Agilitynet came into it's own during the Foot & Mouth Crisis in 2002 and has not looked back since. It's been here for you in times of crisis, show cancellations, changes in rules and regulations, team selection and advances in technology. If it is news, we want to cover it regardless of affiliation. We can't be everywhere at once, however, so we rely on your input - and goodwill - to keep Agilitynet up to date so please email your show news to us as and when...

Please remind your show secretary to keep sending those updates to us and to include the name of the show, date(s), venue and other relevant details.

 DECEMBER 2018

Olympia in a Nutshell

This year’s winners have been crowned at the Kennel Club Olympia Agility Stakes, held in association with Skinner’s Pet Foods.

The prestigious event saw the stars of agility compete in five finals in the small, medium, large, large novice, and ABC (Anything But Collie) categories as part of the London International Horse Show at Olympia.

Each competition was judged by Kennel Club Championship agility judge, Martin Cavill.

The winners of the Kennel Club Olympia Agility Stakes were:-

• ABC – Isaac Hartley with Kiera (Labrador X)

• Medium – Dawn Weaver with Vegas (Border Collie X)

• Large Novice – Jenny Kimber with Rogue (Border Collie)

• Large 6-7 – Natasha Wise with Pebbles (Border Collie)

• Small – Dave Munnings with Boost (Border Collie/Corgi X)

William Delamore, Sales and Marketing Director at Skinner’s, commented, 'The standard at Olympia was world-class; every year we look forward to the competitions and we are thrilled to be part of such a prestigious event. Congratulations to the winners for their fantastic performances and we’d like to wish each and every competitor the best of luck for 2019.'

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary said, 'Congratulations to all the competitors, we saw so many talented dogs and handlers over the weekend. The Olympia Stakes is always an exciting way to end the year and testament to how popular agility is as a canine activity. We hope that all our winners and competitors have a lovely Christmas and a successful 2019.'

The Kennel Club Olympia Agility Stakes were held at the London International Horse Show from 19th- 23rd December 2018.

FMBB World Championship Team Chosen for 2019

The WBSDS and BSDA of GB are pleased to announce that the following handler/dog combinations have been selected to represent Great Britain at the FMBB World Championship to be held at Písek in the Czech Republic between 8th and 12th May next year.

The Squad Selection took place over four FCI-Course runs -  2 x Agility and 2 x Jumping - with the top four partnerships from the aggregate scores being chosen for the GB Team. These dog/handler combinations are also entered in the Individuals together with up to four further participants considered able to compete successfully in the WC environment.

Team + Individuals

• Sam Hatcher with Inca (Groenendael)

• Tony Parmiter with Ebony (Groenendael)

• Gill Raddings with Zero (Tervueren)

• Agata Wieczorek with Lilu (Groenendael)

Individuals

• Ben Harris with Rueben (Terveuren)

• Tina Simpson with Phoenix (Terveuren)

• Sharyn Hall with Thula (Groenendael)

• Sue Cuddon with Mischief (Tervueren)

GB Team Manager Tony Parmiter said, 'FMBB World Championship is the biggest one-breed Championship. You can see all four varieties of the Belgian Shepherd Dog performing in IPO, Agility, Obedience, Mondioring, Canicross and Conformation (FMBB World show). More then 500 dogs from different countries all over the world are expected.

Many thanks to everyone who attended and helped make the Selection Day such a success and especially Mike Bacon for Judging and setting challenging FCI Courses.

http://www.fmbb2019.com

 NOVEMBER 2018

Important Phase Purple December 2018 Show Cancellation News

Due to circumstances completely beyond Phase Purple’s control, the new owners of the Richmond Equestrian Centre - not Donna or Rennie Wood - have refused to let the show in December - or any future agility events - go ahead. Even after show organiser Faye Nemeth had explained the impact of the cancellation would have on everyone, in particular the competitors who have booked transport and accommodation, they would not change their minds and stated that if they had known about November's show, they would have refused that, too.

Organiser Faye Nemeth said, 'Please accept my sincere apologies. I have tried numerous existing indoor agility venues for December but there is no availability. I am totally devastated and angry about what they have done and will now be searching for a suitable venue going forward for February and the following winter. Once I have allowed for any reasonable expenses, I will issue information re refunds. 

From ShowTime...

The cancellation policy of this show is:

In the event that the show is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, the club/society will refund fees, less reasonably incurred expenses. If the show processor has the provisions to do so, competitors will be refunded in the manner in which they entered the show, but in any event the society will refund fees within 3 months of the show date to all those who had entered and requested a refund within 1 month of the show date.

Phase Purple have decided to handle all refunds themselves whether entry was made online or via paper form. Please direct all refund requests directly to Faye. Her contact details are on the schedule. (7th December 2018)

CSJ Highland Stakes Cancelled 

Half Moon Roadworks Warning

For those going to the Half Moon Independent show in Motcombe Village on Sunday, 2nd December, there will be road closures from 9.30 am until 11.30 am.  This will only affect those coming to Half Moon for the Large and Standard Agility A classes.

If this is you, please come into Shaftesbury on the A 350 and out towards Gillingham on the B3081 instead of using Motcombe Village as a cut through. It really isn’t very much further and will save you a lot of time!

Kennel Club Reveals Agility Team GB Squad for 2019

The Kennel Club has announced the names of the agility competitors who will be part of the Agility Team GB squad in 2019.

