Rafael Quinones - 2015 - Meritorious Service

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Rafael Quinones has been involved with agility for more than 20 years, including 13 years as a USDAA® judge. He is the founder of the Puerto Rico Agility Team (PRAT), the only active group currently in Puerto Rico. He and his wife survived Hurricane Maria and are working to rebuild the sport there.

As a competitor, Rafael has proven he can compete against the best in the world. He is the first and only person from Puerto Rico to advance to the finals in both the Grand Prix® and Steeplechase® tournaments with the same dog. He was also the first person in Puerto Rico to achieve USDAA's coveted Agility Dog Champion® title, a huge accomplishment considering the limited event opportunities on the island.

Rafael is also a Masters level judge, a Supervising Judge and a Certified Measuring Judge. He has traveled all over the U.S. as both a competitor and judge. He continues to promote agility by giving seminars and judging clinics, specifically in other Spanish-speaking countries, such as Spain, Mexico, Chile, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, to name just a few.

Rafael was honored with the Meritorious Service Award for his dedication to supporting and promoting USDAA.