Shiloh, a 3-year-old Australian cattle dog from Pasadena, beat out an 80-pound pit bull for a world championship Frisbee dog title.
With help from her human teammates ? Shannon Bilheimer of Glen Burnie and owner Frank Buckland of Pasadena ? Shiloh brought home the pairs freestyle championship title for the second year in a row.
In pairs freestyle, two humans and one canine stage a dance-like performance as the dog snares Frisbees in astounding maneuvers.
Wallace the pit bull had been in the lead at the Atlanta event Sept. 23-24, due to his amazing tricks, including one where he clamped onto an extra-durable Frisbee as his owners grasped the other side of the Frisbee and used it to spin him around by his teeth.
But, Shiloh, wearing an American flag bandana, won judges over with her fast-paced performance set to “Get Over It” by The Eagles.
“It?s almost like ice skating or dancing. In one trick, [Bilheimer] does a headstand and scissors her legs. I?ll vault Shiloh off my back, between her legs,” Buckland said.
“We got a very good response from that,” Buckland said.
The team won for its smooth execution and tight choreography, said Peter Bloeme, director of Skyhoundz, a company that organizes dog competitions around the world and sells equipment for the sport.
“They had great teamwork,” Bloeme said.
Shiloh keeps her human teammates on track throughout competitions, Bilheimer said.
“The dog knows exactly what we are supposed to be doing. If we are off just a second, she?s there waiting for us,” she said.
Shiloh isn?t the only dog in the family who won a world championship title that day. Bilheimer?s husband, John, won with his dog, Beamer, in the distance/accuracy competition, in which dogs are awarded points for catching Frisbees in a precise location.
Beamer and John were tied with another team, until they nabbed the title in a special “overtime” catch.
“The last event of the world championship ended in an exciting tie-breaker finish,” Bloeme said.
Shiloh and Beamer will both compete in the MADDogs East Coast Championships 11 a.m. Saturday at Kinder Farm Park in Millersville, during the Fall Harvest Festival.
