Heather Smith - 2015 - Pioneer of Dog Agility

In the early days of U.S. agility, Dallas, Texas, was a hub of activity, where dedicated individuals built obstacles from scrap materials, carried them to a park weekly, and invited one and all to try agility. At later public exhibitions, Heather Smith was one of the agility enthusiasts setting up demos at shopping malls, festivals and anywhere else they could get an invitation. Ultimately, they hosted an exhibition competition at a large public venue in Houston.  Heather was one of the pioneers of agility, among the supporters before USDAA existed. She helped formalize and shape the Dallas Agility Working Group and remained active in the group.

After those early efforts, her service to the sport continued in a different role. Since 1990 she has served on the staff of USDAA, overseeing office needs and later coordinating logistics for USDAA's tournaments and USDAA's Cynosport® World Games.