Joy in the Journey: Amber Abbott and Her Family

"Always find time for new adventures."

This article was originally published in the April 2024 OVERview digital magazine.

For nearly 28 years, Amber Abbott has loved her adventure through the sport. The Peoria, Ariz., resident has had a very supportive family throughout her agility career. She met her husband, Travis Russon, through the sport 14 years ago, and their 8-year-old daughter, Beckit, occasionally runs with a mixed breed dog of her own. Amber and her mother even bought a travel trailer together to turn bigger events into family vacations.

The family’s most recent trip was to the Wild West Regional in Tucson, with stops along the way for geocaching and visiting Catalina State Park, Kartchner Caverns State Park and Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch.

Amber Abbott’s daughter, Beckit, at Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch

“I find parenting and showing go together pretty well,” Amber said. “I do only have one kid who is super flexible, easygoing and self-entertaining, so she did make it very easy for me. I also have an extremely supportive husband who takes care of things at home when we travel. We never let agility rule our weekends and always find time for new adventures! Tucson is one of our favorite events because it has so many beautiful places to explore.”

Check out Amber’s online training videos on YouTube, including several on “puppy engagement.”

Have you had some interesting adventures on your way to or from a trial or event? Share photos of your experience with a brief description by emailing news@usdaa.com for a chance to be featured in our year-long OVERview series! As thanks for sharing your stories, each competitor will be given a Purina^® Pro Plan^® plush kennel towel (while supplies last).