Trailblazing Pioneer Earns ADCH on Historic Anniversary

Alaina Axford earned first-ever Agility Dog title 34 years ago.

Cinco de Mayo is a special milestone date for USDAA^® pioneer, longtime competitor and dog agility trainer Alaina Axford, of Trappe, Pennsylvania.

On May 5, Alaina’s BorderPap Honcho earned the Agility Dog Champion^® (ADCH) title during a USDAA Trial hosted by High Octane Agility in Colmar, Pennsylvania. It was exactly 34 years from the date that she earned the first-ever USDAA Agility Dog^® title with her Portuguese Water Dog, Cooper.

“It was the first USDAA event where the Agility Dog title was being offered,” Alaina said of the 1990 award, noting the event was held in Danville, Virginia, at B&B Agility Center with Sue Henry, of Texas, judging the event.

Alaina first heard about agility in the late 1980s, when a local obedience club held a seminar about the new dog sport. “I attended that seminar with my (then) 6-month-old PWD, Cooper, and was hooked!” 

After attending mini seminars for several years, Alaina had a pivotal moment in June 1989 when USDAA Founder and President Ken Tatsch visited her obedience club. She excelled at the regional qualifier during his seminar. Just two months later, in August 1989, she found herself competing at the 1989 USDAA Nationals in the Houston Astro Dome. “I placed 8th at that show,” she said. “It was my second event ever!”

In October 1989, Ken invited her to join the USDAA demo team, promoting agility at the Radnor Hunt Horse show close to where she lived. Alaina dedicated five years to showcasing agility on the East Coast as part of the demo team. 

In 1990 she founded the Keystone Agility Club, where she continues teaching weekly competition agility classes. Throughout her journey, Alaina served on the USDAA board, judged events in the early '90s, and was inducted as a Pioneer of Dog Agility in the USDAA Hall of Fame in 1997.

Today, Alaina and Honcho are quite a dynamic duo. Despite Alaina having a knee injury, the team took third place in the Purina^® Pro Plan^® Dog Agility Steeplechase^® 16” category at the 2024 Mid-Atlantic Regional, hosted by Keystone Agility Club last month. 

Asked about the secret to her ongoing success, Alaina said, “I try to remain teachable. When I found dog agility, I knew it was something I wanted to do. I was lucky enough to find it during a time in my life when I could travel all over the country and meet people who felt the same way about their dogs as I do. I have friends all over the U.S. Some of my best friends are ‘dog agility friends.’ I am a very blessed person.”