The saying 鈥渁ge is just a number鈥� really is true when it comes to 13-year-old Border Collie PNAC MACH Brighteye Fancy Feet CD MXS MJB MXP2 MXPB MJP2 鈥淛ive.鈥� This agility champion and her owner-handler Amanda Edstrom continue to excel in major competitions, including the AKC Agility Premier Cup. This may have been Jive鈥檚 final big-stage national event, but she鈥檚 still going strong as an agility competitor.
Catching the Agility Bug From the Beginning
Agility has been in Edstrom鈥檚 life from a young age. 鈥淢y parents have been involved in a variety of dog sports since before I was born,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey started bringing me along on their adventures, and when my mom got into agility, I thought it was really cool.鈥�
Edstrom鈥檚 parents got her her first dog when she was around nine years old. She would bring her English Cocker Spaniel to agility with her mom, who taught her the ropes. That鈥檚 when she really started getting into agility 鈥� and never stopped.
Jive came into Edstrom鈥檚 life at a crucial point. 鈥淚 was moving out for the first time to start college, and my previous dog, unfortunately, had to retire from competing due to contracting Lyme disease,鈥� she recalls. A friend offered to let Edstrom run Jive, whom she had known since she was a puppy. Jive had participated in agility with her previous owner, but she had been on a break for a few years.
A Perfect Partnership
Working with Jive helped Edstrom through those big transitions. 鈥淛ive suddenly became my best friend, study buddy, adventure partner, just everything to me,鈥� she says. Edstrom started running the Border Collie when she was about seven years old. They bonded very quickly, and they loved competing in the sport together. Eventually, her friend, recognizing the blossoming human-canine relationship, said she wanted Jive to be Edstrom鈥檚 dog. The two have been inseparable ever since.
Previously, Edstrom had competed with a pretty laid-back spaniel. She experienced a learning curve while adjusting to working with a highly-driven Border Collie. 鈥淪he had a lot more speed, drive, and spunk to her than I was used to,鈥� Edstrom explains. 鈥淚t was like going from my steady-Eddie little Honda to trying to drive this sports car.鈥�
In 2021, when Jive was 11 years old, they entered their first AKC National Agility Championship. Edstrom says she went into the competition with zero expectations. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know how nervous I was going to be or what Jive was going to be like.鈥� But Jive ran clean every single round, despite the competition鈥檚 high-energy atmosphere that neither of them had really experienced yet. She was named AKC Preferred National Agility Champion in the 12鈥� division.
For Edstrom, this was her proudest moment in her partnership with Jive to date. 鈥淲e trusted each other so much and were able to just stay calm and composed and do what we do.鈥�
Hearing Loss Isn鈥檛 Slowing Jive Down
About a year ago, Jive started losing her hearing. When this became apparent, Edstrom began to work with her primary trainer to get ahead of the curve. Now she and Jive rely on visual and physical cues, rather than verbal ones, during runs. And Jive continues to excel, remaining speedy and accurate.
In March 2023, they competed in the AKC National Agility Championship presented by YuMOVE. By then, Jive had minimal hearing鈥攊f any鈥攁nd she did great, making the finals. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been able to keep putting down the type of performances that I would have expected from her before the hearing loss,鈥� Edstrom says.
Jive continues to love nothing more than the crowds and atmosphere of the big competitions. That鈥檚 why Edstrom accepted the invitation to compete at the AKC Agility Premier Cup on July 8 in Columbus, Ohio. 鈥淲e鈥檙e gonna go back and do it one more time, where she gets to be the center of attention in her little world and enjoy that experience.鈥� And enjoy it they did, reaching the finals in the event.
Jive鈥檚 Agility Career Continues at the Local Scale
While the AKC Premier Cup was Jive鈥檚 last big competition, her adventures won鈥檛 stop there. Edstrom says Jive will probably still dabble locally in agility because she loves the sport. 鈥淏ut then she鈥檒l be my adventure, camping, and hiking buddy as I turn my focus competitively to my young dogs.鈥�
Jive鈥檚 2-year-old relative 鈥淗ype鈥� is Edstrom鈥檚 next agility partner. While Edstrom is currently training the dog, she hopes he will follow in Jive鈥檚 footsteps. She is also involved in training her mom鈥檚 dog (and Hype鈥檚 brother), 鈥淟imit,鈥� and she runs her friend鈥檚 Border Collie, 鈥淪tyle.鈥� So she鈥檒l continue to be a presence on the agility circuit.
Edstrom feels so passionately about dogs and dog sports that it鈥檚 also impacting other areas of her life and career. She started chiropractic school this summer and hopes to specialize in working with animals, especially canine athletes. Her background in agility will certainly be an asset in helping other dogs, owners, and handlers achieve the things that she and Jive have been able to in her agility career.
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