Mary Ellen has a B.S in
Accounting from the University of Scranton and was a CPA for 3 years in one of
the big firms and then spent another 9 years in private companies as accounting
manager and controller. In 2003, she was laid off and spent the summer teaching
dog agility to help make ends meet while she looked for another job. She
enjoyed it so much that she didn’t think she could go back to the corporate
world and she's been teaching agility full time ever since.
Mary Ellen's popularity
as a seminar presenter has grown due to her ability to break things down for
students and explain and clarify concepts. She has an excellent eye and
is able to pinpoint simple training exercises for handlers to work on at home
to improve coursework.
Mary Ellen is a OneMind
Dogs coach, being selected as part of the first pilot group in 2015. The
USA boasts only 6 OMD Coaches and she is thrilled to be a part of teaching this
method.
Mary Ellen has been
involved in agility for 22 years and has had much success on both the national
and international level. Mary Ellen has competed at the IFCS and WAO World
Championships a total of 6 times with 2 different dogs and has won multiple
medals at those events including 6 gold medals. She has placed on the podium at
the USDAA Cynosport World games several times including placing 1st and 2nd
with Maizy and E-Z at the 2012 Dog Agility Masters Team Tournament and placing
2nd with Maizy in the 2012 Grand Prix. Mary Ellen also coached the 2015
WAO team which competed in the Netherlands.
Mary Ellen has been a
contributor for over 13 years to Clean Run Magazine and is the author of The Long
Jump and Foundation Fundamentals which are both training DVD's and are
available through www.cleanrun.com
Mary Ellen has been an
instructor full time for over 13 years and has taught seminars and camps
throughout the U.S and Canada.
Jen Pinder
Jen has been actively
competitive in agility for 19 years. Jen and her Sheltie Britain are members of
the 2015 WAO Team. Jen was also on the WAO Team in 2014 with her mixed breed
Taser. In addition, Jen and Britain were the 2012 16" Cynosport Grand Prix
National Champions, with Taser as the runner up taking second. Taser was the
16” 2011 and 2012 National Steeplechase Champion. She has put 8 ADCHs and
several MACHs on her Border Collies, Jack Russells, mixed breeds, and a Sheltie
as well as being a 3 time AKC World Team Member with BC Static. Jen is
currently competing with her Sheltie Britain and Border Collie Bling.
In addition to her
skills as a competitor, Jen's excellent teaching ability and ability to adapt
to different styles of dogs is what makes Jen a highly sought after presenter
and instructor across the country. Jen and her husband Bill reside in Lapeer,
Michigan where she teaches classes and private lessons for FiredUp K9s. She
also conducts seminars and workshops around the country. Contact her at firedupk9@yahoo.com
Rachel Sanders
Rachel's background in
dog sports started with competition obedience in the UK. Since moving to the
US, Rachel was drawn away from obedience competition to the fun and exacting
demands of training and competing in agility. She finds agility training and handling
exciting and stimulating and enjoys working and sharing her knowledge with all
levels of handlers and types of dogs. She believes that we should always
challenge ourselves to be better handlers and trainers but have fun and humor
as we struggle to improve.
Rachel is one of only
six OneMind Dogs coaches in the US and is thrilled to be able to share the
OneMind Dogs methodology with her students.
In her 20 plus years of
involvement in agility Rachel has been successful nationally and
internationally with her Border Collies and Jack Russell Terrier. Rachel
and at least one of her dogs has been in a USDAA Cynosports Final
(Steeplechase, PSJ GP, PGP or Team) from 1999-2014 including many podium
placements and 4 National Championship wins. She has been an AKC finalist with
Whist, Trump, Fable and Gifted. In 2008 Rachel and Fable represented the US as
part of the IFCS World Team where she won a silver medal.
Rachel has been a
regular contributor to Clean Run Magazine and is the author of 7 training DVDs
which are available at CleanRun.com. In addition to her teaching,
seminar and competition schedule she has been the IFCS World Team coach since
2012.
Rachel shares her home
with Michael and their 6 pack plus one, in Atascadero CA. Rachel can be
contacted through her website http://www.fastforwarddogsports.com