Two teams will be selected from the newly announced squad, which will go on to represent Great Britain at the European Open Agility Championships in The Netherlands from 25-28 July 2019 and the FCI World Agility Championships in Turku, Finland from 19-22 September 2019.

The 2019 squad was selected following the collection and submission of points from prestige agility events held during 2018.  The squad will attend two squad days at Nottingham Trent University, and a Performance Weekend which is being held at Arena UK, Grantham (new to 2019). Following the performance weekend, teams will be selected for each of the championships.

Agility competitors not part of Agility Team GB will also get the opportunity to compete at the Performance Weekend, to give them an opportunity to practice on European style courses judged by an overseas FCI judge. The schedule will be released shortly on the Agility Team GB Kennel Club website.

Team Manager, Mark Laker said, 'It’s encouraging to see the increased number of handlers interested in Agility Team GB again this year. We have a good mix of experienced handlers, ex-juniors, people on the development programme and handlers who have shown commitment at Kennel Club qualifiers to win squad points. The Coaching Team and myself look forward to working with you over the winter leading up to the Performance Weekend in April.'

DOG StreamZ founder Matt Campbell commented, 'DOG StreamZ are proud to sponsor the Agility Team GB squad for another year. It was a privilege to work with the squad so closely throughout 2018. We look forward to another exciting year of agility and continuing to provide our natural technology to the squad.'

The successful handlers and dogs are as follows:-

Large squad

• Annette Parker with Smoketrail Coco Chanel

• Anthony Clarke with Rujaff Fatel Protest

• Ben Alderson with Say Yes To RR Chocolate Moose

• Dan Shaw with Ag.Ch. Comebyanaway Redefined

• Dave Munnings with Ag.Ch. Comebyanaway Reddy for Fame

• Euan Paterson with Devongem Quick Time

• Greg Derrett with Nedlo Addicting Sproglett

• Heidi Clelland with Gunrun Too Hot to Handle at Cornishmyth

• Helen Anderson-Postle with Delanor Dark Agent

• Jennifer Hart with Blackharts Royal Dezire

• Jessica Clarehugh with Lynwood Beanie

• Jessica Clarehugh with Avonwolf Beanies Dizzy Dora

• Jo Gleed with Lookylooky Ready or Not

• Joanne Tristram with Ensorcell Back In Black

• Laura Hope with Regalaway Serendipity

• Lauren Langman with Darleyfalls Bright Day at Devongem

• Lauren Langman with Devongem Bright Spark

• Lucie Hinchley with Ag.Ch. Borderspirit Bright Star

• Marita Davies with Lalapaws Taken by Surprise

• Martin Reid with Ag.Ch. Borderpaws Secret Surprise

• Megan Hunt with A Moment in Thyme

• Naarah Cuddy with Lilhaze Dark Pleasure

• Natasha Wise with Ag.Ch. Nedlo Flipping Shiny Pebble

• Nicola Wildman with Devongem Freekin Awesome

• Ola Kordas with Dessa Ferencik

• Sian Illingworth with Ferdis Mirror Image

• Stephanie Best with Maximum Reds

• Vanessa Lloyd with Trust Your Heart Gin

• Walter Dingemanse with Nice of You to Come Bye Double Dice

Medium squad

• Abigail Doxford with Annervalley Cassie

• Aemillia Nicholson with Little Miss Woo Woo

• Anson Zheng with Breezybrook Gabbi

• Blyth Fox with Devongem Golden Moment

• Camryn Macleod with Folkvang Purple Lucky

• Christine Hicks with Uphill Flyer

• Dalton Meredith with Fandabidozi Munchykin Jive

• Dawn Weaver with Galaxy's Ace of Spades

• Ellie Curtis with Cacciatore Greenfinch

• Emma Gamble with Dynamite Dinky Diva

• Hayley Telling with Ah.Ch. New Illusions Bi Enchantment of The Five Colors

• James Adams with Devongem Tiz Gold Standard

• Lauren Burns with The Harlequin Fox

• Marita Davies with Harvey Bird

• Natasha Chambers with Northfen Indie Go Go

• Natasha Poddubecki with Ag.Ch. Lady of Croftmoor

• Nigel Staines with Ag.Ch. Morgans Dark Destroyer

• Rhiannon Thomas with Channerswick Kryptonite

• Robin Gretenkort with Heikym Quitzel

• Sam Towe with Foxstones Penelope Pitstop

• Shannon Springford with Ag.Ch. ShansDream a Gift of Love

• Steven Richardson with Ag.Ch. Noworries Sweeps Dream 

Small Squad

• Alan Bray with Devongem Firestarter at Upanovatigers

• Ashleigh Butler with Ag.Ch. The Closet Monster of Ashpen

• Bonny Quick with Ag.Ch. Goldheart Trail of Flames

• Chloe Brown with Licosateria Mai Sunbeam

• Dawn Weaver with Ag.Ch. Galaxy's Dream Summer

• Graham Turner with Kristal Twister v d Blessewichof Engalah

• Hayley Tindall with Tindall’s Usselby Princess

• Karen Hugo with Willowthorn's All That Jazz at Sabresnipe AW/D

• Lauren Langman with Ag.Ch. Samsir Blinkin Brilliant at Devongem

• Lian Knight with Licosateria Fightin Spirit

• Lou Cadman with Ag.Ch. Another Mad Moment

• Rachel Ward with Blazecroft Midnight Akemi

• Sam Lane with Hillsidejemz Evil Genius

• Sarah McLean with Milo'd of Mischief

• Sarah Roots with Stowledge Angelica

• Toni Dawkins with Ag.Ch. Basileas Hear Me Roar

• Tricia Elms with Ag.Ch. Hotspot's Jive Bunny

Agility Team GB is supported by the Kennel Club, DOG StreamZ and Nottingham Trent University.

