A sports-minded Border Collie, an aloof Berger Picard and a fun-going Pembroke Welsh Corgi and their handlers upped their game at the AKC Agility League Championship Sept. 26 to 28, 2025, in Pendleton, South Carolina, to win the Freshman Division Reserve Champion title.
“Going into Finals after running in standard, jumpers and hybrid, we were in fourth place,” says Team 4 Motley Crew captain Mary Anissa Lyttle of Blountville, Tennessee. “We moved up a couple of places. It was pretty special.”
Mary Anissa and her teammates, Angie Robinette of Meadowview, Virginia, and Eva Gleason of Kingsport, Tennessee, agree that the experience affirmed that hard work pays off and validated that their training was on track. They represented their seven-member dog agility team, who has been together since the Winter 2024 Season.
“The third annual championship included more than 90 teams of three-to-eight dogs and their handlers competing in divisions from pre-novice to international style, a triple increase in the number of teams that competed at the first National,” says Penny Leigh, Director of AKC Agility League. All had participated in at least one season of League from Fall 2024 to Spring/Summer 2025 on their home training fields.
“It’s such a joy to see all the League’s participants come together to compete in person,” Penny says. “The teams and dogs always give it their all.”
Based out of Run Fast Bark Loud Dog Sports in Kingsport, Tennessee, Team 4 Motley Crew enjoyed their second career competitive event and second time running on dirt courses. One week before the championship, the teammates and their dogs traveled to Waynesville, North Carolina to compete at the Blue Ridge Agility Club, where they gained experience at a sanctioned trial running on dirt courses.
“We are mostly all newbies to dog agility,” Mary Anissa says.
"We had zero knowledge and zero experience in the sport prior to Agility League.”
– Mary Anissa, Team 4 Motley Crew captain
Gauging by their team’s success at the National plus the individual awards their dogs won, they are acquiring confidence and skills. Individual awards included:
- “Ender” (Circle A Ender NAJ BCAT ACT1 CGCA CGCU TKA VHMA), Angie’s 4-year-old male Border Collie, placed third in the 20-inch Regular class and received a Clean Sweep Award for flawless runs.
- “Daphne” (Rochill Eclipse Alakazam de Haute Crete RN FDC NJP CAA DCAT SBA SCN SEN RATO DJ DN CGCA TKI ATT), Eva’s 2½-year-old female Berger Picard, placed second in the 20-inch Preferred class.
- “Rigby” (Rigby IX DCAT CA TKN FDC THDN RATN CGCA), Mary Anissa’s 3-year-old male Pembroke Welsh Corgi, placed third in the 8-inch Preferred class.
“Ender’s runs were all clean,” Angie says. “I took a deep breath before each one.
He did fine.”
The Border Collie was an active sport dog before starting agility in January 2025. He already had earned titles in barn hunt, trick dog and dock diving. “I wanted to train where I could learn the rules of agility,” says Angie, who bred Ender’s litter.
Berger Picard Daphne is among a few of her breed in agility. Owner Eva was “bound and determined to get a dog I could do sports with,” she says, after competing in agility 15 years ago with Miniature Pinschers.
Daphne has lived up to her expectations. The youngster has already titled in rally, Fast CAT, scent work, dock diving, trick dog, and now, agility.
“Daphne learns super fast, and she’s always willing to try everything,” Eva says. “She’s much more confident since she started doing League in Fall 2024. She trots along and likes to look around and be nosy, yet other times she is consistent and stays with me. Our run in Finals was her best ever.”
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Rigby started in agility after becoming a certified therapy dog. “He has a phenomenal temperament,” says Mary Anissa, who adopted him from a rescue organization because his foster mom thought he would be a good therapy dog but not a candidate for agility.
“We tried agility for fun, and he seemed to like it,” she says. “Therapy work is hard, and agility is something fun to offset it. He is doing well in agility.”
The Agility League Championship outshined the expectations of Team 4 Motley Crew.
“Everyone was so nice, and it was such a friendly competition,” Eva says.
“I loved the National,” agrees Angie. “People were so encouraging and helpful.”
“Agility League has been a journey, and it is so much more fun than I could have ever dreamed,” Mary Anissa says.
Congratulations, Team 4 Motley Crew, on a job well done!
