Co-sponsors of the 2023 Winning Out Certificates


More an 'identification' than a breed...

The Agility League for Spitz (ALFS) is open to all Spitz breeds including German Spitz, Japanese Spitz, Husky, Malamute and Klee Kai etc. plus their first crosses. The aim of the League is to promote and encourage Spitz owners to take part in agility and to broaden the knowledge that Spitz breeds do make fine agility dogs as well excelling in other disciplines.

 2020

A Message from Mark

Wow, what a start to the year! First the floods and now the disease. I guest next will be a plague of locusts!

Anyway Danielle and I have decided to suspend the League until further notice but all points earned between 1st January and 15th March will count. Those who haven't yet claimed your points, if you can get them in asap, I will upload the standings thus far in a few weeks time.

Can I also ask that those who won trophies last year confirm they have managed to acquire them from the previous holder?

Last but most importantly, I hope you are all well.

Stay safe guys.


ALFS Does Quadpaws 2020

Done great news guys. This year we are holding the ALFS steeplechase event on Sunday, 24th May after my ring finished.

I'm judging the Jumping and Danielle has kindly agreed to RM for me. It would be great to see you all for the event and would be even more amazing if we can make it an ALFS ring party too.

More info nearer the time but please let me know if you can attend and also if you can help out on the ring that day.


ALFS Inaugural Year Comes to an End


 For all those times when the darned Shelties pipped our Spitzes at the post.

Well, what a year it’s been!

Danielle Walker and I took up the mantle to re-instate a Spitz specific agility league after the retirement of OPALS League earlier in the year and I am so grateful for all the support, encouragement and assistance she has provided.

I must say how rewarding it was to meet so many lovely, like minded people and follow and record their successes in the Agility circuit in our league table, publishing monthly updates on progress.

Allowing Spitz breeds and Spitz cross breeds to take part together has allowed many folk to participate. I have had great pleasure in watching some of our more experienced members compete as well as being there at some shows to encourage and support those peeps just starting out on their agility journey.

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and fun based - maybe with a tad bit of a competitive edge at times. Our Facebook page has many members who don’t partake in the League but the main thing is we all have a common forum in which to chat, ask for assistance and share advice etc. Our grading system takes in to account KC and also allows assimilation of the UKA performance grading system to allow comprehensive and fair competition

We ended the year with 32 competing members' dogs and we have already added to that for this year’s renewals.

The Northern Japanese Spitz Club very kindly allowed us to carry across the trophies donated when OPALS was running in memory of the late Kathy Crowe.

This last couple of days have seen the first annual awards being announced thus:-

  • Grade 1 Winner– Kevin Butler with Ice Baku (JS)

  • Grade 2 Winner - Sue Taylor with Shoya (Shiba Inu x Whippet)

  • Grade 3 Winner - Mark Bunyan with Kaspa (JS)

  • Grade 4 Winner – Kim Krausher with Foxy (Finnish Spitz)

  • Grade 5 Winner – Neil Olver with Buzz (GS)

  • Grade 7 Winner – Emma Ginster withTeaza (Collie x JS)
     

  • Best Newcomer – Kevin Butler withIce-Baku

  • Best JS (Kathy Crowe Memorial Trophy) – Kevin Butler withIce-Baku

  • Overall Runner Up - Kim Krausher withFoxy

  • Overall Winner – Kevin Butler withIce-Baku

It has been an amazing year particularly for Kev and Ice Baku year. They, like many of our members, start this year in a much higher grade, making future competition very exciting indeed, with new opportunities for those starting out in the lower grades.

It's not all has been rosy, though, as we have had one very unfortunate handler whose dog was injured and is unlikely to be competing for a long time, if ever again. Our thoughts go out to Cathy Withal and Storm.

My goal for this year is to increase the awareness of ALFS throughout the Spitz community and try to get an ALFS class included in one of the UKA shows this year.

We will be canvassing for sponsorship from businesses to provide prizes for this year’s presentation at the end of the year, so if you know of any, please let myself or Danielle Walker know.

If you are a Spitz agility person, or are even interested in finding out about Spitz and Agility, please do come and look us up on the Agility League for Spitz Facebook

I sincerely wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year and thank you for taking the time to read this year end summary.

September News

We have been running ALF for a little over four months now, and what a time it has been!

Membership has doubled and half those people are actively competing. It's been very rewarding hearing how everyone is progressing, entering their points in the League and just being aware of how well everyone is doing. At lower end of the league, it’s amazing when folk get their first points and share their successes.

 Let’s look at some stats:

  • Number of members: 65

  • Number of dogs entered in the League: 31, owned by 16 different people

  • Number of results posted: 415

I have personally watched Krystina with Nala and Paige with Penelope Jane at UKA shows starting out on their agility journey and watched Sandra and Keela and Danielle with Marshall competing at a high standard.

