Nancy started her agility career in 2006 in North Carolina with her miniature schnauzer Zoe. Five years ago she returned to her roots in Baltimore, MD ultimately (and fortunately :) ) finding her way to Branchwater. As a team they have competed from NC to NJ and earned both the AKC MACH title and the USDAA PDCH title. Zoe and Nancy have nationally ranked on the USDAA Performance Top Ten list from 2013 through 2015 as well as being a semi-finalist at the Cynosport Games in Tennessee in 2013.
Her instructing and handling is grounded in her professional educational teaching background. She has been teaching and coaching young people for 20+ years but since becoming involved in agility her passion has shifted and the desire to learn more and teach others has elevated noting that “The bond that develops between handler and dog is immeasurable and helping others to strengthen this connection through agility is so rewarding”.
She has been working with agility students at the Intro and Intermediate level over the past few years and loves seeing her students’ progress taking place at many agility trials. She has also been asked on a number of occasions to run other handlers’ dogs at trials which she feels is quite a compliment. In addition, to training and running Zoe, Nancy also has the opportunity to continue to train and run border collie Riz owned by Penny Miller and is always happily available and trusted as on on-call handler for border collie BWBC Wick owned and trained by Doreen Suchting. These experiences continue to strengthen her skills as a handler and are helping to developed her knowledge and technique as an instructor. Finally, she also is pleased to have judging experience at Branchwater’s Intro trials which broadens her dimensions of agility knowledge.
Nancy’s other interests include playing golf, pickleball, biking, cross-country skiing and working-out.
Branchwater 