Arizona Handlers Enjoy Home Turf at Cynosport 2024

Locals share how they got started in agility and tips for success.

Several local agility competitors will be in the ring at this year’s Cynosport^® World Games Presented by Purina^® Pro Plan^® in Tucson, Arizona, November 6-10. Learn more about what got them started in the sport and the dogs joining them for the event.

Kirsten Lake

In 2011, Kirsten Lake adopted a dog from a local rescue and started agility classes to give her shy dog a fun job. As a handler, she wasn’t hooked on the sport right away. It took her a while to understand the strategy and complexity of the courses and even longer to enjoy trials.

“I was never motivated by the ribbons and titles, but eventually I realized that trials are also a place to compete against yourself and test your skills,” Kirsten said. “They’re the best way to be challenged by new courses and potentially be presented with new challenges. While I was figuring that out, it was my dog and my friends that kept me motivated to keep attending classes and trials.”

Kirsten Lake and Ren

Kirsten started looking for her third dog for agility in 2018, but it wasn’t until 2019 that she found a match, when the Sanctuary Project (a no-kill rescue group in Tucson) reached out to her looking for an active home for a 6-month-old puppy.

Training Ren for agility was fun and relatively easy, but as they started to compete, Kirsten realized he never really relaxed at a trial. His tension often built during multi-day events and negatively affected his performance. She worked on relaxation strategies for a while, until she wondered why she was forcing the issue when they could simply enter a single-day trial.

“Every dog teaches us something. Ren has taught me to be aware of when we are really having fun and when we aren’t,” she said. “By knowing when not to compete, I’ve learned how to maximize the joy we get from the sport.” Because Kirsten minimizes Ren’s number of runs, she will only compete in the individual tournaments at Cynosport.

“We will have fun with the course, but I’m mostly excited to watch everyone else run and support the event!”

Mindy Stomel

A local agility trainer with students who are very active in both of Tucson’s agility clubs, Mindy Stomel started training her own dogs for the sport about 15 years ago. Even though most at the time were never going to be sport dogs, she enjoyed how quickly and naturally it helped build their communication and relationship as a team. She took several of her dogs through foundation classes, including her St. Bernard, who preferred to spectate and once took a nap in a tunnel.

Now, Mindy has three dogs who compete in the sport. Gram, her 10-year-old Shetland Sheepdog, will mark her third appearance at Cynosport this year. Because of her behavior, Gram was relinquished to the veterinary clinic where Mindy worked, and she became Mindy’s once-in-a-lifetime dog. They are joined in the house by Effort, a 3-year-old Border Collie who doesn’t take things too seriously and keeps Mindy’s head on level ground, and Fault, a young Border/Shet who just started her agility journey.

Gram (Photo: Barking Dog Images)

“I always tell my students to look for the moments of brilliance,” Mindy said. “There are some in every class, at every trial and in every training session. You might need to look in the reflection to see them, but they are there, shining bright.”

Mindy acquired the company she was working for about a year ago, which has given her more freedom in scheduling to teach, train and take other agility opportunities she wouldn’t otherwise be able to enjoy. She and her family also have two acres of land outside the city where they care for donkeys, goats, sheep, emus and chickens.

Jill Thorpe

When Jill Thorpe and her husband adopted a Rat Terrier mix in 2002, Jill got started in agility to give her dog something to do. She fell in love with the memory, strategy, connection between dog and handler, and camaraderie among fellow competitors. Since then, she and her husband have become more involved in the Saguaro Scramblers Agility Club, and Jill is serving her second stint as club president.

Jill has been to Cynosport before, running with a Jack Russell Terrier mix, Penny, and their third-place Performance Team partners, Maureen Flaherty and True (2014). This year, Jill will compete with her 7-year-old Cattle Dog/Chihuahua, Charlie. He was rescued from the Pima Animal Control Center in 2017, and Jill said he is wicked fast to the point of becoming frustrated that she can’t always keep up. All five of her agility partners have been rescues.

Jill Thorpe and Charlie (Photo: Capture Your Ego Photography)

“Here in Arizona, I can say that there is nothing better than running around with your dog doing agility,” Jill said. “Cynosport visitors shouldn’t hesitate to ask people for a brief explanation of what’s going on. Don’t bother someone getting ready to go in the ring, of course, but if there are people milling about, know that there is nothing more we like to do than talk about our sport!

“And since the event will be in Tucson, wear a hat and sunscreen and bring a little folding chair,” she added. “I’ve seen lots of people who want to stay and watch but grow too tired from just standing around.”

Outside the sport, Jill works as a criminal defense attorney.

Gail Todd

Gail Todd has been involved in dog agility for 25 years. Th e sport was still very new when she first joined a local club’s 10-week session with her shy rescue dog in 1999, but as their confidence and relationship grew, Gail was hooked.

“I enjoy the teamwork-building process, the connection with my dogs, and learning how dogs think and learn,” Gail said. “Agility has changed so much in 25 years, and we’ve enjoyed all the new challenges and skills the sport presents as it evolves. I have many good friends that I wouldn’t have met had it not been for agility, so it’s also fun catching up with them on the weekends while we play with our dogs.”

Gail joined Saguaro Scramblers with her first dog, a Cattle Dog mix named Addie, and later became an instructor with them for several years. She really enjoys watching new teams to the sport grow and connect with their dogs, often working with people up to the Masters level.

“If you’re new to agility, don’t hesitate to ask the rest of us any questions you have,” she said. “We all started out not knowing much about the sport, and I very much remember the uncertainty of it all. If you want to compete or even just strengthen your bond with your dog, find an instructor who is experienced in the sport and understands the science of dog behavior and training. You’ll never regret having fun with your canine teammate!”

Joining Gail at Cynosport are Widget, a 12-year-old Cattle Dog/Border Collie competing in Veterans, and Kweeva, a 2-year-old Miniature Schnauzer who will make her Cynosport debut. Gail also has a Mudi who prefers lower-key competitions and only goes to local trials.

Kweeva (Photo: Capture Your Ego Photography)

In her life outside of agility, Gail is passionate about preserving cultural resources in southern Arizona. She works on a prehistoric Petroglyph research recording team, recording over 75 historic sites and 17,000 images, and is an Arizona Site Steward, monitoring and protecting archaeological and historic sites for various land managers. She also loves hiking and running trails with her dogs.

“We are a City of Gastronomy showcasing more than 4,000 years of food being grown here,” Gail said. “From Indigenous food to Sonoran, we have the best restaurants and food trucks. We appreciate everyone coming here—Cynosport is a fabulous event! You can feel, see and hear the energy throughout the venue, and it’s a thrill to watch the connection between dog and handler as they navigate the challenges on course.”