Cynllan Lodge

I started competing in agility in 2004 with my Labrador x Retriever. My background was in showjumping with ponies and horses, and when I first saw agility, I thought it looked very similar — so I decided to give it a go. I was hooked!

Over the years, two more dogs joined the pack, both rescues, and they took me through the agility grades, reaching Grade 6 with Indie and Grade 7 with Kali.

I have had the privilege of representing Wales at the World Agility Open Championships, competing in England in 2011 with Indie, Belgium in 2012 with Kali and a borrowed small dog, Scruffy, and Spain in 2013 with Kali. I have also attended many other finals with both dogs, achieving numerous high placings. Among my highlights were winning the Circular Knockout competition twice with Kali and the DARL Final with Indie.

I then rescued a Working Sheepdog from Many Tears, Solar, who went on to compete successfully at KC Grade 7. Unfortunately, Solar had to retire early due to back problems. Alongside competing, I qualified as a KC agility judge and have had the opportunity to judge a number of competitions.

I now compete with my young Border Collie, Reba, who reached KC Grade 6 at just two years old.

I particularly enjoy teaching foundation work, as I believe it is a critical part of developing a successful agility partnership. Building the right skills and understanding from the beginning provides a strong foundation for everything that follows.

I am passionate about continuing to develop my own knowledge and keep up to date with current agility rules, techniques and training methods. I regularly attend training days and continue to learn from other experienced trainers, allowing me to pass on up-to-date information and ideas to the people I teach.

Philippa is a  founding member of the club, starting in 1994 after having attended obedience classes  with Haydn Lane in Llanharan rugby club hall and then moving up to Cynllan Lodge Kennels.

“I had taken on a Labrador Retriever, Jack, who had no formal training and thought it was ok to drag me everywhere!  So i started training him out of necessity and found I enjoyed it and wanted to get better at it.  I really enjoyed  meeting and training together and that is why the club was started”.

Philippa’s first dog in 1967 was a Shetland Sheepdog, and she has since shared her life and love with four crossbreeds, a Labrador, 5 Working Sheepdogs and a Bearded Collie..  She currently works the last of the sheepdogs, Freya, and the Bearded Collie, Hetty.  She was a veterinary nurse from 1973 to 2015 so developed a great understanding and empathy with animals, especially dogs.  She began competing in obedience in 1999 until the agility took over in 2005.  Together with other club members, she also put on displays for local events during the summer months.

She has been teaching obedience at the club for several years and has taken each of her dogs since Jack through the Royal Kennel Club Good Citizens Dog Scheme tests.  Freya and Hetty are both Gold Award holders.

Jan joined the club in 2002 after completing a 10-week obedience course at Cynllan Lodge Kennels and wanting to progress in obedience and agility training. Jan has had dogs all her life - a Welsh Springer spaniel, and four rescues. She now has a whippet.

“Before I joined our Club I trained three of my dogs at home, but I really think that my dogs have benefited enormously and grown in confidence from being trained with other dogs, and I’ve improved my handling skills too. It gives me a great sense of achievement seeing my dog enjoying their training, working for me and happy around other dogs and people.”

Jan competes in agility with her young whippet Twiglet.

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Ceri became our Chairperson in May 2025

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After completing Cynllan Lodge Kennels' ten week course, Lesley joined the club in 2004 as an inexperienced dog handler with a disobedient chocolate Labrador called Harvey.

"With lots of help from club trainers and members he turned into a happy dog with whom I achieved so much. We worked hard and gained our bronze, silver and gold Royal Kennel Club Awards. I now have a chocolate Labrador called Ollie and, whether doing obedience with Philippa, agility with Judith or Jan helping us, I get excellent advice making Tuesday night a night to look forward to with friends and their dogs. With Ollie we have gained our bronze, silver and gold awards.

A member of the club for a number of years, Cassie loves her collies and, in particular, they enjoy agility together. ​"The club has been a really great place to learn so many things about my dogs and how to teach them skills, giving me the confidence and ability to work with my dogs off leash. It doesn't take much to motivate a collie, but it can take quite a bit of work to direct my high energy dogs in a positive way and I've learned how to do just that at the club."