Meet Texas
& Howdy
TEXAS
Texas (Whirlwind's Texas Tornado) is a Border Collie/Papillon purpose-bred mix. With a personal best of 4.171 seconds, he’s earned a NAFA Flyball Master Champion (FMCH) title and a U-FLI TFE-III title. He runs as an 8-inch height dog in NAFA and 6-inch in U-FLI. Texas has also competed in UKI Agility in the Speedstakes Senior division. Loyal, eager and fast, Texas is the steady heartbeat of his PrimeTime Flyball team.
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HOWDY
Howdy (Sincity Michelle's Howdy Do That) is a Whippet owned and handled by Michelle Banse of Weimar, Texas. Known for his consistency, explosive starts and enthusiasm for the sport, Howdy competes with PrimeTime Flyball of Houston and serves as the start dog on the club's Division 1 team, PrimeTime Level Up.
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In June 2026, Level Up set a team personal best of 14.232 seconds in Bonham, Texas, with Howdy in the start position for his team. His individual personal best line-to-line is 3.398 seconds.
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Since beginning his flyball career, Howdy has earned multiple titles while competing at some of the sport's highest levels. He was part of PrimeTime's Division 1 team that earned a third-place finish at the 2025 U-FLI Championships at Purina Farms in Missouri and continues to compete against many of the fastest dogs and teams in North America.
Meet Michelle: Trainer and Handler of Texas & Howdy
Michelle 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 of Houston and is proud to be a part of the club's success, one clean pass at a time.