Great Outdoor Games staff — July 10, 2004
MADISON, Wis. — In sporting dog agility competition, bullying through the course of 13 narrowly-spaced weavepoles is not a prerequisite to gaining peak performance. Instead, to excel means combining the gyrating moves of a hula dancer with the blazing speed of a purse snatcher.
 | |
| Ransom (foreground) edged out Luz in the final round of the Superweave competition. |
Ransom is 20 inches in height or just under the 22-inch standard for the breed. Now four years old, she has competed since 2001 and is the defending gold medalist in the Large Agility competition of the ESPN Great Outdoor Games.
"She is small by Border Collie standards," said Kluever, the event's defending silver medalist from Romeoville, Ill. "An advantage of being smaller is having the ability to make quick, tight turns."
That advantage paid off handsomely for Kluever and Ransom, who were paired in the gold medal round against 2002 gold medal winner Luz, a Border Collie handled by Olga Chaiko.
 | |
| "An advantage of being smaller is having the ability to make quick, tight turns," says Sherry Kluever of Ransom. |
The competition's underdog ruled the bronze medal consolation round as newcomer Dilemma defeated Echo, an eight-year veteran of the sport and the defending gold medalist.
"I still cannot believe this," said Dilemma's owner/handler Lisa Flowers, of Westerville, Ohio. "I'm so humbled to be in the company of these dogs and people."
"I have been watching the Great Outdoor Games Agility competition since it began four years ago. This is a dream come true. But what is most special to me is that she is not my first agility dog but the first that really cared and responded to me."
The game is yet to be over for Ransom, Luz, Echo and Dilemma, who will run in tomorrow's Sporting Dog/Large Agility competition at Eukanaba Field of the Willow Island Willow Island venue at the Alliant Energy Center.
Final standings
1. Ransom, Sherry Kluever, Romeoville, Ill.
2. Luz, Olga Chaiko, North Hollywood, Calif.
3. Dilemma, Lisa Flowers, Westerville, Ohio
4. Echo, Kendall Fairchild, Amherst, N.H.
5. Ariba, Cindy Brick, Stevens Point, Wis.
6. Qwik, Stuart Mah, Bryceville, Fla.
7. Spring, Julie Daniels, North Sandwich, N.H.
8. Cap, Donna Rohaus, New Alexandria, Pa.
9. Houston, Kathy Wells, Southfield, Mich.
10. Mayhem, Chris Parker, Jackson, N.J.
11. Juice, Marcus Topps, Garland, Texas
12. Remy, Terry Smorch, Lake Elmo, Minn.
13. Quick, Kate Moureaux, Fillmore, Calif.
14. Able, Stacy Peardot-Goudy, La Porte, Colo.
15. Mojo, Kathy Keats, Tillsonburg, Ont., Canada
16. Dealer, Jennifer Pinder, Lapeer, Mich.
Results (By Round)
Final Round
Ransom 20.989 (0) def Luz 21.649 (5)
Consolation Round
Dilemma 24.480 (0) def Echo 28.402 (0)
Semi-Final Round
Luz 21.100 (5) def Echo 21.165 (5)
Ransom 20.709 (0) def Dilemma 21.104 (5)
Quarter-Final Round
Luz 26.085 (0) def Spring 22.667 (5)
Echo 21.898 (0) def Cap 23.855 (5)
Dilemma 20.555 (0) def Qwik 20.373 (5)
Ransom 19.509 (0) def Ariba 22.691 (0)
Round One
Luz 21.339 (5) def Quick 21.609 (5)
Spring 22.152 (0) def Houston 24.191 (0)
Cap 24.884 (0) def Remy 21.412 (5)
Echo 21.865 (0) def Juice 19.961 (5)
Dilemma 24.272 (0) def Dealer 23.544 (50)
Qwik 21.314 (0) def Mayhem 25.906 (0)
Ariba 22.717 (0) def Mojo 20.842 (50)
Ransom 20.441 (0) def Able 22.098 (5)
Qualifier
1 Luz 21.527 (0)
2 Dilemma 21.666 (0)
3 Ransom 21.707 (0)
4 Echo 21.983 (0)
5 Cap 22.849 (0)
6 Ariba 23.173 (0)
7 Mayhem 23.529 (0)
8 Houston 23.543 (0)
9 Spring 24.309 (0)
10 Qwik 21.677 (5)
11 Mojo 22.000 (5)
12 Remy 23.535 (5)
13 Juice 25.209 (5)
14 Able 22.876 (10)
15 Dealer 37.909 (10)
16 Quick 23.494 (20)
