InformationPit Bull wins PURINA challenge!
By Jennifer Stahl
Staff writer
PALM BAY - Not many people thought she had a chance.
In fact, the odds were against her. The word "underdog" was mentioned.
But 5-year-old Barbarian's Diamond Ria, Ria for short, surprised them all.
The 40-pound American Kennel Club-registered American Staffordshire terrier, also known as an American pit bull terrier, recently took the top prize in the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge East Coast Regional Competition in agility.
"They're pretty unusual in agility," said Ria's owner, Greg Segallis, of the breed. "There are not a lot competing. I think they're certainly bred for it. They have a lot of muscles, and they're athletic."
Mr. Segallis, who spotted Ria in a litter when she was only weeks old, has made the dog a part of his family for the past five years. He and the pooch have been training in agility for about four years. Mr. Segallis said his interest in the American Staffordshire terrier breed, and the sport of agility, originated with a beloved pit bull/German shepherd mix he owned prior to owning Ria.
"It's a great activity, definitely a lot of fun," Mr. Segallis said. "I love the competition. What's kept me in it is my dogs love it. It's my hobby now."
Apparently, he and Ria's hard work is paying off. Since her first-place win at the Purina East Coast Regional, Ria and Mr. Segallis have been invited to compete in an all-expenses paid final at Purina Falls in Gray Summit, Mo., Oct. 7.
Ria beat five other dogs in the Large Dogs 18 to 22 inches in height category to earn the right to compete at the nationals. Although she has competed as a novice for years, Mr. Segallis said it was the first time Ria was invited to participate at this level. He believes it was because she is different.
"The sport's particularly dominated by border collies," Mr. Segallis said, adding that the American Staffordshire did indeed compete against at least two border collies, beating them to take the top prize. "(Purina) was looking for some off breeds this year, and I think that's why we got invited."
Agility is a competition where dog and handler must run an obstacle course in the fastest time in order to win. The course is lined with tube tunnels, suspended tires, poles and hurdles. Each dog was allowed two runs, and the best was tallied for placement. Usually in agility, the dog never sees the course before running it, and the setup of the obstacles is never the same layout twice. However, in this competition, dogs were allowed two practice runs. Ria ran the course in 38.23 seconds to win, averaging six yards per second. She also made no refusals, or hesitations, no wrong turns and had no dropped bars on the hurdles.
Mr. Segallis said he was ecstatic when it became apparent Ria was top dog.
"It was an honor just to be invited," Mr. Segallis said. "Other trainers gave us advice to run the first run clean (with no mistakes). And her first run was clean. I was really surprised. Then I thought, 'Wow, she could really win this thing.'
"I pushed her the second time. It was tight. Ria ran her second run clean and I knew she had a good chance to win."
Despite her good course time, cynics doubted the pit bull breed would make a good competitor, Mr. Segallis said.
"Ria's kind of an underdog in the sport," he said. "Purina was even skeptical that she could be competitive. (Pit bulls) are always in the press for the wrong reasons."
Mr. Segallis added that he believes pit bulls go bad when they have the wrong owners.
"The breed has more than a 150-year legacy as a loyal, faithful family dog," he said. "A lot of people talk about genetics, but the dog's genetics haven't changed. The problem is in the way people are treating or training them."
Mr. Segallis hopes Ria can be a goodwill ambassador of sorts for her breed.
"Ria loves to hear the crowd cheer," Mr. Segallis said. "She goes wild when she hears the crowd applauding. She just loves to run and she really does want to please."
The Purina Incredible Dog Challenge East Coast Regional Competition is scheduled to air later this year on the Bravo network. A time and date have yet to be announced. For information, visit the Web site at www.bravotv.com.