Good luck to one and all!

The Final at the Malvern Autumn Show
Judge's Report

It was an honour to be invited to judge the ROYAL CANIN® Final at the Malvern Autumn Show this year.

There were three classes run as a prelude to the Final through the morning.

  • The Steeplechase was won by Michael Adams & Black Lotus.

  • The Jumping saw Georgi Loti & My Boy Pye finish first.

  • Angela Williams and Sanduck Tick Topp won the Touch and Go.

As the ROYAL CANIN® event is dogs of Grades 1-3, it's an excellent opportunity for both dogs and handlers to appear in their first ever final and that was the case for a number of our finalists this year. With grade range in mind, the final course was set with the intention of showcasing what the dogs and handlers could do and our finalists responded positively to the challenge, putting on a super display for the large crowd that had gathered to watch.

The first of 10 clears in the final went to Chantell Barton with Shadow Shifter who set a good time for the rest to try and chase down. This time was eventually pipped by Jennifer Cook with Scruffy Protégé but their time in the lead was short lived. Running 22nd, Angela Williams and Sanduck Tick Topp put in a fantastic display of speed and control to knock 5 seconds off the leading time.

Sue Evans and Intent on Mischief were the only other finalist to post a clear under 40 seconds to take 2nd place.

Congratulations again to Angela on a deserved win.

ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge Final 2017 winners

  1. Angela Williams with Sanduck Tick Topp - 35.384 secs (C)

  2. Sue Evans with Intent on Mischief - 38.284 secs (C)

  3. Jennifer Cook with Scruffy Protégé - 40.259 secs (C)

  4. Chantell Barton with Shadow Shifter - 40.388 secs (C)

  5. Michael Adams with Black Lotus - 40.508 secs (C)

  6. Shirley Elkins with Korsabian Got to Have Faith - 46.019 secs (C)

  7. Lou Pink with Follyfleet Thief of Time - 47.501 secs (C)

  8. Cassie Fairchild with Three Jays Non - 50.738 secs (C)

  9. John Robinson with Graphite Lad - 51.791 secs (C)

  10.  Roz Greening with Finbar Noir - 54.140 secs (C)

My thanks go to all the ring party for all your help throughout the day and also to ROYAL CANIN® for their continued support and sponsorship of this event.

With the important bits over, it was time for tea.

Dave Deaville

ROYAL CANIN® Continues Support of Agility in 2017

ROYAL CANIN® is celebrating it's 10th year on the Agility calendar with a competition open to Large agility dogs Grades 1-3. This is one of the 'must try' for annual finals on the agility calendar especially for the rising stars of the agility world.

With ten chances to qualify across the country, the top five competitors from each of the qualifiers will be invited to the ROYAL CANIN® Agility Grand Final at the Malvern Autumn Show on Sunday, 24th September 2017 under the watchful eye of Championship Agility Judge Dave Deaville.

Antony Bongiovanni, National Shows and Events Manager for ROYAL CANIN® said, ' It is great to be supporting the Agility Challenge which is all about what can be achieved with a healthy, fit and active dog. Our Sporting Life Agility 4100 complete dog food is designed especially for dogs where the focus is speed, taking part in short and intense activity such as agility. We look forward to meeting Agility competitors at a number of the heats and wish everyone good luck in qualifying for the final.'

Click on the show for a brief report.

May 2017

June 2017

July 2017

 August 2017


Heat 1
Severnside DAC at North Somerset Show

There must be something in the water in Somerset. Each year we seem to only have ladies who do well here in the ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge, and this year has proved no exception for Judge John Lowe.

Thousands from the West Country visited our first heat hosted by Severnside DAC at a nearly dry North Somerset Show in the lee of the Mendip hills With the rings set up along the main thoroughfare, the public enjoyed the many Agility skills displayed.

Over the next few months many of the rising stars of the Agility community will be competing in the heats, seeking to qualify for one of the 50 qualifying places at the Final on Sunday, 24th September 2017 at The Malvern Autumn Show, under Championship Agility judge Dave Deauville.

ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge Qualifiers

  1. Katie George with Little Miss Naughty Spots - 32.412 secs (C)

  2. Angela Williams with Sanduck Tick Topp - 32.449 secs (C)

  3. Carol Hayes with Zorro The Bold Caballero - 34.778 secs (C)

  4. Susan Roll with Redcharisma Beside You - 35.760 secs (C)

  5. Shirley Elkins with Korsabian Got to Have Faith - 37.587 secs (C)

Heat 2 sees the ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge heading northwards to Hatton Festival on 6th May to find our next five ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge 2017 qualifiers.


