I think Rally is a great introduction to the obedience ring for a young dog.  Flare earned bother her RN, RA & RE titles in straight shows, earning her first leg at just 9 month of age.  The day after she earned her RA title we moved up to Excellent.  She won her very first Excellent B class, beating a large group of very good dogs, including her "sister", Rosie.  Flare also earned her APDT Rally level 1 title, all in 1 weekend with an Award of Excellence for her consistently high scores.  She was just over 1 year old.