Renee, Tess & Yogi
Renee St. Jacques
~~~~2004 Nationals~~~~
Most Versitile Junior
High in Trial Open Working Junior
High Combined Working Open Junior
High in Trial Agility Junior WASCA Pre-Trial
Qualified with Yogi #15 and Libby #21 in Most Versitile Aussie
I had always wanted a dog to do agility, herding, and handling with, just like Mom. I finally got my wish on my second birthday. She was a dumpling pile of fur, but I loved her and named her Tess. Tess and I grew up together and learned all about life and especially dog showing. Finally, at age 4, I started handling Tess in PeeWee Junior Handling. Even though I particularly liked doing dog agility and herding better, my experiences with Tess led me to grow up to make it into Open (Junior and Senior [age 14]). Tess and I made it all the way to Started Sheep titles, Open Agility titles and many Jr. Handling awards. I had always hoped we would grow old together, but found out quickly that dogs grow old faster than people do. So, on October 29, 2001, we found out that Tess had a tumor even though she was only 11 years old. She lasted past her birthday, and was almost to Christmas, but then on December 16, she died in my lap at 12 years old.
Now it was time to start with a new dog and a new beginning. Before Tessy had passed away, I had started training with a new pup named Yogiber. Yogi was a wigglebutt and good pal. Now, thanks to Tessy, I knew how to teach and do everything with Yogi so we started right away. It didn't take long to finish his Championship and made it all the way to getting Winners Dog and Best of WInners at the ASCA Nationals in Washington State in 1998. Yogi and I also started doing agility and have gotten our Elite Standard and Jumpers titles. We have also gotten our NAJ, OAJ, JHD and STD(sheep) titles. We are still working on herding & agility and hope to start with Obedience and Tracking.
Yogi is now 4 years old and I have started with a new pup named Libby. I will always think of Tessy and our friendship together and still work with Yogi on new titles, but now it is Libby's turn for her and me to begin training and start to look for new adventures.
Copyright © 2000-2005 by Debra St. Jacques. No reproduction of any kind, of any of the material on this site, is permitted without the written permission of Debra St. Jacques, or in the case of previously published articles, the indicated author.
