About me

Bio Blynn Baker – Train iT! LLC Professional Agility

Why Agility?

I swore I would not walk around some ring, without a dog, twirling around, and pointing with my hand at things that were not there.

She did not foresee, that one year in Enumclaw, while watching Barb Benner’s Malinois do a tremendous send at a 90 degree left turn into a set of weave poles then wrap her body around it and come out the other end just as excited as when she went in, I was hooked.

Before my life with dog’s…less than perfect.

Training Influences:

There have been several trainers that encouraged me in the early days: Gloria McGrath, Ann Marie Silverton, Janice De Mello, Sylvia Bishop, Patty Russo, Mary Gutknecht, Lisa Bowers and many others who I have yet to meet and work with. In more recent years Daisy Peel thru the Awesome Paws Handling System as well as Rossanne Demascio.

Many principles from the above still influence training decisions today.

Blynn’s Bio:

The past 5 years has been an incredible journey growing a full time business as an Agility Instructor, coach. It is not easy putting into words, my appreciation to all of students that have come, gone and stayed, thank you all. So much more to learn together. Keep reaching for the stars and you will land on your feet running, keep it up everyone!

My joy for training animals started back before the 1980’s with her Morgan Quarter horse cross – Cinnabar. I enjoyed the games classes more than the pleasure classes. They earned High state Gymkhana and Games awards. My horse Cinnabar enjoyed trail rides in the hills and pastures of Alaska along the China Hot Springs road.

As a teenager I enjoyed the company of shelties which are not the same drivey and adventuresome shelties of today. I trained companion, Shadow and Shady, in obedience at the local fair grounds. Shady and I went on to compete in competition obedience for a few years with many HIT awards along with top 25 in the breed nationally a few times.

WIOC was an achievement to be reached for back then and we were on the state team at each level, Nov, Open, Utility. With a Runner up in Novice for overall states. Open 6^th overall and Utility I think was a 4^th place over all. We had never competed in Utility but there we were on the team!

In the mid 1980’s Mom and I moved to CA after her father’s sudden passing. Mom had always wanted to be in warmer weather so off they went with a few shelties in tow. There I played in obedience again with my sheltie Loni and earned her CD (Loni is my sheltie version of Kitt, dear and sweet and loyal).

The new pup on the block is Franky, (2014) a full brother to Ray with some similarities between them. He is fun and very playful and loves his big brother Ray. He is learning many things to build teamwork in life and agility, herding may be involved. River Run’s Rock-N-Pop AX, AXJ, NF.

Ray is a “blue” male border collie named Ray (DOB: Feb 2010). He is a super boy, growing up and having fun chasing them in the fields. Lil Gem was not too happy the day she realized Ray could out run her, biting and snapping insued.

“Ray and I were Teamwork from the start. He is the type that wants to be right 100%…okay 98% of the time. He has a soul made for me and is a great joy to live, train and compete with. He is a sensitive dog and my journey continues thru the differences between him and Gem”

“Along with other agility accomplishments, he is also a nice herding dog and has a PT and ASCA STD title….time is a challenge for more training and competing – someday though.”

I compete in AKC and in USDAA, European Open, World Team Tryouts. I am looking forward to attending the AKC nationals and Cynosports in the years to come.

Franky stats (2014)

MACH, ADCH RiverRun’s Rock-n-Pop

Cynosports 2019 8^th in Team Snooker, Biathlon 9^th over-all

AKC Nationals 2019, 2^nd Cumulative, Finalist, 2^nd Standard

AKC Nationals 2018 4^th in 20” Finals, 4^th Cumulative for 20”. 4^th Hybrid.

Ray’s stats (2010)

Cynosport: 22”

2016 Qtr-Finals 22” 4^th place, Semi-Finals Steeple Chase

2015 Cynosport, did not attend. Ray recovered from a shoulder injury while jumping a fence.

2014, Morgan Hill, CA Grand Prix, Finals 5^th, Semi-Finals 10^th.

2014 Team Standard 7^th pl, 13^th in overall TEAM finals with Nancy/Ky, Kathleen/Vivian.

2013, TN, Steeple Chase Finals 7^th pl, Semi-Finals 7^th, Grand Semi’s

AWC/EO International Team Tryouts:

AWC –

May 2016 Wait List, sooo close

May 2015 R2 4^th, R3 22^nd, R5 9^th, Over all – 9^th Made Short List

May 2014 R1 2^nd Jumpers, R2, 8^th position over all AWC

May 2013 Several nice runs, determined to improve in 2015

May 2012 2 clean runs, 1 with refusal

EO International Team Tryouts: 24/26” class

2016 Team Member (France)

2015 Team Member (Germany) Ind Jumpers, Ray highest scoring USA member

2014 European Open Alternate (Belgium)

AKC Nationals

2016

2015

2014 An incredible event for us, Clean in 6 runs and placed in several rounds.

Challengers 3^rd place.