The Orchard Summer Show Cancelled

In a statement  Rosemary and Ian Stowers said, 'We would like to thank everyone who have supported Orchard Agility over the years, i.e. all the Judges, Ring Managers, friends and family and to all the competitors without whom we would not have been able to run our shows. We will miss not seeing all of our friends at the show.'

First Ever Champ Only Show Report

With the arboretum leaves falling on the last day of British Summer Time, the stage was set for the first ever Championship Only Agility show in the UK. Some 240 dogs and handlers, at the top of their game, turned out on 27th October 2018 for he last opportunity for Champ handlers to qualify for Crufts 2019. With the venue at Moreton Morrell, located at the heart of the English motorway system, the show drew partnerships of all sizes from across England with an open invitation to everyone else to come and watch some of the best agility handling in the country.

The Champ judges were Hilary Bowden (Large) and Dave Jolly (Small and Medium.)

Moving between the Covered Arena for Jumping and the Grandstand Arena for Agility, classes ran throughout the day with competitors, judges, stewards and helpers all meeting for tea before the final crucial rounds. Organsier Graham Taylor overhear one handler saying they had never seen so much cake at an Agility show. No doubt  some champ handlers had more than one piece!

Hilary Bowden's Judges Report (Large)
I don’t normally do writing or reports as I let actions speak louder than words but, as it's raining and I can’t do anything outside, here goes. Well done to Graham Taylor and the Bretford Show Team for being the first to put on a Champ only show. I think it went down well.

Then massive congratulations to Jo Gleed and Scooter for taking the Large Champ Ticket. What can I say about Sian Illingworth and Agent, who took the Reserve Ticket.  Absolutely brilliant, running first and putting in an amazing time, which meant everyone behind had to go for it, resulting in a very exiting final.

Thank you for asking me to judge and special thanks to Lesley Wilks, my scrimer.

Dave Jolly's Judges Report (Small & Medium)
I was initially sceptical it would work but, largely due to Bretford members' efforts, I heard only praise for the running of the show and how much handlers enjoyed their day.

My ring party was excellent in their duties and made my day much easier for which I must thank them.

Considering what was at stake for the competitors, the attitude of the Championship handlers was exemplary and congratulations to all and especially those taking home the tickets. I've rarely enjoyed such a great atmosphere. You wouldn't have known that it was their last chance to qualify for Crufts. Congratulations to all the winners, especially Ashleigh, Jo and Sarah. Well done to everyone for making it a great day.

Bretford DTS Championship Agility 2018 Winners

Small Dogs Ashleigh Butler with Ag.Ch. The Closet Monster of Ashpen Sarah Roots with Stowledge Angelica
Medium Dogs Sarah Woodley with Basileas General Lucius Shannon Springford with Ag.Ch. Shansdrean A Gift of Love
Large Dogs Jo Gleed with Ag.Ch. Lookylooky Ready or Not Sian Illingworth with Zhanisgo’s Secret Agent

Agria Pet Insurance Sponsors Winning Out certificates

Agria Pet Insurance has agreed to sponsor the much-anticipated 2018 Agilitynet Winning Out certificates for 2018.

 Tom Vaughan, Head of Marketing at Agria Pet Insurance, says, 'We have supported agility for a number of years, and are now absolutely thrilled we can play a further part in celebrating agility dogs and handlers in their achievements.

Helping to maintain the health and fitness of working dogs is a primary aim of ours at Agria Pet Insurance, which is why our policies cover them. Activities like agility are central to this, and so we’d like to thank Agilitynet for giving us the opportunity to sponsor the Winning Out certificates and look forward to sending them to those who have done so well during 2018.” The chance to apply for Winning Out certificates has become a real highlight of the agility calendar, enabling owners to celebrate their dog’s achievements in winning out or moving up at a Kennel Club or UK Agility show during that year.'

Agria Pet Insurance provides lifetime cover for working dogs, including agility dogs, even while they train and compete. The company is 128 years old and, as well as providing insurance under the Agria name, also underwrites policies for The Kennel Club, amongst several others.

To find out more about the Agilitynet Winning Out certificates, and apply for yours, visit: https://agilitynet.co.uk/section/wo/

For a quote for lifetime cover for your working dog, and to find out more about Agria’s policies, please visit: www.agriapet.co.uk

Bretford Championship Only Agility Show Report

With the arboretum leaves falling on the last day of British Summer Time, some 240 partnerships at the top of their game gathered at the Bretford DTS show on 27th October at Moreton Morrell for the first Championship only show ever. This was the the last opportunity to qualify for Crufts 2019 and the show at the hear of the English motorway seemed to draw entries from across England, Scotland and Wales.

Using the Covered Arena for Jumping rounds and the Grandstand Arena for Agility, judges, stewards and dogs moved between rings as classes throughout the day with all meeting together for tea before the final crucial rounds.

Graham Taylor claims. 'I even heard one competitor saying they had never seen so much cake at an Agility show, and I am certain some Champ handlers had more than one piece!'

Large Dogs Report - Hilary Bowder

I don’t normally do writing or reports as I let actions speak louder than words but, as it’s raining and can’t do anything outside, here goes. Firstly, well done to Graham Taylor and team for being the first to put on a Champ only show. I think it went down well.

