Ashley Whippet
Encyclopedia
Ashley Whippet a Whippet
owned by Alex Stein of Ohio
, was the first great disc dog
and the winner of three Canine Frisbee Disc World Championships.
during a nationally televised baseball
game between the Los Angeles Dodgers
and the Cincinnati Reds
. Stein jumped the fence and went onto the baseball field with Ashley, where he threw discs (Frisbee
s) for the dog to catch. The crowd was in awe at Ashley's disc-catching ability, as he ran up to 35 miles per hour and leaped 9 feet in the air to snag the Frisbees. The stunt was so novel that the game was stopped and Joe Garagiola continued to announce the flying disc action on the field. Finally, after eight minutes, Stein was escorted off the field and arrested. The nationally televised exhibition of Ashley's skill did much to fuel interest in the disc dog sport.
in Pasadena
, California
. Eventually, it turned into a contest series and, in the early 1980s, was named the Ashley Whippet Invitational (AWI) in honor of Ashley.
entitled Floating Free, which was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Live Action Short Film
. The eleven minute short was shot at the 1977 World Frisbee Championships and showcases the various events at the competition.
as the pre-game entertainment. He also performed at the White House
for a young Amy Carter
.
Whippet
The Whippet is a breed of dog in the sighthound family. They are active and playful and are physically similar to a small Greyhound.- Description :...
owned by Alex Stein of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, was the first great disc dog
Disc dog
Disc dog is the more generic name for what is commonly called Frisbee dog. In disc dog competitions, dogs and their human flying disc throwers compete in events such as distance catching and somewhat choreographed freestyle catching. The sport celebrates the bond between handler and dog, by...
and the winner of three Canine Frisbee Disc World Championships.
Dodger Stadium
Ashley first gained notoriety on August 4, 1974 when Stein, then a 19-year-old college student, smuggled him into Dodger StadiumDodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
during a nationally televised baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
game between the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. Stein jumped the fence and went onto the baseball field with Ashley, where he threw discs (Frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
s) for the dog to catch. The crowd was in awe at Ashley's disc-catching ability, as he ran up to 35 miles per hour and leaped 9 feet in the air to snag the Frisbees. The stunt was so novel that the game was stopped and Joe Garagiola continued to announce the flying disc action on the field. Finally, after eight minutes, Stein was escorted off the field and arrested. The nationally televised exhibition of Ashley's skill did much to fuel interest in the disc dog sport.
Frisbee Dog World Championship
The next year, Stein helped to organize the first Frisbee Dog World Championship for flying-disc catching dogs and their handlers, which continued as an annual event. Stein and Ashley won the first three championships in 1975, 1976 and 1977. In those early years the Dog World Championship took place alongside the "human" Frisbee championships at the Rose BowlRose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Eventually, it turned into a contest series and, in the early 1980s, was named the Ashley Whippet Invitational (AWI) in honor of Ashley.
Floating Free
Ashley's skills as a disc dog were featured in the 1977 documentaryDocumentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
entitled Floating Free, which was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Live Action Short Film
Academy Award for Live Action Short Film
This name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974. For the three preceding years it was known as "Short Subjects, Live Action Films." The term "Short Subjects, Live Action Subjects" was used from 1957 until 1970. From 1936 until 1956 there were two separate...
. The eleven minute short was shot at the 1977 World Frisbee Championships and showcases the various events at the competition.
Other notable performances
In 1977 Ashley performed at Super Bowl XISuper Bowl XI
Super Bowl XI was a football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1976 regular season...
as the pre-game entertainment. He also performed at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
for a young Amy Carter
Amy Carter
Amy Lynn Carter is the fourth child and only daughter of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. She entered the limelight as she lived as a child in the White House during the Carter presidency.-Early life:...
.