Wheatland County resident smashes yet another world record 

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Jennifer Fraser and her dogs have smashed yet another world record, this time setting a new fastest time for completing 10 leapfrog jumps. 

She explained the trick consists of two dogs facing a trainer jumping over each other in sequence “leapfrogging” over each other. 

This record was completed by Fraser’s three-year-old Australian shepherd, Chardonnay, and two-year-old rescued border collie, Kiwi. 

“I had Kiwi for like eight months; we did the record with Chardonnay and she nailed it. She’s been a great performing dog, a great family dog, she gets along with my kids, my cats, everything. She just fit into my team like a glove, like it was meant to be,” said Fraser. 

“I was looking for a dog, and I ended up finding (Kiwi), this drop-dead gorgeous border collie and I rescued her. The first week she was performing at Stampede events. She was just so friendly and so outgoing, and she loved the kids.”

Fraser emphasized having found Kiwi through the Alberta Herding Dog Rescue, operated by Cindy Sweeney. The not-for-profit organization specifically focuses on rehoming and retraining herding and athletic breeds into environments where they will be able to have proper stimulation and enrichment. 

“(Sweeney) has a lot of lovely dogs there that just need a little extra love and a little bit more education when it comes to giving them a home,” added Fraser. 

She explained Kiwi was previously under the care of a young girl who lived in an apartment. Kiwi was given up around when she reached eight months old as she began to come into adolescence and required more time and space to run around. 

Kiwi was able to perform the record attempt with Chardonnay after only eight months of training with Fraser. She clarified that for a dog to go from adoption to performing at such a level, this time frame is exceptionally brief. 

This record follows immediately in the wake of another approved world record attempt, being the fastest 10 hoop slalom completed by a dog. 

The task was to jump through five raised hoops, loop around and return back through in as short a time as possible. 

Chardonnay set the new record for this at 7.34 seconds. The previous record had been set at 8.58 seconds in 2016 by Stephen Bailey and his dog Neo in Minehead, United Kingdom.

Fraser is now credited with holding 18 world records with her dogs. Of these, 16 were previously set by Daiquiri, who is now aging out of his performance days at nearly 11 years old. 

She joked that her motivation for breaking record after record is due to boredom. 

“I have ADHD – if I am not busy 24/7, my brain explodes,” laughed Fraser. “I love to stay busy, but also, honestly, it is to challenge myself, to challenge my dogs, to really get my name out there proving that I am a trainer who can train any breed any time and get them to be exceptional.”

Fraser added for those who would be able to provide a working home for an energetic dog, visit albertaherdingdogrescue.ca to learn more about the dogs looking for their forever homes, or how to help out the organization.