- Six-year-old border collie Shelby Cobra, co-owned by Newington residents, won the masters agility championship at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
- Shelby Cobra’s handler and breeder, Amber McCune of American K9 Country, has won the same event six times with Shelby Cobra and her relatives.
- Shelby Cobra’s father, Kaboom, also won the same event three times.
NEWINGTON — Joyce and Chris Tenahaagen are celebrating the success of Shelby Cobra, their 6-year-old border collie that recently won a Westminster Kennel Club competition.
They co-own the dog with Amber McCune of American K9 Country in Amherst, who served as Shelby Cobra’s handler as it won the masters agility championship in the 20-inch class. The competition was held Feb. 8, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. McCune is also the dog’s breeder and trainer.
“We were so fortunate to get Shelby from her breeder, and from such an illustrious litter,” said Joyce Tenhaagen, who has experience as a handler at Westminster in the past. “I began working with her on her training when she was two and a half. I had some health problems that prevented me from continuing in these very physical competitions, so we are thrilled to share her with Amber. She travels with Shelby and trains at their facility in Amherst. It’s an amazing facility, and her winning the event is a big deal for us all.”
Champions run in Shelby Cobra’s lineage. McCune said the dog’s father, Kaboom, won the same event three times, calling it a remarkable feat.
“Westminster has only held the agility event for the past 12 years,” McCune said. “I have attended 11 events and won six, all with Shelby and her relatives.”
The Westminster Kennel Club dog show’s main event, where the Best in Show is crowned, is famously held at Madison Square Garden. McCune called that the “beauty contest” while agility is the “fast sport,” similar to car racing.
McCune said dog agility is an amazing sport for both dogs and handlers.
“All you need to start agility is a happy hungry dog, a pocket full of yummy treats and a local dog school to help steer you in the right direction,” she said. “I am so fortunate to do this for a living. I travel for competitions about 40 weekends a year, and I absolutely love what I do.”
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