CELEBRATION, Fla. — Barb Davis and her Shetland sheepdog, Shimmer, are a hop, skip and jump away from reaching a goal they've been pursuing for the last six years.

Though the pair has competed and medaled in the Great Outdoor Games every year since its inception in 2000, Davis and Shimmer have never taken first place.

	Barbara Davis

This year, they hope their hard-earned experience will pay off. Davis and Shimmer are preparing to battle seven other Sporting Dog teams for the gold in the Small Agility competition.

At 10 years old, Shimmer is the oldest canine competitor at the Games. Most handlers consider retiring from competition older canines, but Davis refuses. She said Shimmer still has a competitive spark and years of experience as a team will pay off.

"Being an older dog, Shimmer has a real advantage," Davis said. "We've run together for a long time and our consistency is great."

Davis concedes that a generation of younger dogs with more speed will challenge Shimmer, but believes that Shimmer's ability to take cues could help them capture the win.

"There are younger dogs competing now that have greater speed than him," Davis said. "Shimmer isn't always the fastest dog, but he understands the cues and we can usually run a better path."

Davis also is training Shimmer's puppy, Rock-It, to compete in the Agility contest. Two-year-old Rock-It is still learning, but Davis has high hopes that he will carry on the family name and compete in the Great Outdoor Games after Shimmer retires.

"He is young and very fast, but still needs time and experience on the course," Davis said.

Davis and Shimmer will be one of eight pairs competing in the Small Agility competition. Chosen by a panel of Agility experts, the dogs are considered the best athletes in their sport.

"The Great Outdoor Games selects the top competitors in the country to compete in Agility," said Davis. "They're all top dogs and any one of them can win it on their day. We'll give it our best and hope we come out on top."

Fans can catch the Great Outdoor Games live July 7-10, 2005 at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex and Tenoroc Shooting Sports and Training Facility.

Admission to the 2005 Great Outdoor Games at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex is $5 per person per day, with children 10 and under free. Admission to Tenoroc Shooting Sports and Training Facility is free. Re-entry is allowed each day.

Tickets can be purchased on ticketmaster.com through June 26 and purchased at the door the day of the event.

The Games will be aired on ESPN and ABC Sports July 14-17, 2005. For more information visit www.greatoutdoorgames.com.