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Raley Beth Maddox of Red Level and her dog Navy finished out the 2022-2023 Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) show year with a repeat invitation to Junior Handler Finals.

At the finals, Raley and Navy earned Degree Level II, only three points short of Degree Level III. This marked the end of Navy’s show career as he is now retired to be loved and spoiled by Raley.

“He will continue to be her best friend and confidant. As one career comes to an end, another starts,” Raley’s grandmother Dawn Kelley said.

Raley co-owns and shows another Australian Shepherd, Pixie, with her aunt and the dog’s breeder. Raley will now be handling Pixie in junior showmanship. She and Pixie competed in Altered Conformation in May. They earned enough points for Pixie to be ranked number 48 in Altered Conformation in the 2022-2023 ASCA show year.

Pixie and Raley showed at the Florida Pan-Handlers event in May. They took Best of Opposite Sex in all four shows. When Raley shows Pixie in the Altered ring she is competing against other Junior Handlers and Adults. Raley will be running Pixie in agility as a junior starting in October.

“She ran her once in May, and they did very well together as a team. They need to hone their team skills, and they will do very well,” Kelley added.

Raley has also branched out into competing in Barn Hunt. She and her puppy Goose will compete for the first time in September.

“We are very excited to see what the future has in store for these two. Raley aspires to also compete with Goose in agility, stock, and Junior Showmanship. The future looks very bright for these two.”

Raley has also earned Junior points in AKC. She handles her aunt’s dogs, her grandmother’s dog, and her mother’s dog in Fast Cat events. Raley will handle anyone’s dog that requires a handler.

When Raley is at a dog event and is not competing, you can find her volunteering for the event. She loves to be near the action. She is a student at Red Level School and is the daughter of Darshana Maddox. Her grandmother Dawn Kelley is a teacher at RLS.