Team USA got off to a soaring start on the first day of the 2026 International Federation of Cynological Sports (IFCS) World Agility Championship (WAC) by winning five medals in Individual Gamblers, more than any country.
Representing the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA), Team USA unleashed a spirit of determination that prevailed throughout the event April 28 to May 3, 2026, in Valencia, Spain. Ultimately, Team USA earned 15 medals, the second highest number won behind Canada’s 20 medals.
The 2026 IFCS World Agility Championship drew an entry of 265 handler-dog teams representing 14 countries. Team USA boasted a record roster of 27 handlers and 30 dogs.
Five Pro Plan-fueled dogs successfully completed the gamble and earned enough points to medal in the fast-paced strategic game. Three dogs were first-time IFCS WAC medal winners, two of which won after three straight years competing at the elite global event.
“It was a great way to start off IFCS winning Gamblers,” says Courtney Moore of New Orleans, who won a gold medal in the 250 mm (10-inch) class with her 7-year-old female Border Collie/Papillon “Butter” (MACH IWAC IAC Ryan’s Everything Better With Butter MX MXJ XF DCAT). The speedy Borderpap is fed Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula.
“Gamblers set the tone for the rest of the event. It gave us a rush to push for more,” says Courtney, who also guided Butter to gold medals in All-Around Jumping, All-Around Standard, and All-Around Overall. During three consecutive years at IFCS, Butter has won nine gold medals, two silver medals, and a bronze medal.
Team manager Courtney Keys of Portland, Oregon, a member of the 2015 Team USA that competed in Voghera, Italy, says, “It was amazing to win five medals at the first event at IFCS. Our team camaraderie was unparalleled.”
In addition to Courtney and Butter, the Individual Gamblers medal winners for Team USA are:
- Rachel Molenaar of Dracut, Massachusetts, and her 4 ½-year-old female Papillon “Hazel” (Witchinghour Marvelous Miss Hazel), who took silver in the 250 mm (10-inch) class. Hazel is fed Pro Plan SPORT Small Bites 27/17 Lamb & Rice Formula.
- Reese Spindle of Severn, Maryland, and her 4 ½-year-old female Miniature Poodle “Havana” (Safranne’s Doña Havana De La Vega MX MXJ OF DCAT TKN), who took silver in the 300 mm (12-inch) class. Havana is fed Pro Plan SPORT Performance 30/20 Salmon & Rice Formula.
- Abby David of Houston, Texas, and her 5 ½-year-old female Border Collie “Bungee” (IAC2 IWAC Spitfire’s Taking The Leap CSS AX MXJ XF RDFM RM AAD), who took silver in the 500 mm (20-inch) class. Bungee is fed Pro Plan SPORT Performance 30/20 Beef & Bison and Salmon & Rice Formula.
- Barb Davis of West Palm Beach, Florida, and her 5-year-old male Border Collie “Brewsky” (MACH2 Rb Crafted Brewsky CD RE MXS PAD MJS PJD XF T2B; MAD TOURNAMENT MASTER-BRONZE), who took bronze in the 600 mm (24-inch) class. Brewsky is fed Pro Plan SPORT Active 26/16 Formula.
Mastering the Gamblers Dog Agility Course
The thrill of running Individual Gamblers in an elite dog agility competition is putting together an opening that tallies a high number of points and then transitions to the gamble finish and the chance to earn bonus points. The course in Spain offered multiple paths as dogs zipped across a dog walk, an A-frame, a seesaw, through tunnels, and a mix of jumps. When the gamble buzzer screeched, dogs raced to the finish following a predetermined sequence.
“In Gamblers, points trump time,” says Reese, who won her first medal at IFCS after three straight years competing. “In our class, the gold medal winner beat us by 1 point. I actually slowed Havana down because I wanted the most optimal and timely approach into the gamble. If I had just kept pace, there was another jump directly in our path and we would have had the point. Despite the deliberate slowdown, Havana’s time was still 2.14 seconds faster than the gold medal–winning run.”
Having a high point total going into the gamble worked favorably for Rachel and Hazel, an enthusiastic Papillon who screams with excitement at the start line, competing at her third IFCS in Spain after two fourth places at IFCS in 2025 in Switzerland.
“Hazel got silver without getting the gambler bonus because she racked up so many points in the opening,” Rachel says. “We didn’t get the bonus because we were .69 seconds over the time limit. It helped that the dog walk was the high-point obstacle, and it was in the middle of the sequence. She has a very fast and reliable dog walk.”
“For me, it’s thrilling to try to plan and execute a successful gambler run within the appropriate time. It is very much a challenging game,” says Courtney, who won gold in Individual Gamblers in 2024 in France with Butter as well as this year in Spain.
“Part of our success was the amount of time I spent building distance skills when I had a couple of surgeries in 2023,” says Barb, of training her first-time IFCS competitor Brewsky, though she competed with Team USA in 2019 with his great-uncle “Flex.”
“Brewsky had a gorgeous running dog walk, and I was in just the right place to signal the backside jump,” Barb says. “He immediately knew he was to do the skill we named ‘snake,’ and he confidently continued to the finish jump straight ahead.”
“Luckily, this Gamblers included something Bungee is really good at, turning away and doing distance work,” Abby says. “Plus, she has an obvious left and right command, which helped us.
“Bungee is at the top of her game and truly tries her hardest,” she says of her fourth-time IFCS competitor, who won a silver medal in Individual Jumpers in 2023 at her first IFCS in Newark, England.
Pausing to Reflect
The Gambler medalists agree that making the podium affirmed that hard work pays off and persistence is key to success.
“It was my secret goal to make the podium,” Rachel says. “We went into this year’s IFCS as prepared as we could be. The only thing you can control is doing your best. We really wanted to make the podium, so it was extra special.”
“It seems like we spent years chasing a dream, but I believed all the hard work would eventually pay off,” Reese says. “It was an incredible rush of emotions when we crossed the finish line. The energy in the arena was electric, and hearing the crowd erupt when Havana completed the gamble is a moment I’ll never forget.”
As for Bungee, Abby says, “Bungee trusted me, and I trusted her. Our teamwork and the fact that this dog has such stunning groundspeed helped us. I truly believe she is a one-in-a-million dog.”
Good job, Individual Gambler medal winners, for pumping up the team and paving the way for an outstanding team performance at the 2026 IFCS World Agility Championship in Spain. Congratulations, Team USA!
