Meet Texas
& Howdy
TEXAS
Texas is a Border Collie/Papillon cross born on February 27, 2021. With a personal best of 4.171 seconds, he’s earned a NAFA Flyball Master Excellent (FMX) title and a U-FLI TF-III title. He runs as an 8-inch height dog in NAFA and 6-inch in U-FLI. Texas also competes in UKI Agility in the Speedstakes Senior division. Loyal, eager and fast, Texas is the steady heartbeat of the team.
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HOWDY
Howdy (registered name: Sincity Michelle’s Howdy Do That) is a Whippet born on October 28, 2023. He holds the title of fastest U-FLI singles racing Whippet of all time with a personal best of 3.435 seconds. Still young but already making history, Howdy is lightning-quick, confident, and full of charm. He’s just getting started—and the sky’s the limit.
Meet Michelle: Trainer and Handler of Texas & Howdy
Michelle Banse is the heart and handler behind Texas Flyball. Based in Weimar, Texas, Michelle brings decades of experience in dog sports to the flyball lanes. A former top-level agility competitor with multiple MACH titles and national-level qualifications, she’s no stranger to the competitive world of canine athletics. Michelle began her flyball journey in late 2023 and quickly fell in love with the sport’s speed, strategy and team camaraderie.
A creative entrepreneur by day, Michelle is a partner in Trips Publications LLC, a successful publishing company that highlights small-town stories across Texas. On weekends, she travels the country with her dogs, turning her passion into a pursuit of excellence. She is an active member of PrimeTime Flyball Club of Houston and is proud to be a part of the club's success—one clean pass at a time.