Then massive congratulations to Jo Gleed and Scooter for taking the Large Champ Ticket. What can I say about Sian Illingworth and Agent who took the Reserve Ticket - absolutely brilliant, running first and putting in an amazing time, which meant everyone behind had to go for it, resulting in a very exiting final. Thank you for asking me to judge and special thanks to Lesley Wilks, my scrimer.

iSS Announces UK Dog Agility Shows Hub

iSS has announced a new inter-active version of their printed iSS Show Diary. The UK Dog Agility Shows Hub will allow clubs to have direct access to publishing show dates and schedules on-line in the Diary, cancelling them if necessary, and getting messages direct to Competitors. It will provide them with cloud storage for all their archives, and provide a Club Forum specific to their Club only for on-line discussion among the show committee about the show planning. Changing Show Secretary should be easy by just supplying the log in details to the new officer.

The on-line diary will be free to everyone but to get full use of the iSS Interactive Diary as a competitor, a subscription will be required eventually, although it is free for the rest of 2018 while the contents builds. The Interactive Diary will provide a Diary that can be filtered and fully personalised by integrating with the competitor's own appointments.

Sample page

June Richardson describes it as a 'place where clubs and competitors can meet.' Here are some frequently asked questions.

Q. Just what is an Agility Shows Hub?

A. A hub is 'the effective centre of an activity, region, or network.' iSS is providing an on-line area where show organisers can plan and arrange their shows, keep their documents safe and liaise with other committee members. They are also able to provide live data direct to show competitors, as it happens. Competitors are able to select what information they want to see and integrate their agility diary with their own dates. They are also able to provide feedback by 'Liking' a show.

Q. So are you still taking on-line entries?

A.  No, there are plenty of processors now to do that.

Q. What made iSS develop the Diary?

A. Most of the agility process is now managed digitally – entering, show paperwork, results etc. – yet the very start of the process, the planning and the diary, is still mostly in paper form. When we first started the printed diary 20 years ago as the Agility Aid Show Diary, there was a fraction of the shows we have now, most of them in the summer. Information gathered in October for the following year’s shows remained mostly unchanged. Now it is difficult to fit everything in to the printed page, and if the printed diary is compared to the actual shows now on-line there is a big difference.

Q. How is this Diary different?

A. Most importantly, it will always be current. The information will appear as the Show Organisers release it, rather than speculatively. It will also hold a lot more information - classes available, show news direct from the Show Organiser. Even as you drive to a venue (using the diary as your Sat Nav) a Show Organiser can advise you of any problems.

But more than that, being interactive a competitor can tailor their diary to suit themselves and create My Diary. Shows can be filtered, to reduce the number. Shows can be pinned to My Diary, so if the option to show My Diary Only is selected then shows that have been pinned by colour coding will remain visible, together with any personal data that has been added – lunch with Mum, booster jab for Kylie, etc. The Diary can be viewed in different ways. The Diary tab shows a layout specific to an Agility Diary – the week starts on a Friday, for instance, so the majority of shows are instantly visible without scrolling. The month tab shows a more conventional diary, with the week showing as Sunday to Saturday, which may appeal more to family members. Being on-line, the diary can be used by the whole family.

Q. Is there anything more for the competitor?

A. Yes, we are hoping to make iSS more of a community area, so there is an area to keep your dogs’ records, with photos. You can opt to have the photos included on the front page. We also have a Members' Rainbow Bridge area for all our dogs, not just for the superstars, and we hope to bring more features in the future.

Q. What are you offering the show organisers then?

A. Each show organiser has their own Portal, protected by a login and password. This gives them access to unlimited on-line storage on our own secure server, so they can keep their show history as well as their current paperwork. No more worries about PC crashes, and handing over to a new show secretary is just a matter of passing on the log in details. Show organisers can provide a PIN number to committee members which will allow them access via their own account to view the show paperwork as it is being planned, and to discuss it on-line via their own private forum. The Show organiser is in complete control over the publishing of show dates, the publishing of the Schedule, and the publishing of Show News, all done instantly by a click. Shows can be cancelled just as easily, either being withdrawn from view, or staying in the Diary marked as Cancelled so that further details can be posted using the Show News tab. Publish, unpublish, cancel, uncancel, all with a click and the information will be passed to Agilitynet as well. For the first time Show Organisers can also publish photographs from their shows. helping to advertise what they can offer. A photograph makes a huge difference.

Q. The crucial question! How much will this cost?

A. The non-interactive Show Diary – equivalent to the printed diary – is available to all and is free. For the Show Organiser, registration is free and that provides the Portal and all the facilities to help with show planning and storage plus the ability to post their own dates, schedules and news. Registration as an individual to join iSS is free, and that provides an area to keep your dogs’' information and photos plus the opportunity to subscribe to the Interactive Diary. The Interactive Diary is free for the remainder of 2018, as it will take a little while for the information to build. It will also be free after 2018 for 7 days for new registrants so they can see if they like it or not. After that the subscription is £12 per year – equivalent to one day’s competing for one dog – to have an always current diary that you can make your own!

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Weardale Agility Week

Weardale DAC have some exciting news for 2019. They are running a week long Championship & Premier KC show from Saturday, 20th July to Sunday 28th July at Wolsingham Agricultural Showground, Scotch Isle Park, Wolsingham, Co Durham.

