Elizabeth Blanchard - 2020 - Pioneer of Dog Agility

Elizabeth Blanchard is widely known in the agility community as a champion – inside and outside of the ring. 

Her agility addiction started when she saw it for the first time at the 1990 USDAA National Championship in Houston. She has competed at top levels in the sport for 30 years now -- with five Shelties and a Boston Terrier – including 29 consecutive years at USDAA Nationals. Among her lasting contributions to the sport are her role as a member of the USDAA Demonstration Team throughout the early 1990s and as a member of the only all mini-dog team to win the Dog Agility Masters tournament nationally twice, promoting small dogs in the sport. 

Elizabeth became an agility judge in 1994 and opened Leaps and Bounds Agility Center in Houston in 1998. This year the center hosted USDAA@Home!SM participants and Fall Festival competitors to allow them to continue to enjoy the sport when many live trials were canceled due to the pandemic.

Outside the ring, Elizabeth champions her fellow agility enthusiasts as well as small dog agility. 

Renee King, who nominated Elizabeth for the Hall of Fame, said, “She is the absolute epitome of a good sport and frequently encourages new handlers as well as experienced ones. I will never forget her support when I began the sport in 1999. Even though I sometimes placed ahead of her, she attended EVERY award ceremony and always congratulated me.” Renee added that Elizabeth continues to prove that handling, training and skills are needed in this sport, not just a large fast dog.