Sarah here! I just got back from the 2025 AKC National Agility Championship, where I ran our Before and After course and represented Bad Dog Agility. The Before and After was a smashing success again, giving people an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the event. The experience felt extra special with Jennifer winning the Challengers Round and then the Finals, and she shared all of her course map analyses in real-time before both rounds. Seeing her break down the strategy, then go out and execute it to perfection, made the whole thing even better.
This year, I set up a vending booth as our home base—a spot where people could stop by, say hi, and connect with us in person. Each morning, I kicked things off with a Facebook story featuring the day’s treats, including brookies (half cookie, half brownie), cinnamon rolls, bags of candy, and a big bowl of dog treats. I met so many students I had only known online—thank you to everyone who stopped by!
AKC Nationals took place this past weekend at the Built Ford Tough Livestock Complex in Tulsa, Oklahoma, featuring 1,291 of the best agility dogs in the country. The event kicked off on Thursday with a warm-up day, followed by three rounds of competition: Round 1 (Standard) on Friday, Round 2 (Jumpers With Weaves), and Round 3 (Hybrid) on Saturday. Sunday featured the highly anticipated Finals, but before that, the high-stakes Challengers Round took place. This winner-take-all showdown gave the top-performing dogs from the three preliminary rounds—who had not already secured a Finals spot—a last chance to earn their way into the Finals. Only one dog per height class could advance, making it a true battle royale. This prestigious event is the pinnacle of AKC agility, with the NAC (National Agility Champion) title awarded to the winners of each height class in the Regular division and the PNAC (Preferred National Agility Champion) title awarded in the Preferred division—both titles now permanently become part of the dogs’ registered names. Congratulations to all the winners listed below!
The Regular Finals Winners [Click HERE for Finals Results]
- 8” Betsey Lynch and Papillon Lark (Time 36.70)
- 12” Abbey Beasley and Shetland Sheepdog Swindle (Time 30.75)
- 16” Jennifer Crank and Shetland Sheepdog Bee (Time 29.91)
- 20” Andy Winther and Border Collie Zoom-Zoom (Time 29.94)
- 24” Amelia Greninger and Golden Retriever Eclipse (Time 34.96)
The Preferred Finals Winners [Click HERE for Finals Results]
- P4” Kim Black and Miniature American Shepherd Caisson (Time 43.15)
- P8” Kaylee Cundiff and Shetland Sheepdog Zuzu (Time 37.01)
- P12” Maddie Speagle and Border Collie Atomic (Time 34.56)
- P16” Sydney Ryan and Border Collie Ego (Time 30.42)
- P20” Patty Bensene and German Shepherd Dog Bug (Time 38.36)
Did You Know?
14% of handler-dog teams who ran in the Finals were Bad Dog Agility VIP members!
Sheltie Defeats BCs in 16”
For the first time in seven years, the 16-inch National Agility Champion is not a border collie. This year, Jennifer Crank and her sheltie, Bee, broke the border collie streak that had dominated the division since 2018, securing the NAC title in a thrilling Finals run.
[VIDEO: Jenn and Bee break the streak—16” NAC champions!]
Before Bee’s victory, the last non-border collie to win the 16” class was Lilac, an Australian Shepherd handled by Neno Pessoa in 2017. This latest win marks Jennifer’s fourth NAC title and adds to her already legendary resume in AKC agility. She now joins an elite group of handlers who have won NAC titles with three different dogs, alongside agility standouts Andrea Samuels, who won with Gabby, Carly, and Sparkle, and Angie Benacquisto, who won with Sundae, Echo, and Dylan.
As an instructor at Bad Dog Agility and our podcast co-host, Jennifer continues to inspire handlers at every level with her training expertise and world-class handling. Congratulations to Jennifer and Bee for making history!
Lynch Wins 6th NAC
Betsey Lynch added yet another title to her incredible agility career, winning her sixth AKC National Agility Championship with her papillon, Lark. This marks her third NAC victory with Lark, having previously won in 2021 and 2022, while her earlier three titles came with Wren in 2016, 2017, and 2018. With this latest win, Lynch now sits just one championship shy of Terry Smorch’s record of seven NAC titles, further cementing her place as one of the most dominant handlers in AKC National Agility Championship history.
West Coast Rumor
Everyone at NAC was buzzing about the latest speculation: it sounds like the 2026 AKC National Agility Championship may be heading to California! While nothing is official yet, word spread quickly throughout the event that a location in the Golden State is a possibility, though nothing will be certain until contracts are signed. This isn’t a leak from us—just the word on the street from many different sources. Stay tuned for official confirmation in the coming months.
Tornado Hits Purina Farms
On March 14, 2025, an EF-2 tornado struck Purina Farms in Gray Summit, Missouri, causing significant damage to several facilities, including the Visitor Center, Pet Center, Barn, and Dog Arena. Despite the structural devastation, all onsite employees and animals were reported safe. According to FOX Weather, the farm had been housing four adoptable animals in their pet center when the storms struck, including a cat named Weaver and a dog named Rufio; both were rescued unscathed. Purina Farms has closed until further notice as they assess the damage and begin the cleanup process.
Several breed specialty events scheduled to take place at Purina Farms in the coming weeks will likely be impacted as the facility evaluates the extent of the damage. Organizers and exhibitors are awaiting further updates to determine whether events will need to be postponed or relocated.
As of yesterday, John Nys, the new coach of Team USA for the FCI Agility World Team, provided an update regarding the situation, which is particularly relevant since Purina Farms was set to host the upcoming FCI Agility World Team Tryouts on April 26-28. He shared on social media:
“We have successfully established communication with Purina Farms and are currently awaiting their assessment of the Event Center. A comprehensive evaluation of the facility by structural engineers is scheduled for today, with the safety of all individuals being our top priority. We appreciate your understanding and patience during this time. The Holiday Inn has been confirmed to be unaffected. An additional update is anticipated by the end of the week.”
Further updates on both agility and breed specialty events are expected as the assessment continues.
Please send any comments or questions to team@baddogagility.com.
Happy Training,