Hazel Baker said, ' Come and spend a week with us at our stunning venue in beautiful Weardale. In addition to Small, Medium and Champ classes and KC Olympia Large dog qualifiers, there's lots to do in the surrounding area, awesome walks, amazing places of history to visit, lots of great pubs and restaurants, plus workshop opportunities on the rest days with Craig Ogilvie and Nicola Garrett.'

Changes to Kennel Club Board

The Board of the Kennel Club Limited has elected Steve Croxford as Chairman and Tony Allcock MBE as Vice Chairman at its meeting today and wishes them every success in these positions.

With the deepest regret the Board announces the resignations of Simon Luxmoore and Mark Cocozza from their positions as Directors of the Kennel Club.  Both directors announced their resignations as they felt this would be in the best interests of the Kennel Club. The extensive contribution of the two directors in all their roles over the years is fully recognised and appreciated by the Board.

The Board wishes to make clear its continued endorsement and support of Jeff Horswell as a Director of the Kennel Club and of Mark Cocozza as a member of the Finance Committee.

 OCTOBER 2018

Showtime Novice Cup

IFCS Team Announcement

The IFCS team for 2019 has now been selected by FAB Agility. The event will be held 10th - 14th April at the Manege Hellendoorn in Hellendoorn, Netherlands.

Helen Swan said, 'We were privileged to see some exceptional dogs and handlers try out this year and, therefore, had a very difficult decision to make about who would make the final team. We look for a range of aspects including dogs who have independent contacts and weaves, dogs with an aptitude for distance handling for the games classes, a balance of speed dogs for individual medals and reliable dogs for team events and handler commitment to attending qualifiers. The top scoring dog in each height also wins on by default.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who attended the qualifiers and say a sincere congratulations once again to all those who made the team or reserve. FAB shows are the only qualifiers for IFCS and qualifiers are held at all shows.'

The line up is as follows:-

Toy

• Jeannette Jones with Mushu

• Nina Rajala with Tara

• Stacey Irwin-Burns with Sam

• Sally Hunt with Harley

• Helen Roberts with Popsie

• Apryl Britton with Yippee

• Reserve – Dave Russell with Vudu

Mini

• Helen Swan with Cloud

• Dawn Weaver (Team manager) with Vegas

•  Reserve – Elaine Bostock with Vimes

Midi

• Angela Williams with Tic-it

• Iain Patz with Imp

• Karan Young with Connie

• Amy Bennett with Air

• Ande Smith with Jonty

• Mary Shaw with Zest

• Nicky Holden with Tri

• Olivia Patz with Streak

• Jessica Smith with Frank

Maxi

• Ceri Jones with Taezyr

• Andy Sandercock with Spy

• Mike Bendell with Spy

• Becky Sinclair with Who

• Nicole Shaw with Digit

• Bonny Buzby with Tim

• Reserve – Tamzin Grimes with Roots

For more information, please visit www.fabagility.com. 

FCI World Agility Championships Results

The Kennel Club would like to congratulate Agility Team GB for their performance at the FCI Agility World Championships over the weekend (4th -7th October 2018). Held in Kristianstad (Sweden) the World Championships saw hundreds of handlers and dogs take part, from over 40 countries including USA, Slovakia and South Africa.

The highlight was Dave Munnings and his Border Collie Fame, who won an Overall Bronze medal in the Large Individual competition on Sunday, 7th October.

Results

Thursday

Large Team Jumping - 30th out of 35 teams

• Greg Derrett with Addict

• Martin Reid with Spring

• Dan Shaw with Geek

• Natasha Wise with Pebbles

Medium Team Jumping - Eliminated

• Ellie Curtis with Archie

• Abigail Doxford with Wigfield

• Sam Towe with Penny 

• Hayley Telling with Teal

Small Team Jumping - Eliminated

• Rachel Ward with Nimbus

• Sarah McLean with Milo

• Hayley Tindall with Fifi

• Kathryn Stickney with Coco

Friday

Large Team Agility - 8th out of 35 teams 

• Greg Derrett with Addict 

• Martin Reid with Spring 

• Dan Shaw with Geek

• Natasha Wise with Pebbles

Medium Team Agility - 10th out of 27 teams 

• Ellie Curtis with Archie (withdrew)

• Abigail Doxford with Wigfield 

• Sam Towe with Penny 

• Hayley Telling with Teal

Small Team Agility - Eliminated 

• Rachel Ward with Nimbus 

• Sarah McLean with Milo 

• Hayley Tindall with Fifi

• Kathryn Stickney with Coco

Overall results 

• Large Team - 14th out of 35 teams 

• Medium Team - No placing 

• Small Team - No placing

Saturday

Small Individual Jumping 

• Kathryn Stickney with Coco - Eliminated 

• Lauren Langman with Blink - Placed 47 with 16.36 faults and a time of 43.36

Medium Individual Jumping 

• Hayley Telling with Teal - Placed 16th with a time of 35.51

Large Individual Jumping

• Dan Shaw with Geek - Eliminated 

• Dave Munnings with Fame - Placed 4th with a time of 33.80

• Greg Derrett with Addict - Eliminated 

• Martin Reid with Spring - Placed 73rd with five faults and with a time of 35.56

• Natasha Wise with Pebbles - Eliminated 

• Sian Illingworth with Image - Placed 65th with five faults and with a time of 34.34

