the age of 10 years.
When Al earned MACH4 five months ago, he became the first and only MACH4 Italian Greyhound. At the time I let a few people know about this achievement, but I didn’t want to make too much of it at the time as I felt some sadness and embarrassment about having gone a little further than Marti McFly (MACH3 Martini-Shaken, Not Stirred) whose teammate is Debbie Wheeler. Debbie and Marti had led the way for us, throughout our whole experience in agility, and have been an amazing example to me. They have been an inspiration, and will be always. I am not going to be bashful about Al's achievement of MACH5!!
Some people do agility for the titles and when they get them they move on. For me, it would seem too cruel to just stop while we are having so much fun doing what we do. Titles are something that happen as we travel down the pathway of Agility. I see Agility as being very similar to landscaping a yard. You prepare the ground, you plant, you nurture, and you observe, and then you move things around, and replace what dies, you add stuff, and as time passes the garden gets more beautiful. The process never stops. It takes years and years of work to get what you want; and even then the process doesn’t stop. This is how it has been with Al and me. We are continually evolving as we work at this sport. His titles, while they are very nice to have, are simply mementos of his passing a milepost along the way. His greater achievements are those that happen every day in his regular day to day life. Having said that; I’m as proud of Al as a person could be, for having gone as far as he has along the road, and for taking me with him.
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The ribbons, titles, awards and recognition are always great to get, but Al doesn’t know or care about that. What he cares about is what is happening right now, and when he is doing agility he’s still the happiest dog to watch on the course. We’ll keep doing it as long as he’s happy, willing and healthy!! I feel, now more than ever, that we have started to ripen as a team. I’m getting more comfortable with what I have to do, so our runs are relaxing for me and easier and more fun for Al. The result is that we are having a lot of fun when we run. I’ve enjoyed every one of my runs with my little man, but it seems that the more experience we have, the greater the fun for both of us. We’re also getting better at what we do while on course, as his speed is still going up, and our consistency has really improved.
If I could, I’d like Al to know what I really love about him. Al would wonder what on earth I was jabbering about; but this is what I would say to him.
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He has a dauntless spirit, and he has convinced me that he is much bigger than the 10 pounds that register on the scale. He didn’t quit on me when I put too much pressure on him in the beginning of our agility adventures. He hung in there, and was willing to try again, and again to play our game. In doing this, Al taught me an important lesson about myself, which has helped me in all aspects of my life. |
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I’d tell Al how proud I am of him; not for where he has arrived, but for how far he has come, and for how well he has traveled. |
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I’d tell Al what a great teacher he is, and that he has the patience of Job; as it took me forever to learn from him, how to train him, how to run with him and how to stay out of his way, and how to play with him. |
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I’d tell Al that we are team mates not because we do Agility 3 minutes a week, but because we don’t do agility for the other 10,077 minutes. He is the greatest little companion! |
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I love the fact that he wiggles his tail so hard that his butt waves back and forth when he plays or wants some attention from me. I like that he will pester me to pay attention to him when he needs it. I love the fact that he owns his portion of the bed, and insists on licking every part of my face and neck and hands when we lie down in it to rest after a day of agility. I love how he thumps his tail gently when he nestles or stirs beside me. |
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I love how he entertains himself by defending the yard against all trespassers such as squirrels, cats, possum, bunnies, dogs, and mail men. His ritual of insisting that he and I play with a squeaky toy before each meal is hilarious! And something to behold! I also love the sounds he makes when he attacks each meal as if he hadn’t eaten for days. |
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I love that his heart is about to beat it’s way out of his chest from excitement after he finishes his agility runs. When I pick him up after a run he is so excited that he can barely be held because he is squirming so much, and when I finally get his leash on him and put him on the ground he pulls so hard that I have to run with him to get his hairy Tarantula toy (AKA as his “Guts”) that has been stuffed with treats that he gets no matter what!! |
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I love the little squeals of excitement, and body movements he makes when he dreams, and the squeal that he makes when he’s running with me! |
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Al is always watching me and observant of everything I do; and I like that. I like that he knows what things that I do mean. That luggage getting packed means a big trip. The cooler out means Agility! And that tooth brushing by me could mean a car ride for him! I love that he waits in the sun lying on the back of the leather sofa waiting for me to get back home, and that when I do get home he wants to be first to be asked to go “up up”, which for him means jump up on the back of a chair and then launch into my arms where he is the first to get loved and fussed over. |
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I’d tell Al that it makes me feel great when I see how proud he is of himself, and that he thinks every time somebody gets a MACH, that all the cheering during their MACH lap is for him!! It’s so funny when this happens as he howls like a coyote during all the celebration! I think it is great that he is a little show off, and the bigger the crowd, the noisier the place, the more he feels compelled to let people know that Al is in the house, as he prances around. |
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I’d also tell him how much joy he brings to other people who watch him, whether they know him or not. And how frequently people come up to me and ask about Al, and comment on how great a little dog he is. The relationship that he lets me have with him is obvious, and people notice, and comment. |
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I'd like to be able to let Al know it when some one whose opinion I value will come up and tell me that we had a nice run. Or when someone we don't know feels the urge to tell me how much they enjoyed watching Al run! |
I was really happy to share a very special day with so many friends that we have made in our adventures in doing Agility! It has been so nice to get to know the Agility Community in the Northwest. The competitors here have been so supportive, for which I cannot thank them enough. I’m glad that they have been able to watch us grow as a team and were there to celebrate with us.
I'd particularly, like to thank several people who have helped me so much in working with Al and learning how to run with him, train him and improve my skills in planning and executing. Their faith, advise, constructive criticism, friendship and enthusiastic support and unbelievable patience, were never expected, and something I will never forget.
Jef Blake
Barb Davis
Karla Kimmey
Helen King
Dr. Kathy Sheeran and everyone at It's A Dogs World Training Center
I am truly grateful to all of you and to the many other unnamed friends who have helped us along the way. Thank you so much!!
What’s in the future? I’m looking forward to taking Al to the AKC/Eukanuba Invitational Agility Championships in December of this year in Long Beach (to compete as the #1 Invitee) and in March of ’09 going to North Carolina to the AKC National Agility Championships.
Video of Al's JWW run for his 100th QQ is viewable if you follow this link
