The successor in sports is a hard role to play. How does Ted Williams follow Babe Ruth, or Lebron James follow Michael Jordan? They must step out of the shadows of sports idols and establish their own legendary status.
Bee, a Shetland Sheepdog Jenn Crank coaches at IncrediPAWS in Pataskala, started her career following in the pawprints of Crank’s former trainee, P!nk, a Westminster Dog Show winner and local celebrity. P!nk won the 16” class for agility at the Westminster Dog Show three years in a row.
Because of P!nk’s tenacity, the decision to take her out of the ring was hard. Many times, as competition dogs age, they start to slow down and recovery becomes more difficult between competitions. However, P!nk ended her reign on the podium, retiring just after her 2020 Westminster Win.
Although P!nk left a powerful legacy, Bee is proving to be much more than just an average successor by taking up that championship mantle. Earlier this year, Bee won the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) National Agility Championship. If her path continues, she could be the first dog in the sport’s history to win all four national competitions.
“When your 3-year-old dog wins the most prestigious award, where do you go from there?” Crank says. “Then it’s like, ‘Okay, well, was that a fluke?’ Then she just kept doing it.”
Fido fate
Bee’s story with Crank almost ended before it even began. She was all set to be sent to an owner in Germany, but the deal fell through at the last minute. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as Crank quickly realized that Bee was not just an exceptional companion but also an exceptional athlete.
Bee got her name on second chances.
“Her name is actually ‘Apex Meant to Bee’ because we always just felt like she was meant to stay here in Ohio,” Crank says.
However, her winning streak was always in her blood. Bee’s father, Swift, is one of the first dogs to medal internationally in the history of the sport. Crank says they thought it was impossible that Bee could ever top her father’s accomplishments, but again, Bee defied expectations.
Crank won her first title in 1994 when she was 6, so she can easily assess if a dog has the “it” factor. Dogs typically begin competing at 18 months, but most don’t produce results in competition until they are closer to 5 or 6. However, Bee and P!nk were born ready to compete.
“Bee and P!nk are very similar in that when you put them on the agility field, they’re all work,” Crank says. “They’re like, ‘Yes, let’s do it 110 percent right now.’”
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Dog prodigy
Bee was destined for greatness, and she has wasted no time cementing her name in the world of dog agility.
“She achieved so much so early,” Crank says. “She is 6 years old, and she has achieved more than I would have ever imagined a dog would in a lifetime.”
When Bee won Westminster in 2022, it felt like a fluke. She snuck in, qualifying on the last possible weekend. The duo was just hoping to get some experience and have a bit of fun, but Bee surprised Crank, winning Westminster and continuing to win across the circuit.
Crank has considered retiring at the top of her sport like P!nk, resting on her laurels and passing down her coaching to her son, who is showing real potential at age 10. Then again, when she considers leaving the sport she’s loved her whole life, she changes her mind.
For now, Crank and Bee will continue to make history by dominating the agility circuit and breaking the record books.
Mutts and proper pooches
When Crank began training dogs in agility in the ’90s, most people thought she showed dogs in conformation, which is a type of dog competition – and often a part of most dog shows – strictly for purebreds that judges how closely a dog’s appearance matches its breed standard.
“The conformation stuff, if your dog’s not fitting the standard or isn’t perfectly pretty, forget it,” Cranks says. “A lot of people see (agility) as a lot more fun for the dog.”
Highly energetic dogs who need to get the wiggles out of their system are perfect candidates for agility training. On the opposite end of the spectrum, dogs who lack confidence can gain skills on the course as well.
“We have a lot of dogs that will come through classes a little shy, and just to see them bloom and to see them develop doing all these different life experiences is so fun,” Crank says.
If you want to get your dog into agility training, check out these local places:
- Incredipaws
- Columbus All-Breed Training
- Agility and Rally for Fun Dog Training Center
- Sky Dogs
- Zoom Room Dog Training
Maggie Fipps is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com
