Julie Bacon

For more than a decade, Julie has been successfully competing in agility with her "non-traditional" Berners. She says, "My passion for the mental game and what makes competitors win in the ring began as a kid when I was a nationally-ranked equestrian in the hunter/jumpers. When I got into agility, I was surprised there wasn't a focus on goal-setting or working on the mental game in any real way, and yet we are half of our team." So Julie created programs and personal coaching to give handlers the tools they need to be mentally strong so they can deliver great performances when it counts. Now, Julie assists handlers in breaking through performance blocks, setting goals that build confidence and results, and providing tools to enable handlers to compete successfully under pressure. She says, "I believe mental toughness is a skill that we can learn and hone—just like any handling skill. I hope more handlers look to the same tools elite athletes use in order to improve their results in the agility ring."

Julie has been a contributing writer for Clean Run magazine and provides one-on-one coaching in addition to workshops and online courses through The Q Coach. Julie and her dogs have competed in the AKC Agility Invitational, the Westminster Agility Championship, and the AKC Rally Championship. She is a draft (carting) judge for the Bernese Mountain Dog Club and teaches agility, puppy foundation, obedience, and rally at A Click Above in Leesburg, Virginia.