Keystone Agility Club, located in Southeastern Pennsylvania, was founded in 1990 to promote the sport of dog agility for all dogs, regardless of breed or pedigree. Keystone is a member of the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA).
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On January 1, 1990, Alaina Axford-Moore and seven other people formed the Keystone Agility Club.
Alaina's first exposure to agility came in September of 1987 during a demo run by Charles (Bud) Kramer (the man who was instrumental in bringing agility to the US) and sponsored by the Dog Training Club of Chester County.
In June of 1989, Ken Tatsch, founder and president of the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) and Elizabeth Hezeau (still a USDAA judge in 2010) conducted a 2-day seminar in a Chester County high school gymnasium. Indoor obedience matting covered the gym floor on only the dog and handler paths, giving the impression of a large "N" of matting on the slippery floor. The Saturday session consisted of equipment familiarization - basically, handlers taking dogs over jumps, on dog walks, A-frames, tables, etc., many for the first time. On Sunday, approximately 25 teams, including Alaina and her Portuguese Water Dog Cooper in their competitive debut, ran in the USDAA Grand Prix National qualifier! In their VERY FIRST agility competition, Alaina and Cooper won an all-expenses-paid trip to Houston, Texas, for the Grand Prix National (they finished 8th).
With encouragement from Ken Tatsch, a $500 start-up check from the Pedigree/KalKan company, and a $500 loan from her dad, Alaina made the leap to start a club and purchase some equipment. For the name of the club, she came up with a word that described the geographical location of the embryonic organization - Pennsylvania, the Keystone State. Along with seven friends who were primarily obedience competitors, the first meeting of the new Keystone Agility Club was held on Jan. 1, 1990, with Alaina elected as president.
After driving to New Hampshire to pick up the new equipment in a rented cargo van, and driving home in a Nor'easter in Feb. 1990, Alaina and KAC were ready to trial. On Memorial Day weekend of 1990 Keystone sponsored its first agility competition. Saturday featured a match with Patty Drom as judge, and Sunday contained one of the 1990 Grand Prix National qualifiers. The show was held in one ring at the Cedars Country Store in Skippack, PA. Equipment was hauled in one open-bed trailer and the judge was put up in a girlfriend's parents' house. In 1990, all the jump heights were lumped together as one competitive group, so one dog would emerge from the 12", 16" and 24" classes. Alaina and Cooper would win this qualifier to return to Texas for the Grand Prix Nationals. Around this time (Spring 1990) also, USDAA began their titling program and Cooper became the very first titled dog in the history of USDAA!
By 1991, Keystone had expanded to about 30 members. The practice "facility" was an open field next to a veterinary office in Trooper. The first club trailer was purchased from the Freddy Hill sports "complex" in Lansdale for $300. Alaina described this conveyance as a "Quonset hut on wheels" because of its home-made, corrugated construction. Some practices also took place at the Cedars Country Store.
In 1994, KAC member Steve Lewis helped Keystone secure the rental of the 3 Diamonds barn in Skippack. This was an indoor equine facility which enabled KAC to hold year-round classes for the first time. However, it lacked heat and had a sandy surface; all equipment had to be set up before class and torn down and put away after class. Also, classes couldn't begin until the end of the last horse session at 7:00 PM, so equipment set-up began with horse manure removal. In 2003, with about 50 members, KAC was able to move to our present facility in Barto, PA. In December 2006, the artificial turf that we enjoy today was installed. 2015 will bring the replacement of the current fabric building with a new metal one.
Agility has changed greatly over the 25 years of Keystone's existence - different height classes and titling requirements, more systematic training techniques, electronic timing, etc. But the biggest difference may be the sheer size and popularity of the sport, factors that in no small part were shaped by Keystone's Founder and its first President - Alaina Axford-Moore!
Alaina's first exposure to agility came in September of 1987 during a demo run by Charles (Bud) Kramer (the man who was instrumental in bringing agility to the US) and sponsored by the Dog Training Club of Chester County.
In June of 1989, Ken Tatsch, founder and president of the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) and Elizabeth Hezeau (still a USDAA judge in 2010) conducted a 2-day seminar in a Chester County high school gymnasium. Indoor obedience matting covered the gym floor on only the dog and handler paths, giving the impression of a large "N" of matting on the slippery floor. The Saturday session consisted of equipment familiarization - basically, handlers taking dogs over jumps, on dog walks, A-frames, tables, etc., many for the first time. On Sunday, approximately 25 teams, including Alaina and her Portuguese Water Dog Cooper in their competitive debut, ran in the USDAA Grand Prix National qualifier! In their VERY FIRST agility competition, Alaina and Cooper won an all-expenses-paid trip to Houston, Texas, for the Grand Prix National (they finished 8th).
With encouragement from Ken Tatsch, a $500 start-up check from the Pedigree/KalKan company, and a $500 loan from her dad, Alaina made the leap to start a club and purchase some equipment. For the name of the club, she came up with a word that described the geographical location of the embryonic organization - Pennsylvania, the Keystone State. Along with seven friends who were primarily obedience competitors, the first meeting of the new Keystone Agility Club was held on Jan. 1, 1990, with Alaina elected as president.
After driving to New Hampshire to pick up the new equipment in a rented cargo van, and driving home in a Nor'easter in Feb. 1990, Alaina and KAC were ready to trial. On Memorial Day weekend of 1990 Keystone sponsored its first agility competition. Saturday featured a match with Patty Drom as judge, and Sunday contained one of the 1990 Grand Prix National qualifiers. The show was held in one ring at the Cedars Country Store in Skippack, PA. Equipment was hauled in one open-bed trailer and the judge was put up in a girlfriend's parents' house. In 1990, all the jump heights were lumped together as one competitive group, so one dog would emerge from the 12", 16" and 24" classes. Alaina and Cooper would win this qualifier to return to Texas for the Grand Prix Nationals. Around this time (Spring 1990) also, USDAA began their titling program and Cooper became the very first titled dog in the history of USDAA!
By 1991, Keystone had expanded to about 30 members. The practice "facility" was an open field next to a veterinary office in Trooper. The first club trailer was purchased from the Freddy Hill sports "complex" in Lansdale for $300. Alaina described this conveyance as a "Quonset hut on wheels" because of its home-made, corrugated construction. Some practices also took place at the Cedars Country Store.
In 1994, KAC member Steve Lewis helped Keystone secure the rental of the 3 Diamonds barn in Skippack. This was an indoor equine facility which enabled KAC to hold year-round classes for the first time. However, it lacked heat and had a sandy surface; all equipment had to be set up before class and torn down and put away after class. Also, classes couldn't begin until the end of the last horse session at 7:00 PM, so equipment set-up began with horse manure removal. In 2003, with about 50 members, KAC was able to move to our present facility in Barto, PA. In December 2006, the artificial turf that we enjoy today was installed. 2015 will bring the replacement of the current fabric building with a new metal one.
Agility has changed greatly over the 25 years of Keystone's existence - different height classes and titling requirements, more systematic training techniques, electronic timing, etc. But the biggest difference may be the sheer size and popularity of the sport, factors that in no small part were shaped by Keystone's Founder and its first President - Alaina Axford-Moore!
Keystone Agility Club
