From Junior Handler to Team USA 2025

Finley Richgels is no stranger to world agility competition.

Mar 3, 2025

By: News Editor

Finley Richgels of Madison, Wisconsin, has been immersed in agility since she was born. Her mother, Shawna Richgels, has an agility training business, Canine Sports Zone, and Shawna’s Border Collie, Crush, was one of Finley’s first partners in the sport.

At just 7 years old, Finley entered her first trial with another borrowed dog named Scream. 

Finley Richgels hps“I’ve been so lucky to have so much support as a junior handler,” Finley said. “When I was in eighth grade (2018), I tried out and made my first junior international team with my mom’s other Border Collie, Charisma. We competed in The Netherlands at European Open Junior (now known as Junior Open Agility World Championship, JOAWC).  Eventually, I asked my family to allow me to get my own dog so I could train from the ground up.” 

While competing with Charisma on the international stage until 2022, Finley found the perfect next partner in Joker, who will join her at IFCS this year. She and Joker have appeared at multiple Cynosport® Dog Agility World Games and were also part of the JOAWC team from 2020 to 2022. When Finley started college at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse that year, she had to strike a balance between training and studying.  

“The first few years weren’t easy knowing I wouldn’t be living with Joker,” Finley said. “I never had to live in a place without my dogs before. Trying to find that balance in my life, seeing my dogs while getting used to college classes, taught me a lot, including to cherish my time with my dogs. I am so lucky that my mom has been able to keep Joker in shape while I’m away and send me so many videos! 

“One of the reasons I was interested in the IFCS team was the tryout process,” she continued. “With it being an online tryout, I was able to avoid missing too much school, and the competition itself is during my summer break. Joker and I are so happy to be selected for IFCS this year, and we can’t wait to visit Switzerland in June!”  

Stay tuned to the USDAA OVERview newsletter to learn more about the mother-daughter teamwork between Finley and Shawna later this year!