Clean Run Magazine - December 2006 - 12

COURTESY OF KAREN MOUREAUX On Course with... Kate Moureaux By Kip Kirby
When 19-year-old Kate Moureaux and her Border Collie Quick blasted across
the finish line to win the 2006 AKC Nationals, she made history as the
youngest handler ever to stand in the winner's circle. But it wasn't the
first time Kate made AKC history. She was already in their record books as
the first Junior Handler to title a MACH/MACH2 dog, her Sheltie, Heisey.
Kate and Heisey were also the first Junior Handler team to participate in
the AKC World Team Tryouts 2000 , after placing 5th in the 1999 AKC
Nationals in Denver when Kate was just 13. Only months after winning this
year's AKC Nationals, Kate and Quick flew to the Netherlands to represent
the U.S. in the IFCS World Championships where they earned two gold and
three silver medals. It's enough to make anyone's head spin, but Kate now
20 takes it all in stride. After all, she's been in agility nearly since
she was born, thanks to her mother, Karen Moureaux of Contact Point
Agility Center. A full-time college student, agility instructor, and
handler, Kate runs her own training facility, gives seminars across the
country, and has her sights set on even more achievements in the years to
come. Wonder how she does it all? So did we! KK: How do you manage to do
it all and make it look easy? same time, I borrowed my grandparents'
English Springer Spaniel, Alex, and started training him. I had played
with my Mom's and KM: I don't know that I really make it look that easy.
People who other people's dogs before that, but Alex was the first dog I
trained know me know I'm a busy person! Competing, teaching locally on my
own. I was six years old then and Alex was seven! full-time, attending
college full-time, and trying to have a home life can be a little chaotic.
I just try to make time to do everything KK: With 14 years of agility
experience under your belt, you're I enjoy, plus school. Most weekends I
have to multitask: I go to a more seasoned than many older handlers. Has
starting so show in the morning, then race home and get ready to head out
young been an advantage? to something with my boyfriend, Jason. Usually we
go to sporting KM: I'm sure starting young has been an advantage. I could
events; other weekends we try to go to a concert or another music learn
and adapt to concepts and handling maneuvers at a young function. Keeping
busy is a lot of fun, but can be tiring. age. Also, I was raised around
and exposed to many different Focusing more on teaching, I have been
working hard to get my training concepts, so that has allowed me to expand
my training training school, DrivenDogs Agility, running. Since DrivenDogs
knowledge. opened in 2004, I feel like I have done a good job; we have
group classes three days a week and private lessons four days a week. I
KK: Describe what it was like winning the AKC Nationals with am also
traveling more to teach seminars, both nationally and Quick.
internationally. Doing everything is lots of fun, but also lots of KM: It
was a truly amazing experience! First, it was so nice to be hard work.
able to run Quick at her 20 measured height. In the past, I had run her at
24 for FCI/AKC World Team consideration. KK: How much of an influence was
your mom, Karen, on you as a child? The hot seat was exciting. The only
problem was that they put the seat in the ring. Quick was ready to jump
out of her skin watching KM: My mom was the reason I got into agility. She
was a member all the other dogs that were running. Thank goodness for my of
the first U.S. agility team and competed overseas for the team friends in
the stands who went and got cookies so I could get Quick several times.
She's also an AKC and USDAA national champion to do tricks like her high
five and focus on me rather than on the herself. If she had not been
active in agility, then I might never have other dogs. I didn't get to
watch all the runs because I was trying to found it. I got into agility
first, before I ever got my own dog. My keep a handle on Quick. I was also
just keeping my mental fingers mom started taking obedience classes at the
local junior college crossed that I could hold onto the leading time.
Between runs, I in 1989, and as I recall, that is when she was first
introduced to looked over to Animal Planet's TV commentators' table to see
if agility. In 1992, she opened Contact Point Agility Center the first I
had held onto the lead time. It was completely exciting! agility training
center in Southern California , and at about the | 12 Clean Run December
06
Clean Run Magazine - December 2006

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