Sunday

Small Individual Agility 

• Kathryn Stickney with Coco - Eliminated 

• Lauren Langman with Blink - Eliminated

Medium Individual Agility

• Hayley Telling with Teal - Eliminated

Large Individual Agility 

• Dan Shaw with Geek - placed 56th with five faults and a time of 38.77

• Dave Munnings with Fame placed 7th with a clear and a time of 37.61

• Greg Derrett with Addict - placed 36th with a clear and a time of 40.21

• Martin Reid with Spring placed 56th with five faults and a time of 38.77

• Natasha Wise with Pebbles - Eliminated

• Sian Illingworth with Image - placed 82nd with ten faults and a time of 37.7

Overall Individual Results

Small - 93 competitors in total 

• Kathryn Stickney with Coco - Not placed

• Lauren Langman with Blink - Not placed

Medium - 72 competitors in total 

• Hayley Telling with Teal - not placed

Large - 145 competitors in total

• Dan Shaw with Geek - Not placed 

• Dave Munnings with Fame - 3rd

• Greg Derrett with Addict - Not placed 

• Martin Reid with Spring - 54th

• Natasha Wise with Pebbles - Not placed 

• Sian Illingworth with Image - 63rd

You’ve Been Spotted...

The Kennel Club is pleased to announce the dogs and handlers who have been invited onto the Agility Team GB Development Programme.

The programme is designed to spot dogs and handlers who we believe have the potential to be part of a future team. These handlers will be supported by the coaching team as part of the 2019 squad helping them to prepare for the 2019 Performance Weekend (April 5-7).

The main intake for the programme is after each Performance Weekend, where we see handlers demonstrating their skills on international courses judged by an FCI judge. This second intake is aimed at those dogs and handlers who have come to our attention since the PW.

The following have been selected to be on the Development Squad for 2019.

Large

• Helen Anderson with Delanor Dark Agent

• Jess Clarehugh with Avonwolf Beanies dizzy Dora

• Jennifer Hart with Blackharts Royal Dezire

• Naarah Cuddy with Lilhaze Dark Pleasure

• Jo Tristram with Ensorcell Back In Black  

• Nicola Wildman with  Devongem Freekin Awesome  

• Stephanie Best with Maximties/agility/international-agility-teams">web site where you’ll find details about the team, the squad and next years Performance Weekend

Small

• Chloe Brown with Licosateria Mai Sunbeam

• Graham Turner with Kristal Twister V D Blessewich of Engalah

• Lian Knight with Licosateria Fightin Spirit

• Sam Lane with Hillsidejemz Evil Genius

• Sarah Roots with Stowledge Angelica

Medium

• Anson Zheng with Breezybrook Gabbi

• Dalton Meredith with Fandabidozi Munchykin Jive

• James Adams with Devongem Tiz Gold Standard

• Lauren Burns with The Harlequin Fox

• Robin Gretenkort with Heikym Quitzel

 SEPTEMBER 2018

Chipping Norton 2019 Show Cancelled

The Chipping Norton Committee held a meeting this week and, in the light of dwindling club members, they have made the decision not to hold their Premier agility show in 2019. They hope this is only for next year and that, after spending time reinvigorating the club, they can come back stronger in 2020.

    Moira Bowden said, 'Our thanks to all the competitors who have supported our show over the years. The venue is one of the most popular on the agility circuit and we hope to be back with you in 2020.'

The Welsh Kennel Club Championship & Open Agility Show Report

The Welsh Kennel Club is only one of two UK organisations to hold Championship Agility, Breed and Obedience on the same site some. This year 160 Agility partnerships, at the top of their game, gathered on the Royal Welsh Showground at Builth Wells on 18th & 19th August to find our 2018 winners amongst the largest dog entry in Wales.

With only one Championship ring, it needed both judge’s collaboration with course design as well as a good ring party and handler co-operation along with a bit of Welsh sun to bring it all together. Champ judges Fran Walton and Andy Brown report.

Andy Brown's Judge's Report - Small  & Medium Dogs

The atmosphere in the Championship Agility ring was very good and made it a special day. I would also like to thank my fellow judge Fran Walton for her help with the course design and building. We used the same courses for Small, Medium and Large dogs due to time constraints through the day. As with all Agility shows, it’s the backroom staff who do all the hard work with a superb ring party and organisation making the day run smoothly.

Massive congratulations to all the winners:

• Bonnie Quick for the win and Lauren Langman for the Reserve Small ticket. You two were on it in all three runs.

• A very surprised looking Steve Swankie winning the Medium ticket with Jo Gleed taking the reserve ticket

• And, whilst not judged by me, well done to Sarah Bacon for getting the Ticket and Charlotte Harding the Reserve in the Large - both with stunning final round runs. 

Hope everyone enjoyed the day as much as I did,

And finally I would like to say thanks to the Welsh KC for allowing me to judge at their Championship show.

Fran Walton's Judge's Report - Large Dogs

I felt very honoured to have been asked to judge the Large Dog Championship Agility class at Builth Wells on the 18th August at the Welsh KC flagship show. Andy (Brown) and I had chosen fast, but technical courses for the Jumping and Agility heats, and many of the Large dogs managed these courses very well.

In the Jumping round, the majority of errors were over the final five obstacles which made a tricky combination, given the longer stride of these dogs compared with the Small and Medium dogs in the previous classes. There were 14 clear rounds on this course, with the fastest from Anthony Clarke (Protest), Lee Windeat (Bikini) and Andy Sandercock (Spy).

The Agility round also ran well, despite some tricky angles in the middle section and a tunnel trap just as most handlers were trying to run ahead for the following sequence. This section ended the hopes of several handlers, but the majority of dogs managed well. It was interesting at this point to see the different ways of handling this section to avoid either going wrong or losing time. There were 19 clear rounds in the agility round being led by Lauren Langman (Style), Sara Bacon (Dream) and Jo Gleed (Scooter).

