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Barbour Jump & Landrover Drive Final 1995
Agility celebrates it's 29th year at the Chatsworth Country Fair in 2024. This article describes the first Barbour Jump & Land Rover Drive final which took place in the main ring on Sunday, 3rd September 1995. Competitors completed a course in the Defender 110 before running a dog agility course for the fastest combined time. The judge was Robert Andrews (Luke Taylor's godfather) and it was won by Rex Seddon. Be sure to read it to the end and then compare this event to a modern qualifier. What a difference!
Chatsworth - Celebrating more than 20 years of Agility
Chatsworth Country Fair has played host to Agility for more than 21 years, many of them as a Kennel Club licensed Show. The Country Fair continues to be one of the UK’s premier outdoor attractions with more than 100,000 visitors annually coming to see all that is best with the British Countryside.

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.
Dogs in Need 1992 Report
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?
Dogs in Need Scheduled for Fun
The original idea to hold a relaxing, week-long holiday show for charity was born over a glass of wine or two.  The plan was to hold it for one year. A committee was recruited to take on different responsibilities. Ian Stowers shared the show management with Gerry Eckersley, and Rosemary Stowers, whose idea it was originally, became Show Secretary. All the paperwork was done at home including the ring cards with running orders. They ended up running the show for its first five years. It seems a long time ago – and of course the show is bigger - but the basic format has not changed. Ian Stowers found some of his old working copies of the first schedules and wondered if anyone would still be interested...
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)

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)

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.

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.

Ruby weaving

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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