Judge Paul Gordon presenting winner Steph Matthews and Willow with ROYAL CANIN® goodies.
Heat 2
Hatton Festival

Hatton Festival is considered a rather special event by many in the active dog world as it is one of the few opportunities for some dog sports to display their skills to a public audience. Whilst featuring Agility front and square, we are joined by competitors from Cani-X, Rally, K9 performance and family dog shows - all supported byprincipal sponsor ROYAL CANIN®.

And so it seemed fitting for the organisersto start the ROYAL CANIN®feature ring with the second heat of this years ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge. Some 120 plus rising stars of theAgility community were there competing for one of the five qualifying places.

ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge Qualifiers

  1. Steph Matthews with Tredespan Willow - 36.919 secs (C)

  2. Joshua Keyworth with Lilly Morawel - 39.842 secs (C)

  3. Catherine Royale with Dashing irish Cream - 40.370 secs (C)

  4. Kate Nicholas with Dare To Dream - 41.449 secs (C)

  5. Rebecca Black with Likkul Oh - 43.512 secs (C)

Heat 3 sees the ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge heading west to Worcester Premier Agility Show on 20th May to find our next five ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge 2017 qualifiers.


Heat 3
Worcester Premier Agility Show

Worcester Agility Society welcomed near 2700 entries at their Premier Agility show recently. Judge Ian Langman took centre stage to find our next five qualifiers for this years ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge.

With just 10 heats across the country, it seems competition is fierce this year amongst the rising stars of the Agility world. Winners here were from Dorset, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Sussex and Worcestershire.

ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge Qualifiers

  1. Lara Staplehurst with Zhanisgo Definitely Maybe

  2. Sue Evans with Intent on Mischief

  3. Thomas Shaw with Mercanti Winning Try

  4. Jennifer Cook with Scruffy's Proteges

  5. Lyn Gibson with Taddymoor Kara

Heat 4 sees the ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge heading north to Dogs Unleashed in the heart of the Peak District at Bakewell to find our next five ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge 2017 qualifiers.


Heat 4
Dogs Unleashed

Bakewell Showground is one of the few that is within easily walking distance of the local town with shops, pubs and fish and chips which seems to provide one of the attractions for the annual pilgrimage of the Agility community here. Added to which, whatever your dog specialism it seems there is a trade stand or connection at Derbyshire’s Dogs Unleashed to discuss the finer points.

Judge Lisa Holler officiated here and found her winners below for the ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge 2017 final.

 ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge Qualifiers

  1. Wendy Williams with Good Try Floss
  2. Kev Kenny with Smithymoor Zack
  3. Hannah Harvey with Ashtag Adhara Tri by Night
  4. Christine Killelay with Dibble of Lakelily

 Heat 5 sees the ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge heading eastwards to Just Dogs Live on East of England Showground to find our next five ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge 2017 qualifiers.


Heat 5
Just Dogs Live

With Agility, Flyball and Championship Breed shows set amongst a myriad of trade stands, the Just Dogs Live show draws together thousands of competitive dogs all seeking that elusive winning place.

Judge Michelle Gladding took a lot of trouble to set out her the ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge course which rightly was a challenge to her competitors and winners here worked well to gain one of the five qualifying places for the 2017 final.

It was a bit warm on ROYAL CANIN® Day and the dogs ere just not in the mood to co-operate with our photographer and pose for the camera. Every shady and cool place was filled with dogs so I expect 'strutting their stuff' in the sun was a bit of an ask.

ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge Qualifiers

  1. Melanie Wright with Magilitias Rythms Gona Get Ya

  2. Claire Martin with Meisterwerk Slippa Nippa

  3. Carolyn Harper with Gonna get Bustered

  4. David Godfrey with Thunderbrook Tobias

  5. Joanne Apostolou with Goldmali I Believe I Can Fly

Heat 6 sees the ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge heading westwards to Catton Hall and Rugby’s Championship Agility weekend to find our next five ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge 2017 qualifiers.