This left the top 20, based on time and accumulated faults, to run the Final Agility course to see who would receive the Challenge Certificate.

I had designed a very fast course where it was possible to guide the dog round tightly – unless something went wrong and the flow was lost. Keeping the dog close into the jumps in the opening sequence also left you open to knocking the poles down – a trade off of speed for possible faults.

The Final suddenly became highly competitive and tense after Sara Bacon (just 15 years old) ran with her young Collie, Dream. This run was as near perfect as could be imagined, in a time of 33.598 seconds. The gauntlet had been thrown down! There were still 13 dogs to run, and the challenge brought disappointment to many of the country’s finest handlers as mistakes were made in the effort to beat Dream’s time.

Sara managed to keep her lead and became one of the youngest agility handlers to be awarded the Challenge Certificate – much to the joy of her Father who was at the ringside trying not to watch!

The Reserve was taken by the well-established top partnership of Charlotte Harding and Scandal, with a fantastic run, but sadly it was not fast enough by a mere half second.

I would like to commend all the competitors for the spirit in which they ran this competition. There was plenty of competitiveness, but this never seemed to overshadow their enjoyment of the day, nor their obviously genuine congratulations for Sara upon her splendid victory.

Welsh Kennel Club Championship Agility  2018 Winners

Small Dogs

• Bonny Quick with Ag.Ch. Goldheart Trail of Flames

• Lauren Langman with Ag.Ch. Samsir Blinkin Brilliant at Devongen

Medium Dogs

• Steve Swankie with Crash and Burn Fern

• Jo Gleed with Spiderwick Nimble Ninja

Large Dogs

• Sara Bacon with Tynevermoor Secret Dreamer

• Charlotte Harding with Red Hot Scandal

As ever, the Welsh Kennel Club wishes to record it's thanks to our judges this year and joins them in congratulating the winners as well as all the competitors and the team who makes it all work. They are very grateful for the support of Eukanuba of the 2018 Agility Championships at the Summer show.

Welsh Handler of the Year Champion Crowned

With the welcomed and valued support of Welsh-made dog food suppliers Burns Pet Nutrition, Agility handlers from the principality with dogs of all sizes met to stake their claim to the title of being Wales’s top Agility handler in the Burn’s Pet Nutrition Annual Welsh Handler of The Year competition, held at the Pembrokeshire County Show. This year there was some lovely Welsh sunshine on both days and attentive crowds who cheered on the participants in great spirit.

This is a two part competition, held over two days, with an Agility round judged by Sam Jackson and a Jumping round judged Chelsea Coles.

The 'usual suspects' were there with previous contenders in good positions after Day 1.

Day 2 of the Burn’s Pet Nutrition Welsh Handler of The Year took pride of place in the County Show's feature ring and, once again, it did not disappoint. Those in the top 10 from the previous day ran in reverse order of merit, adding a frisson of danger. Could they they could reproduce perfection in the second round - the elusive double clear. The class was won by Caitlin Wells and Breeze.

Leading after Day 1 was on form Dani Smillie who unfortunately forgot to enter Day 2 of the competition so had to watch success slip away. It was a well deserved win for 2017 runner up Joe Barnley with Moltini Eddie - their second title, albeit with a ten year gap.

Winners

1. Joe Barnsley with Molteni Eddie - 61.678 secs (Double clear)

2. Christine James with Manicjax Revels Rebel - 62.122 secs (Double clear)

3. Helen Fairchild with Final Reduction - 62.661 secs (Double clear)

4. Sian Barron with Tee For Texas - 63.092 secs (Double clear)

   ---

New Format for the Jersey European Agility Festival 2019

The Jersey European Agility Festival is growing. Two extra days of competition are adding to the weekend before. There will also be two days of training workshops in the week. Once again the show will take place at the Jersey Accommodation & Activity Centre with onsite indoor accommodation and camping. 

The new format is as follows:-

• Saturday, 27th & Sunday, 28th April 2019 - 2 competition days

• Tuesday, 30th April & Wednesday, 1st May 2019 - 2 training workshop days

• Friday, 3rd, Saturday, 4th, Sunday, 5th and Monday, 6th May 2019 - 4 competition days

Watch this page for further announcements over the coming months.

Calling All BSD Handlers...

The BSDA of GB and WBSDS would like to invite eligible Belgian Shepherd Dog agility handlers to register their interest for the Team selection for the next FMBB World Championship to take place in the Czech Republic between 8th and 12th May 2019.

Email your name together with your dog's Kennel Club / pet name, it's age and current KC Grade and height as well as your location to Tony Parmiter at tonyparmiter@btinternet.com by Friday, 21st September.

Adams End of Year Change of Venue

Adams Agility has been given the chance of a different venue for the last two shows of 2018. This will allow some needed rest for Catton Park ground. The show affected are the Adams September show. the training day and the October show. 

The new venue is Royle Farm which is an excellent 180 acre venue with woodland walking, located on Caldwell Road, Drakelow, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire DE15 9TU, just five miles from Catton.

