Girl and her dog are tough to beat

SHOW GIRL- Amanda Prince, 12, of Agoura Hills, and her dog, Rogan, compete in a recent agility dog show. Prince was named Outstanding Junior Handler of the Year at a recent awards banquet.

Amanda Prince, 12, of Agoura Hills, and Rogan, her 2year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, have had quite a run in their first year of agility competition.

Amanda was awarded Outstanding Junior Handler of the Year for 2006 at an awards banquet hosted by Valley Hills Obedience Club at Cal State Northridge on Sun., Feb. 11.

During the year, Amanda and Rogan accumulated titles for AKC Novice Agility in Standard and Novice Agility Jumpers, their first leg in Open Agility Jumpers, five first-place ribbons and one second-place ribbon.

Amanda started handling dogs as a puppy raiser for Guide Dogs of America. While she was raising Kayla, her second guide dog puppy, a new family puppy, Rogan, joined the Prince pack. Amanda and Rogan enrolled in an obedience class, followed by an intro to agility class.

From the start, Amanda and Rogan showed a strong affinity for agility, a team sport consisting of a human handler and their dog. In April 2006, Amanda began training under Terry Simons, internationally recognized dog trainer specializing in agility. She entered her first agility trial on Sept. 30, 2006.

This year, Amanda and Rogan have already earned their title for Open Agility Jumpers, placing them into the excellent competition level. They have also received three additional firstplace ribbons.