A Dark Horse Dog Soars to Fame in Disc Derby

Owen Boy was an underdog, no question.

No one expected him to nose out 13 other contenders at the world Frisbee dog championship in Washington. Not this perky border collie from Anaheim Hills that finished 12th in a 14-dog field last year.

No, the smart money was on Skyy Dog, last year’s third-place winner (three-time champ Soaring Sam was sitting this one out). Or maybe that new contender, Taylor, a lab-whippet mix from Massachusetts with killer scores from the regional competition.

But on Saturday, a crowd of 12,000 watched Owen Boy snatch the championship title away from what a judge described as a tough field at the annual Alpo Canine Frisbee Disc World Finals. The competition included winners of regional contests that drew thousands of dogs nationwide. Owen Boy, 4, and his 34-year-old owner, Pon Saradeth, won a $1,000 savings bond and a year’s supply of dog food and treats.

“Owen Boy is doing great--he’s so excited,” Saradeth said.

On Monday, the pair appeared on NBC’s “Today” show and fielded other media interviews. It was the sort of post-championship glow that Saradeth had dreamed about since Owen Boy started training at the tender age of 11 weeks in a bid to follow in the paw prints of Soaring Sam.

Saradeth, a hairstylist, wanted to win the fame of past champions such as Soaring Sam (guest shot on David Letterman’s “Late Show”) or Ashley Whippet (White House appearance). He wanted Owen Boy to shake off his near-last place finish from last year.

“[To win] a year later--I can’t believe it,” Saradeth said.

The day of the championship had looked grim for Owen Boy. A storm was brewing. Maybe the weather would keep spectators at home. Owen Boy would have to read the tricky wind and play to the audience.

But something happened when Owen Boy got to the Washington Monument grounds in his red bandanna. He saw the crowd--and he saw the Frisbee.

“His mood totally changed,” Saradeth said. “He likes to show off. He was hopping around like, ‘Now, I’m going to play Frisbee.’ You could see the intensity coming from him, the energy.”

The pair’s two-minute routine was set to music from the movies “Mission Impossible” and “Mortal Kombat.”

They did a twist on the butterfly throw--Saradeth kicked a spinning Frisbee off his foot, and Owen Boy grabbed it in his mouth. They did a vault--Owen Boy leaped off Saradeth’s crouched back and caught a Frisbee midair. They executed showmanship--Saradeth tossed five rapid-fire Frisbees at Owen Boy who caught them standing on his hind legs, on which he had just walked toward his partner for 15 feet.

Owen Boy’s reward for his first-place finish?

“Basically, throw him another Frisbee, that’s his treat,” Saradeth said. “He loves it. He lives day to day, just to play Frisbee.”