Ray was .01 out of the 26” finals class, super job big boy!

AKC Nationals 2013 – placed well in Jumpers and T2B.

AKC Rankings:

2014 Jan-June results 7^th pl 26” class

2014 Jan-Mar results 3rd pl 26” class

AKC Portland Rose Classic: 26” class

Jan 2014 1st overall ISC classes.

Jan 2013 2^nd ISC Std.

Jan 2012 2^nd overall ISC classes.

Exciting placements for Ray in USDAA:

2016 USDAA NW Regional:

YTD 4^th overall in the 22” Biathlon rankings

NW Biathlon Champion (WA) – Gold

Western Canadian Regional – Bronze Biathlon

Western Regional (CA) Silver Medalist Biathlon

2016
2015 YTD, NW Regional 22” Biathlon Champion, Masters Challenge Jumpers, Ray 2^nd.
2014 Currently YTD in the 26” events, Ray is in 1^st for the Master Standard class, 1^st MC Jumpers, 3^rd MC Standard (for an overall 2^{nd Biathlon}) Tournament 4^th
2014 Cynosport’s Overall Team Finals 13^th, Grand Prix finals 5^th Team Standard 7^th pl.
2013 he sits in first place in the 26” Tournament class!!
At the tender age of two at the 2013 AZ Regional, he earned his ADCH and his first Grand Prix bye.
Made Top Ten in the tournament classes in USDAA for the year 2012 (9^th overall – 26” class)
Master Standard is currently in the top ten (Dec 2013)
Cynosport October 2013 championships, Ray earned a 7^th place in the Steeple Chase finals!
MC Std a 8^th pl & Grand Prix Semi-finals bye.
Aug 2013, Bay Team Regional Ray Champion Biathlon award & Grand Prix – Bronze & Steeplechase – Silver
May 2013 NW Regional Champion Biathlon – Gold
July 2012 RHR NW Regional – Bronze in Steeple Chase Finals.

Lil’ Gemmers Bio:

2016 Cynosports, Performance Grand Prix Finalist 5^th & Perf. Speed Jumping finalist.

2016 USDAA Canada Regionals:

Gold Medal for Performance Grand Prix

Lil’ Gemmers, yes another border collie, (DOB: Aug 2006)

ADCH, MACH Gem, PT is a powerful speedy little girl.

She will always be young and powerful and likes to push her boundary’s…most all the time anywhere any place. Thus consistency has been a struggle for us.

As she matures we are enjoying our time more and more in the agility ring together and is always available to make you smile (and remind me they are not all like Ray) with her chubby grinning cheeks and perky ears as she flies off the teeter.

She likes to run for others too. We have been dabbling in Obedience training and she loves all the treats she earns.

Nov 2013 two Beginner Novice Q’s as well as an AKC PT herding title.

Kitt’s Bio:

My sweet Kitt, (2001) A Lilac & White Border collie who stole my heart at 10 weeks when she came to live with me. Having a unique color her breeder kept her back to find a home that would not exploit her color traits. As luck has it she has exceptional temperament and structure as well, so a true find she has been. She ages now at 12 but is still the most docile dog and a dear sweet soul.

Thankfully she was still available when I researched pedigrees and found her at River Run kennels.

Kitt has her MACH, NATCH, ADCH/Life time achievement-Bronze, Tournament Master-Platinum plus some other lovely wins in her career. You just had to of meet herJ

Nikki’s Bio:

Nikki, (1996) Long past now but still reminds me that just because it’s a border collie, will not mean they go fast or have a desire to please.

Nikki UD, was a simple smooth coated girl. She never had to say Top dog, she just was.

A Traditional B/W Border Collie who barely made time in the agility ring.

We worked hard to make NADAC times and pulled off her NATCH there with a loosely wheeled Jumpers Q to finish the title.

She was special in so many ways, I miss you Nikki.

(Front and center, me and Ray)

I taught at It’s a Dogs World in Sumner, WA for 5 years and now I am a full time instructor in 3 other WA locations.

I even dabbled in breeding 3 Sheltie litters and in the conformation ring.

My TEAM mates in agility and life

franky-rhr-sep-2016-1