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21st Century Agility
Tony
di Bartolo used to employed to research various products to help with inventory tracking and
job shop production control. That's when he first started thinking about using the new
technology for agility. Then one day while he was working, he came across an idea which made
him think, 'Hey, wouldn't it be great if you could use this in agility?' |
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Agility Aid
Agility Aid was originally
designed just to release Show Secretaries from the task of producing running
orders and class calling lists. In those days class sizes were under 100 and
clear rounds were run off! Ring cards were collected at shows, with only the
ring number entered on them, and everyone would join a bun-fight round the
calling lists to make a note of their running orders. June Richardson
continues the story. |
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Advanced into Intermediate?
The
debate about whether Advanced dogs should be able to compete in Intermediate classes was going
on way before the Kennel Club announced the changes to the 'H' regs. In an article
which was written just before the changes were announced - but remains relevant - Nancy Hudson
asks whether this decision is entirely fair to Advanced dogs and their handlers, now or
in the future. |
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Advanced into Intermediate Continued
Following an open debate between Agility Liaison Council members
at a recent Kennel Club meeting and the subsequent vote 5-4 against, the discussion on whether
to take Advanced level handlers out of Intermediate classes continues. Should we or shouldn’t
we? What are the arguments for and against? Three top handlers present their opinions - Jo
Sermon (pro), Dave Cooper (con) and Mary Anne Nester with the Mini/Midi point of view. Read
both sides of the argument. |
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Agility Judging in 1984
The Judge's Word Is Final This wonderful editorial comes from the Agility Voice
archives in the days when the dogwalk was known as the cat-walk. Have things changed in 15
years? Read it and see. |
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Back to
the Future
Looking back at
the future, we must say that 'The fun never did go out of this 'fun event.' Agility Voice's
own Mystic Meg foretells of things to come in this treasure from The Agility Voice
archives. With 2001 not so far away, somehow this tongue-in-cheek article from 1985 does not
seem so far off the truth - or does it? |
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Bud
Houston's Handling Moves
Bud Houston is one of America’s pioneering agility teachers,
stressing solid handing fundamentals and positive training techniques. He
currently operates Bud Houston’s Country Dream in southeast Ohio where he
and his wife offer agility and rally‑o camps, resort visits, ongoing
classes, and monthly workshops for agility enthusiasts.. He wrote this
article describing some of his better known moves. Comparing them to your
way of handling today makes interesting reading. |
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Coming Back to Agility
In 1982,
Brenda Johnston saw her first Agility competition at Crufts when Agility was in
it's infancy and the jumps were all one height! She
talked to a few people to get some information and was directed to Val Pollock (now Phillips) who told her that she and her friend Lindsey Parker would be starting an Agility
club very soon at Warlingham Rugby Club. Brenda and her six year old
Border Collie Heidi were amongst their first members. We hope you enjoy her trip down Memory
Lane. |
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Crufts
Timeline
Crufts
is one of the largest dog events in the world. No longer purely a dog show, dfs Crufts
celebrates every aspect of the role that dogs play in our lives. It has changed in ways that
couldn’t possibly have been imagined when the show was set up in Victorian times by the late
Charles Cruft. Although it was a very different event in 1891 Charles Cruft was a great showman
and would surely have enjoyed the size and scope of the event today, which is an essential date
in any dog lover’s calendar. |
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Dogs in Need 1992
Did
you ever wondered how and when the first Dogs in Need began...or were you there? Ian Stowers
was one of the organisers. His show report including glorious black and white photos is
reprinted here, as published in Agility Voice, followed by John Tallentire's judges summary and
course plans. Can you spot any familiar faces? |
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The Earliest Agility Test
Check out the photograph
that was taken at the very first
agility event
after it was originally performed at Crufts Dog Show in February 1978. Spot any
differences? |
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Fashion Circa 1985
What the best dressed agility handlers wore in the good old days. Sue
Ashby did this delightful cartoon of Mr & Mrs Agility, a typical agility couple in the
mid-1980s which appeared in the Agility Voice Newsletter (April 1985). What a far
cry from the designer track suits, running shorts and trainers of today! |
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The First Ever
Agility Course at Crufts 1978
Ever wonder about thse early days of agility? In his book
How
to Judge Agility, Peter Lewis, one of the founders of the sport, claims that in the
beginning no one had a clue about developing the art of agility. For the first year,
they floundered through but had a lot of fun doing so. A rare glimpse
into agility history when handlers and their dogs
made up the game as they went along. How things have changed!