Heat 6
Rugby DTC Championship Agility Weekend

Catton Hall hosts many events through the year many of which seem to be Agility and, once again, the community arrived here to be hosted by Rugby DTC. Not many of us were around when Rugby hosted one of the original Agility shows in the UK in 1981 and I expect few would recognise the younger Greg. I must find a photo!

If your name is Keyworth seems this is your competition although no gallantry in the household as son beat mother today so probably a long journey home. Mum might get her own back at the Final at The Malvern Autumn Show. Greg Derrett officiated here and his winners of the ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge will join 45 others at the 2017 final.

ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge Qualifiers

  1. Ruth Rowe with My Beautiful Dave Ja Vu - 38.634 secs (C)

  2. Chantell Barton with Shadow Shifter - 38.778 secs (C)

  3. Josh Keyworth with Lily Morawel - 41.293 secs (C)

  4. Gloria Bates with Madgek Jumping Jack - 51.364 secs (C)

  5. Alison Keyworth with Foxy Roxy Morawel - 41.293 secs (C)

Heat 7 sees the ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge heading eastwards again to the beautiful Holkham Hall where it's bi-annual Country Fair provides the backdrop to find our next five ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge 2017 qualifiers.

Most it seems have been to Royal Welsh Showground at least once in their lives either for rallying, gardening shows, The Royal Welsh or as us for Championship Agility, Breed and Obedience competitions where participants congregate to find this year’s champions alongside the penultimate heat of this year’s ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge.


Heat 8
Pembrokeshire by The Pond

We continue to follow the Welsh theme as we cross the country to about as far west in Tom Jones' green green grass of home you can get to join the County Show in Pembrokeshire for the next heat of ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge.

The County Show has been hosting Agility for the best part of 20 years and, once again, show visitors surrounded the Feature Ring across the three show days where ROYAL CANIN® hosted our final day with the feature class for the rising stars of the Agility world.

ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge Qualifiers

  1. Sheila Vidler with Jet Spirit of The Volkan - 31.296 secs (C)

  2. Jane Holmes with Spot on Sami - 31.889 secs (C)

  3. Lou Pink with Follyfleet Thief of Time - 36.103 secs (C)

  4. Nicola Trickett with Thorntonfern Kestrel - 40.354 secs (C)

  5. Roz Greening with Finbar Noir - 42.258 secs (C)

Heat 9 keeps the ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge in the Principality by visiting the Championship Welsh Kennel Cub Show at Builth Wells to find our next five ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge 2017 qualifiers.


Heat 9
Welsh Kennel Club

Attracting Wales’ rising Agililty stars Nicola Trickett and Kestrel bettered their PBTP position this time and with such form must be one to watch at this year's final.

ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge Qualifiers

  1. Abby Lusty with My Lickle Delbet Della - 37.547 secs (C)

  2. Cassie Fairchild with Threjays Non - 44.264 secs (5)

  3. Nicola Trickett with Thorntonfern Kestrel - 53. 945 secs (5)

  4. Chris Jackson with Sugwas Penny - 54.132 secs (5)

  5. Delyth Clarke with Calon Cariad - 54.892 secs (5)

Heat 10 is the final chance this year to find our last five ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge 2017 qualifiers who will be joining us on Sunday 24 September 2017 on Malvern’s showground.


Heat 10
Bromsgrove DTC

With the Bank Holiday weekend weather nearly co-operating, Top Barn offered the final chance for handlers to qualify for September’s final. Bromsgrove DTC were our hosts.

Several competitors seemed to make that extra effort to join us at the Final as the last dice was thrown. It definitely paid off for one or two and for all those 'if only runs,' maybe next year will be your year for the Challenge.

ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge Qualifiers

  1. Sarah Woodley with Basileas Yabba - 34.028 secs (C)

  2. Michael Adams with Black Lotus - 38.143 secs (C)

  3. John Horton with Stinki Inki - 40.882 secs (C)

  4. Emma Saffrey with Miss Behave - 40.906 secs (C)

  5. John Robinson with Graphite Lad - 44.604 secs (C)

So, some 50 invitations will see us all arrive at Malvern Autumn Show on Sunday 24 September when Championship Agility judge Dave Deauville will judge the 2017 ROYAL CANIN® Agility Challenge Final.

May we thank all our judges, officials and ring parties across the country who have contributed in whatever way to the only competition for those rising stars of the Agility world and I am sure everyone will want to wish all the finalists the very best of luck.

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