Champion Dog Shows Her Disk Drive

Published: Oct 19, 2007

TAMPA - Bob Walkley of Davis Islands wasn't always a Frisbee champion. In fact, it wasn't until Brigit became a part of his life that he started attending workshops and reading training manuals on the flying disc.

Brigit is a 5-year-old border collie and the 2007 Hyperflite Skyhoundz Sport Division World Champion. She competed with her owner for the first time at the championships last month in Atlanta, bringing home a trophy almost as big as she is. They faced 26 pairs from Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United States.

Every day, Brigit and Walkley practice at the tip of Davis Islands on a strip of level grass at Severn and Martinique avenues, in addition to the early morning runs the two take daily.

Brigit covers about 400 yards in a minute. In the four years they have been competing, she has worn down her bottom two canine teeth from biting the plastic Frisbees.

She competes in the sport division, which involves catching throws on a 50-yard, diamond-shaped field.

She scores points for the number of throws she catches in a given time and for the distance at which she catches them.

Up next for Brigit is completion of Canis Major, five competitions held from September to November by the Central Florida Dog and Disc Club.

Jamie Pilarczyk