Kori Bevis of Cannon Falls, Minnesota, fell in love with the sport of obedience instantly. And now, after impressive performances in the ring at the 30th annual AKC National Obedience Championship, she and her Golden Retriever, “Baker,” have made history.
Their team didn’t just win the championship—Bevis is the first handler to ever win the championship three times with the same dog. They’re also the first team to win the championship three years in a row.
From Horses to Labs to Goldens
Despite the owner-handler’s success in obedience, Bevis didn’t grow up having dogs as a child. “I rode and showed horses when I was younger. I never had a dog as a kid, but I really wanted one,” Bevis says. When she grew up and married her husband Chris, they finally got a dog together: a Labrador Retriever, “Harley.”
Bevis started in obedience with Harley doing regular dog obedience classes. From there, she got the bug. “I really enjoyed the sport and the pursuit of perfection within the sport,” Bevis says. “There was a great community there, too, which I enjoyed.”
She and her husband lived in Atlanta, Georgia, when she started her obedience journey. A few years later, she moved back to her home state of Minnesota. “The obedience community in the Minneapolis, St. Paul area is very, very strong. Historically, [there are] a lot of competitors in this area, so it’s a really fortuitous place.” Little did Bevis know that she wouldn’t just be among these competitors — she’d solidify her place in obedience history.
Baker’s Obedience Lines
Bevis finished Harley’s obedience championship title, and hers was the first of many. Her second Labrador, “Cedar,” brought home Bevis’ first National Obedience Championship win in 2017. At competitions on big obedience stages, she always saw Golden Retrievers and felt inspired. Her third competition obedience dog after Cedar was “Tego,” who competed at the National Obedience Championship five times. Though he never won, Bevis said she learned a lot about the breed.
“I love Goldens; they’re very biddable. They really want to work as a team with you,” Bevis says. “They love to train, they love to work, and it makes the sport extra fun for me.”
When Bevis was looking for another Golden, she found one through obedience. “I looked them up in the catalog, and many were related,” Bevis recalls. One dog was Baker’s mother, who won the National Obedience Championship in 2015. His littermate, “Juicy,” won the championship in 2021 and placed 10th at the 2024 competition.
Meeting Baker when he was a puppy solidified for Bevis that something was different about him.
“It was a very different experience from when I met any of my other dogs, which sounds strange,” Bevis says. “Immediately, it was love at first sight. I kind of felt like his life flashed before my eyes when I held him the first time.”
A Double 3-Peat, Making History
As Baker got older and their bond grew stronger, Bevis saw more and more what could be for their obedience career. “I dreamed about it. It was a little bit of a pipe dream when Baker was very young — I knew he was a really special dog.”
They began competing together, and Baker continued to show Bevis how much he loved the sport. Now as Baker is nearly 10 years old, the team has had an incredible past few years. They won both the 2022 and 2023 National Obedience Championships. The pair also took home the top prize at the 2023 Masters Obedience Championship at Westminster. The National Obedience Championship, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2024, was their third win as a team, as well as their third NOC in a row. They’re the first handler-dog team in history to do either of these. Bevis never could’ve imagined how much they’ve been able to accomplish together.
“There’s always a bit of luck involved, so it’s kind of unbelievable that he was still able to win that three times,” Bevis says. When the second-place champion was announced, and Bevis realized they’d won, she was completely in shock. “The competition was really deep this year, and I knew it was going to be close. It was incredible that everything really came together.”
Ending With a Career High
While Bevis isn’t stopping her obedience training or competing anytime soon, the 2024 National Obedience Championship was Baker’s last competition on a major obedience stage. “It’s almost like he knew it was his last year, and that’s why he was like, ‘I need to go out strong with all of these wins across these huge competitions.’ It’s really awesome to see.”
Bevis is forever grateful for her experience with Baker over the last decade. “He’s truly very exceptional. He loves to learn, he loves to work, he loves to show,” Bevis says. “Nothing lasts forever, and I’m really, really happy we got to cap it all off with this. He’s the dog of my lifetime.”
While Bevis is excited about Baker’s historic obedience career, it’s also bittersweet that their obedience journey together is coming to an end. “It’s really hard. It’s been so much of our life together for almost 10 years, and it’s a lot of memories. It’s hard because I would show him forever — I wish I could do it for the next 40 years. Bittersweet is probably the best word because of everything we were able to accomplish together. I really could not have asked for anything more.”
What’s Next For Bevis
Bevis also owns a dog training and obedience center in Minneapolis, Tails Up, which she opened in 1995. “My own personal dogs have helped me a lot with demonstrations for those classes,” she says. Baker will be doing more of those demonstrations now that he’s retired and will surely give them great examples of championship-level obedience.
Baker’s retirement isn’t going to be just lounging around, either. “He’s not the kind of guy that likes to sit on the sidelines, so I’m going to plan to still keep him active with conditioning as he ages,” Bevis says. Next, they might try AKC Scent Work or tracking, but their impact on the obedience community as a team will be etched in history forever. “I’m happy that we could leave it on this note.”
Bevis has begun training her 5-year-old Golden Retriever, “Knox,” who’s already coming up in the obedience word. Bevis and Knox also qualified for the 2024 National Obedience Championship, but Bevis wanted to focus on Baker’s last competition.
Despite her multiple wins on the obedience stage, Bevis still gets nervous stepping into the ring. “I think if you’re not nervous, you don’t care about what you’re doing,” Bevis says. “I think it’s a good thing to be a little nervous.”
Obedient In and Out of the Ring
Bevis hopes that more people will take an interest in the sport of obedience, both at a competition level and as pet owners. “One of the underrated things about obedience is that it’s the foundation for any other sport or activity you want to do with your dog,” says Bevis. “If you create teamwork through obedience training and establish that relationship with your dog, they’re so much more willing to work with you and learn new things.”
Baker is a great example of this. While he’s a three-time National Obedience Champion, he’s also a very well-behaved dog. When Baker goes with Bevis and her husband to a brewery or restaurant, Baker is in a down-stay. Bevis says he’s welcome and has never caused any problems when they’re out.
“My dogs have a ton of energy,” she says, “I can’t imagine owning them without having that training foundation. It makes them great companions for me just in daily life, and I can take them anywhere because they’re well-behaved.”
If you missed the 2024 AKC National Obedience Championship catch the highlights on AKC.tv. Congrats to “Baker” and Kori Bevis, the 2024 AKC National Obedience Champions!