I think the most remarkable journey must be Kevin and Ice Baku, who started competing this year and are already notching up the wins and progressing up the grades. Then at the other end of the progress scale is our very own Snow, who has not yet managed a clear round but entertains the judges and crowds by embarking on her mid-run zoomies.


The League

After 10 years of dedicated hard work, Kim Bailey has decided the time has come to let go of OPALS Spitz League, and so Mark Bunyan and Danielle Walker have decided to set up a new league for Spitz in its place.

Eligible breeds and crosses include: Akita Inu, Alaskan Husky, Alaskan Klee Kai, Alaskan Malamute, American Akita, American Eskimo Dog, Black Norwegian Elkhound, Canaan Dog, Canadian Eskimo Dog, Chow Chow, East Siberian Laika, Eurasier, Finnish Lapphund, Finnish Spitz, German Spitz, Greenland Dog, Guejae Gae, Hokkaidō, Icelandic Sheepdog, Indian Spitz, Jämthund, Japanese Spitz, Kai Ken, Karelian Bear Dog, Keeshond, Kintamani, Kishu, Korean Jindo Dog, Labrador Husky, Lapponian Herder, Mackenzie River Husky, Norrbottenspets, Northern Inuit Dog, Norwegian Buhund, Norwegian Elkhound, Norwegian Lundehund, Nureongi, Pomeranian, Pungsan, Russo-European Laika, Sakhalin Husky, Salish Wool Dog, Samoyed, Schipperke, Seppala Siberian Sleddog, Shetland Sheepdog, Shiba Inu, Shikoku, Siberian Husky, Swedish Lapphund, Swedish Vallhund, Tamaskan Dog, Thai Bangkaew Dog, Volpino Italiano and West Siberian Laika.

Current membership is 33 and rising.

ALFS does not discriminate between UKA and KC shows regarding points values and even allows placings at independent shows to be claimed. Full details, rules, membership forms etc are available in the files section.

There are no membership fees involved.

There is £100 prize money for the overall winner, kindly donated by Cotswold Dog Training.

Please share with your own Spitz friends and Community if you wish

If you would like to know more then please feel free to come and look at the group I have set up called Agility League For Spitz (ALFS). For more information or to join email: agilityleagueforspitz@gmail.com or go to ALFS website: https://m.facebook.com/groups/243197402922400 

Danielle Walker has very kindly offered to come on board and help, with her experience and success in competing I think that is a great asset to help us run things smoothly.The name is just to get us up and running and if anyone comes up with a better name then great.

ALFS Rules

1. ALFS is open to all Spitz breeds and their 1st crosses and is a free league, we will fund rosettes and returnable trophies to each grade winner.

2. The league will run from 1st January to 31st December each year, final results must be received by 7th January.

3. Points can be claimed for fault free rounds for a top 10 place in classes at KC and non-KC shows, as follows:

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

UPC

20

19

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

2

4. Points can be claimed for all scheduled classes except for pay on the day only classes, teams, pairs, trios or interclub matches. You can claim points for the Champ qualifying rounds, but not the final. Again, only fault free runs can be claimed.

5. Points can only be claimed if a placed rosette is presented by the show, otherwise clear round points must be claimed.

6. Clear round points can be claimed for clear rounds within course time, even if no clear round rosette is awarded by the show.

7. When claiming points the show, date, class and place must be stated.

8. Points cannot be claimed from NFC runs, or runs using toys in classes such as Nursery or Introductory

9. For the duration of the league your dog will stay in the Grade category they were in on the 1st January, regardless of any progression gained during the current league year. They must then be moved up the following league year.

10. For the purposes of this league, UKA Performance programme assimilates thus:-

  • Beginners = Grade 1

  • Novice = Grade 3

  • Senior = Grade 5

  • Champ = Grade 7

  • N.B. Steeplechase programme points can be claimed but will not affect the league grade.

11. It is the handler’s responsibility to send in their points to the league email account agilityleagueforspitz@gmail.com

12. There will be separate awards for:-

  • Grade 1

  • Grade 2

  • Grade 3

  • Grade 4

  • Grade 5

  • Grade 6

  • Grade 7

  • Anysize

13. Heights will be combined.

14. The Anysize category is for those who can no longer compete at their full height due to injury, age, etc. only points can be claimed from anysize and veteran classes (or UKA Casual) in this category, we will not accept points from standard classes. Once you have entered your dog into this category you cannot move it to any of the grade categories for the duration of the year.

15. All members are expected to be honest about their results, if anyone if found to be dishonest then they will be removed from the league. Results will be subject to random spot checks.

[bottom.htm]

 

© Copyright Agilitynet