Nimble is basically like any other dog. She loves swimming and chasing balls. She’s always down to go on a hike and knows how to chill out: lounging in front of a TV.
But there is something, a pretty big something, that sets apart the 6-year-old Ellicott City dog from her peers. She’s a Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show winner. And if that wasn’t enough, her wins during the 2024 competition were historic.
Nimble, a border collie-papillon mix, is the first mixed breed to win the Masters Agility Championship at the annual event. Her win also made her the first dog in the 12-inch height division to ever capture the title.
Nimble’s winning time was 28.76 seconds.
“I was very excited. We always have a blast when we run together,” said Cynthia Hornor, Nimble’s owner and handler.
The crowd was also really excited seeing Nimble run, which made the pair even more electric.
All in all, Nimble was the Masters Agility Championship winner and the Top All-American Dog winner. The agility competition, the first Westminster event to allow mixed breeds to compete, was introduced a decade ago.
After winning, Nimble chowed down on a steak. But Nimble loves to run agility so much Hornor says that she thinks she would run it even without the reward.
At the 2023 Westminster Dog Show, Nimble did not advance to the finals. However, another of Hornor’s dogs did. Hornor and her border collie Truant won the 10th Annual Masters Agility Championship last year.
Hornor has competed in dog agility competitions for over two decades with several dogs. She grew up horseback riding and once she discovered dog agility, she saw similarities between the two.
Something Hornor wants dog owners to realize is that “anybody really can start agility with their dog.”
“It can be done with many different types of dogs: mixed breeds, rescues and pure breeds,” Hornor said. “It is a really fun way to bond with your dog.”
What’s next for Hornor and Nimble? A few local competitions and then heading to the United Kingdom, to represent the United States at the European Open Agility in England. Last summer, the pair competed in Denmark.
