Newbies on the Road to Cynosport
Diana DeMedio & Maui plunge "all-in" with USDAA.
Originally published in the August 2026 OVERview digital magazine.
From Curious to Committed
When Diana DeMedio found herself at loose ends in AKC agility with her Novice A dog, a Pomeranian named Princess Maui, a friend encouraged her to try USDAA. She did — and was hooked as of her very first trial.
“I had only done AKC events in the past,” said Diana, “but I am now obsessed with USDAA. I love the team aspect of it along with the strategies of the games. It is so encouraging not to be OUT after one mistake. When you work so hard and have a great run but have a small bobble, it’s so discouraging to feel like you just wasted your whole day. With USDAA, you can make some mistakes and still overcome them, which helps keep you going to the next run. And the word ‘Cynosport’ just sounded cool, so I asked my friend how I could get there.”
Diana adopted Maui as a rescue puppy. (She is founder and co-director of Pom Squad Rescue.) The duo started basic agility and obedience classes at a friend’s suggestion, to give them something to do together.
“We didn’t start trialing until Maui was about 2 years old,” Diana said, “but we became more serious about it after all my friends qualified for 2024 AKC Nationals and we did not. I went to Tulsa to cheer on my friends and made a decision to become more dedicated to our training.”
Ribbons, Friends and a Baton
Diana and Maui now train with Elizabeth Blanchard and Renee King at Leaps and Bounds Agility in Houston, Texas. The duo’s first USDAA trial was hosted by Travis Agility Group in Leander, Texas, in April 2026.
“I signed Maui up for more classes than she had ever run in a day,” said Diana. “We did everything except Gamblers and BiathlonSM! She walked away with lots of ribbons, $15 from Steeplechase®, a hilarious time playing Snooker and lots of memorable moments with friends.
“I love that in USDAA, everyone is cheering for everyone else,” Diana continued. “Many people knew that this was our first USDAA trial and were offering to help us. Most of it was super confusing at first — like when to leave the ring if you hear a whistle and when to keep running — but it was all so much fun, because I was there with friends and they kept pushing us.”
A little judicious homework came in handy at Diana and Maui’s USDAA debut. Explained Diana, “When we practiced relay in class before the trial, Maui ran the opposite direction from me when she saw the baton, because she was scared of it. So I took the baton home with us and gave her treats near it and made her sleep with it for the rest of the week. By the time the weekend — and the trial — arrived, the baton was her new best friend!”
Their second USDAA trial was the South Central Regional Championship in Greenville, Texas, in May. “Maui and I mainly went to the regional to support our friends and try to earn more qualifying runs for Cynosport,” Diana said, adding, “We didn’t enter Team, so we could just concentrate on a few runs. We didn’t Q in Grand Prix®, but we placed third in Steeplechase® and won $10, which I was again shocked to win!”
After finishing second in both the Grand Prix and Steeplechase semifinals, Diana and Maui tackled the finals. “I was super nervous,” recalled Diana, “but one of my coaches, Renee King, was there, and she kept telling me, ‘LOOK AT YOUR DOG while running and don’t take your eyes off of her.’”
The USDAA neophytes finished fourth in Steeplechase and third in Grand Prix, putting them on the podium in the latter event and earning them byes into the semifinals of each event at Cynosport. “I couldn’t believe it,” Diana said. “And I am over the moon about going to the international event with the coolest name!”
Team Relay Changes Everything
Diana continued her all-in plunge into USDAA by entering Team at her third trial, held at Dog Gone Fun in Magnolia, Texas, at the end of May. “It’s never easy to ask somebody to be your teammate when you have a fairly slow four-inch Pomeranian,” said Diana, “but while we were at lunch with friends one weekend, Elizabeth Blanchard (you know…the legend, Elizabeth Blanchard!) said she would be my teammate.
“At first I said NO WAY,” Diana continued. “I mean, being on a team with Elizabeth sounded terrifying and intimidating all at once, but Elizabeth convinced me that she was a great teammate and mentor and would be the perfect partner for my first team event. “I didn’t think we had a snowball’s chance of doing well with 12 other teams represented, so I just decided to make it fun. We came up with a team name — Double Shot of Crown — and created posters and had stickers made. I told myself that if Maui and I weren’t any good at agility that weekend, at least we could have some fun swag for everyone!”
It’s axiomatic amongst USDAA aficionados that when it comes to Team, “Relay can change everything.” That held true for Double Shot of Crown.
“We finished the first day in third place. On Sunday, before relay, we were still in third and many points away from moving higher,” said Diana. “So, when the first- and second-place teams made some mistakes in relay, I didn’t think much of it. I was just happy that our team had run clean. Then I heard our name called for FIRST PLACE! I could not have been prouder to stand on a podium with Elizabeth Blanchard, my friend and coach who believed that her little Pomeranian princess student could really do some great things.”
Diana plans to spend most of the summer in Oregon, where she and Princess Maui continued their winning ways at USDAA’s Pacific Northwest Regional Championship in Salem, Oregon, in June, bringing home the gold in P4 Steeplechase.
Next Stop: Cynosport
So what are these stellar USDAA newbies most looking forward to at Cynosport?
“I am looking forward to getting a shirt that says I MADE IT TO CYNOSPORT!” Diana said. “I will probably buy every bit of swag they have. Also, I’ve heard there is a crate decorating contest, and I am going to be READY for it! It’s also another great opportunity for me to contact Maui’s seamstress for anew dress for her. But don’t tell Elizabeth, because she thinks Cynosport is a competition and not a fashion runway!
“Aside from that,” she continued, “I’m looking forward to spending time with some great agility competitors who have been doing this for many more years than I have. USDAA’s positive energy is infectious, and I love being around the people who are at the events. I know Cynosport will be an elevated version of what I have already experienced with USDAA.”
Diana’s number-one tip for anybody thinking of trying USDAA: “Just sign up! Yes, the rules might be a little different, but there’ll be people who will help you navigate everything once you get there.”