Tennessee Handlers Welcome Fellow Cynosport Competitors

Locals appreciate benefits of "hometown advantage."

We caught up with a few local competitors planning to return to the Tennessee Miller Coliseum for this year's Cynosport^® Dog Agility World Games Presented by Purina^® Pro Plan^® to learn more about what got them started in the sport and the dogs joining them for the event. Many of them agreed on what they feel is their biggest hometown advantage: being able to sleep and eat in their own homes and causing less disruption to their dogs’ routines!

Anjie Crow of Hermitage

Anjie has trained with her first agility dog, a 10-yearold All-American named Zoey, since 2015 and competed in the 2019 and 2021 Cynosport World Games in Murfreesboro. “I remember sitting in the stands in 2017 with her on my lap, watching all the competitors at Cynosport and telling her that someday we were going to compete together in that very arena,” Anjie said. “We had been competing for almost a year at that point. Little did I know that four years later, my little rescue dog would take us to the Grand Prix^® and Steeplechase^® finals and become the Reserve Champion in 12” Performance Biathlon!”

Anjie Crow and Zoey (Photo by ML Bauer Photography)

Elizabeth Evans of Alexandria

A longtime competitor and professional agility instructor at Jump For Joy Agility (Watertown, Tenn.), Elizabeth will compete with two dogs this year: Polka- Dot, a 10-year-old rescued Border Collie, and Giddy Marie, an 8-year-old Pyrenean Shepherd. “I think my first year at this event was 1999,” Elizabeth said. “I love getting to spend time with my dogs and being around other people who love their dogs just as much! I also enjoy the challenges of training dogs to understand the complex behaviors required in agility.

“Agility is a great sport for so many reasons!” she added. “It’s mental and physical exercise for humans and dogs, an opportunity to develop your bond with your dog, and a chance to meet other people with similar interests. A lot of my clients tell me that their dogs start whining with anticipation on the twisting road leading up to the arena — they know it’s almost fun time!”

Elizabeth Evans (Photo by Pix ’n’ Pages)

Tawni Millet of Christiana

Tawni was in seventh grade when she first saw the sport on TV, and her mom started her in lessons when she became extremely interested in it. Since then, she has made it to the podium of many events at every level, including Cynosport and IFCS. She and her now-retired partner Jolt, a 12½-year-old Border Collie, won the Grand Prix in Murfreesboro in 2019 before Jolt’s pups, Little Sparkle (8) and Legendary (5), each brought home a bronze medal in 2021.

After representing Team USA at IFCS in August, Tawni and the half-siblings will return to the Tennessee Miller Coliseum along with Little’s 2-year-old daughter, Dazzle. Tawni trains with Borderland (Franklin, Tenn.) and at her own Livewire Agility Training at home. She looks forward to having a fun, challenging event with her dogs and friends and trying to solve the puzzles on course.

Tawni Millet

Karissa Solberg of Cookeville

A former equestrian from Wisconsin, Karissa was looking for winter activities that didn’t involve being in a cold barn when she started training with her Lab/Shepherd mix, Luke, in 2007. “He was such a good dog and made everything easy, so I was quickly hooked,” Karissa said. “Now, I have my own place in Cookeville (Agility Acres Dog Training) where I teach classes outdoors year-round in the lovely Tennessee weather! I appreciate the relationship that the sport creates between myself and my dogs. I am awed every day by their ability to learn and perform complex behaviors at high rates of speed. It’s also my main form of exercise, so they help to keep me active!”

Keeping with the Star Wars theme in her dogs’ names, Karissa now has the 7-year-old BorderCollie, Jedi; 6-year-old Border Collie, Ren; and her first Sheltie, 2-year-old “Apex A New Hope” (a.k.a. Obi). This year marks Jedi’s third time at Cynosport (first in the Performance division), Ren’s second time, and Obi’s first time.

Karissa Solberg and Jedi (Photo by GreatDanePhotos)