Thank you to Peter Lewis for
preserving and sharing the first course ever run at Crufts. |
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Founding History:
The True Facts by Peter Lewis
Dog agility is a fairly new sport, created merely as a demonstration in the
late 1970s in the UK. Little did Peter Meanwell think in 1977 when
John Varley asked him for assistance in devising an entertainment for the audience between the
Obedience and Breed competitions in the main ring at Crufts that the largely jumping style
course would develop into an international national dogging sport. The rest, as they say, is
history. |
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An Early Agility Test in B/W
This photograph (left) was taken at the very first agility event after it was
originally performed at Crufts Dog Show in February 1978. Can you spot five (5) differences
from 22 years ago? Extra points if you can find more and a bone-us if you can name the
judge and handler. (09/10/00) |
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First
Ever 'Mini Dogs of the Year'
The Mini Agility Dog of the Year competition was held for the first time in in 1987.
Handlers agreed that it was 'nice to be accepted by all quarters as more than just a
novelty.' The results say it all.
(Updated 12/09/99) |
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Gatcombe Park 1986
Every picture tells a story. Jackie Clarke asked us if we recognised anyone in the 1986
picture she found. Up stepped Graham Taylor... (05/03/10) |
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Happy 21st Birthday, Bretons DTC
Bretons DTC was one of the first clubs in the UK to do the new
sport of show jumping for dogs. This year they will be 21 years young.
(04/04/00) |
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iSS - On the Road to
Digital Agility
June
Richardson was there in the early days when agility was a strange cross between
fast-paced heelwork (it was all done on the left), working trials and show
jumping. All breeds, sizes and abilities were mixed together. If your dog could
jump 30inches (760mm) you could take part, and some of the smallest dogs did
remarkably well. There were no PCs, mobile phones, sat nav nor the Internet. A
stopwatch was the nearest we got to technology. Now look at it. June Richardson
looks back at how agility came into the digital age. |
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The Jersey European Agility Festival
How did it all begin? Andre Rees, one of the show's organisers explains how it
group for a local show to an international festival. |
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Peter Lewis Founding Father
Lindy Margach speaks to one of the
'founding fathers' of our sport – the legendary Peter Lewis about what he remembers about
the early days, how it developed and what he thinks is the future. |
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Longleat the Legendary Show
For
many people the agility show at Longleat was and forever will be their all-time
favourite. Those were the days when doing agility came second to enjoying the
social side and when you knew everyone, at least by sight, and invites to join
for a drink as you walked by a pitch were commonplace. And who could forget the
lions 6am alarm calls and and how that could completely silence a camp full of
dogs? Shirley
Elkins
came across these photos, a provisional ring plan and the Rules for the infamous
Derby the other day and agreed to share her memories. |
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Portia
Over her agility career, Jayne Bray's apricot Miniature Poodle Portia (Ag.Ch.
Harvest Geld for Aprika)
won 305 classes, making her one of agility's all time
greats. At age 16 years and 4 months, she won the
All-Time Achievement for Services to Agility Award from the Poodle Breed Club of Great
Britain. |
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Thoughts of a Judge
Roy Wilce was judge of the Crufts Team qualifier and the Mini Agility
class at Severnside on 29th August 1992. While waiting for Chris to finish judging in
another ring, there was plenty of time to reflect on the day's events. Here are a few of
his thoughts shared for the benefit of competitors, potential judges and show managers
alike. (06/02/00) |
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Pedigree: In at the beginning
Agility first surfaced in a recognisable format at Crufts in 1978. Eric
Smethurst, who was then Manager of Pedigree’s Breed, Show and Veterinary Services
Department was really impressed with this new sport and decided that Pedigree should be a
part of it. Therein lies the start of over twenty years of continuous support and
sponsorship of dog agility. (02/05/00) |
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Talking
Heads
You've probably heard stories about the old days of
Agility when everything was 'friendlier and more fun.' Here's a selection of voices from
the past and present, recalling their own experiences. |
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Electronic Timers
It is now not unusual to see electronic timing at most of the larger shows around the UK.
Taryntimer developer Martin Pollard reports that the transition from hand held stop watch
to state of the art timer has been quick, seamless and painless. It's as if it has always
been there. Time and time again... and again... and again. |
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Two Pads Good
As a means of maximising ring party efficiency, and in particular where there is a large
class involved, the 'Two Pad System' was invented for scribes as a time saver. However, any
system you care to invent or employ is absolutely no good if it is not explained precisely
to the people who use it.
(10/05/00) |
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Fred
Welham Interview
John Leslie meets Fred Welham, the man who is
credited with having built the first set of agility equipment. Reprinted from the July
edition of the Kennel Gazette |
