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A Red Level girl and her trusty Australian shepherd have brought home a number of ribbons and awards from dog shows recently.

Raley Beth Maddox, 11, and her Australian shepherd, Navy, most recently competed in the 48th Australian Shepherd Club of America National Finals in Bryan, Texas.

Maddox said she enjoys participating in the shows mostly because it provides her time with Navy.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to compete in shows because I get to spend time with my dog. Having the opportunity to compete at nationals was special to me because it shows hard work pays off. I really enjoyed showing Navy, getting to meet other junior handlers from all over the world, learning new techniques for showing, and grooming my dog,” Maddox said.

Raley and Navy also competed in the Greater Atlanta Australian Shepherd Club Pre-show Saturday, Oct. 29. They competed against 14 other junior handlers from all over the world and finished fifth in the class. They were second against adult professional handlers in the Altered American Bred class.

They competed in the Colorado Australian Shepherd Club Pre-show Sunday, Oct. 30. Raley and Navy competed against 11 other junior handlers from all over the world and finished fifth in the class. Navy and Raley finished first against adult professional handlers in the Altered American Bred class.

Raley and Navy competed in the New York Australian Shepherd Club Pre-show Monday, Oct. 31. They competed against 14 other junior handlers from all over the world and finished fifth in the class. Navy and Raley finished second against adult professional handlers in the Altered American Bred class. Raley also showed another dog, Pixie, at the event. She and Pixie finished second in the Altered Open Blue Class against adult professional handlers. After showing for the day was complete, the juniors and their dogs dressed in Halloween costumes and trick-or-treated the show sites. Raley was a beekeeper, and Navy went as a bee.

They competed in the Junior National Finals show Tuesday, Nov. 1. Raley and Navy had to earn enough points during the show season in order to qualify for this show. They competed against 14 other junior handlers from all over the world and finished in fifth place. After the shows for the day were completed, Raley attended a junior handling seminar presented by a Senior Breed judge.

The Nationals show was the next day on Wednesday, Nov. 2. Raley and Navy competed against 14 other junior handlers from all over the world and took home another fifth place finish. Navy and Raley finished first against adult professional handlers in the Altered American Bred class.

Raley and Navy will be back in action from January 21 to 23, 2023, in Baker, Florida, at the Baker Area Arena. Raley will also be showing the up and coming junior dog goose, Pixie, and possibly Herbie. Raley has a lot of practicing to do to get ready for the new show season, which runs from August to June each year.

“I really enjoy bonding with my dog because he is my best friend. He is my gentle, sweet, and loving boy. Having my family’s support is important because I always have someone there to cheer me on. My family makes sacrifices in order for me to compete all over the Southeast. I am eagerly awaiting our next show in Baker in January next year,” she said.

Raley received Junior Merit Award levels one to four from the Australian Shepherd Club of America and will be featured in the January/February 2023 issue of the Aussie Times. She is the daughter of Darshana Maddox, granddaughter of Dawn Kelley, and niece of Robyn McNeil.