Directions from the A38 North

1. Take the A5121 slip road to Burton (North)

2. Continue onto Derby Rd/A5121

3. At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Hawkins Lane

4. Turn left onto Wharf Road

5. Turn right onto Wetmore Road

6. Turn left onto A511

7. Turn right onto Stapenhill Road/A444

8. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Main Street

9. Continue onto Rosliston Road

10. Turn left onto Rosliston Road South

11. Turn left onto Caldwell Road

12. Arrive at Royle Farm venue on left 

Directions from the A38 South 

1. Take the Alrewas turn for the National Arboretum.

2. Continue over the island towards Tamworth

3. Take the left turn towards Catton Park

4. Slight left onto Catton Lane

5. Continue into Burton Road

6. Turn right onto Caldwell Road

7. Arrive at Royle Farm venue on left 

    Sandra Adams said, 'Sorry for any inconvenience caused and we hope you’ll enjoy the new venue.'

Scottish Juniors... And the Winners Were

It was a long day but all the competitors in the SJDC Final, judged by Jim Flood, were amazing. It was an exciting course to watch right to the very end.

Congratulations to the winners:-

• Lucy Smith - Under 12s

• Blair Hands - Over 12s

• Jennifer Hart - Seniors

Huge congratulations to Lucy Smith who was as cool as a cucumber and pulled another Clear out of the bag to smash the Overall Scottish Junior Dog Club Handler of the Year - very very well deserved.

As always thanks to our sponsors Laura and Alan Short from Lalapaws and Pete Hannah from Skinners, and also To Graham Tweed from Kronch for his lovely unexpected gift of baseball hats for all the juniors in the final,

    Dawn Gilmour said,  'Thank you all for your patience and apologies regarding the microphone and timing issues, too.'

Massive thanks also go to Kyle Davidson, Jackie Davidson and the family for the beautiful Silver Cup with Purple bow, donated in memory of Jean Davidson who was a huge supporter of the Juniors and would have loved the final. Well done, Blair on winning this.

 AUGUST 2018

Scottish Junior Finalists Announced

It's not long now to the Scottish Junior Dog Club Final at the Gleniffer Championship Show in September. This should be an an exciting final, judged by Jim Flood in Ring 1, and no doubt it will be well supported by the Scottish Agility Community that comes along to support the Juniors.

The Scottish Junior Dog Club (SJDC) was started in 2007 by a group of Junior Handlers for Juniors. The group is for enthusiastic, hardworking kids - aged between 6 and 23 - who work together to support each other in every aspect from cheering each other on during competition to having sports days and fun throughout the summer when all the members get involved and even drag their parents along, too!

The SJDC is not only a club for competition but a place where Scottish Juniors can build relationships with others and make the experience of working with dogs even more enjoyable.

Each year there are four qualifying Agility classes for our members, split into three age groups - 11 and Under, 12 - 17 and 18 - 23. The top three Unders, five Overs and three Seniors at each heat are invited to compete in the final. The winner of each age category will then compete against each other for the title of Top Scottish Junior Handler of the The Year.

Thank you very much to the following clubs for hosting the qualifiers without whom this fantastic final could not have been held.

• Fair City

• Avon

• Gleniffer

• Beardie

The finalists are:

11 and Under

• Chloe Burnett with Marrytudog Twist and Shout

• Romany Stevenson with Stig of the Dee

• Olivia Milne with It's Miller Time

• Romany Stevenson with Mister Black Eyed Boy

• Emilly Biggans with Astra Bridie

• Mia Fairweather with Wallop Bang Crash

• Lucy Smith with Howlex Gandalf

• Ruaridh Findlay with Blacklock Beauty

Overs 12 - 17

• Kiesha Morrison with Pick a Lillie

• Erin Stewart with Skye Bolt of Strathmore

• Alana Mauchline with De-Ranged Drover

• Blair Hands with Just the Best Jess

• Jess Powling with Jess Summertime Falls

• Sarah Kirk with Little Pip

• Eilidh Murray with Ellie’s Dream Girl

• Chloe Powling with Lookout Lookout Samys About

• Mia Morrison with Pick a Lillie (Dog qualified with another handler)

• Abigail Davidson with Dashing White Minnie

• Blair Hands with Red Rose Dreamer

• Dylan Osborne with The Next Chapte

• Sarah Kirk with Darling Spirit Dee

• Beth Reid with Bertgan Roll of the Dice

• Robyn Anderson with Dvojica Dolly Mixture

• Keri Mitchell with Kezzies Krackin Kyra

• Erin Stewart with Fern Spirit of Strathmore

Seniors 18 - 23

• Jennifer Hart with Gitdoon Gee uz a Giggle

• Erin Inverarity with Erin’s Delight

• Charlotte-Louise Yeaman with Animoetfide Beautiful for Glenheart

• Jennifer Hart with Blackharts Royal Dezire

• Rachael Gilmour with Kashi Undercover Agent

• Kimberley Bone with Bonnington Boy

• Rachael Gilmour with Redanmuir Made in Heaven

• Chloe Samantha Brown with Jayenhope Crocus Breeze

Massive thanks to our sponsors Lalapaws (Laura and Alan Short) and to our final sponsors Skinners Dog Foods (Pete Hannah)

Record Number of Dogs Compete at the KCI Agility Festival

The Kennel Club International Agility Festival took place at Rockingham Castle over the weekend of 9^th - 12^th August 2018 with over 3,200 dogs from all over the world competing at all levels of experience in agility. The Festival, which is kindly supported by CSJ Specialist Canine Feeds, welcomed dogs of all breeds and competitors from 13 different countries as far flung as Japan.

Competitions included the Championship classes where top graded dogs competed to qualify for the Agility Championships held annually at Crufts as well as a special International class which enabled handlers to qualify for the British Open Final, which is also held at Crufts. The Quarter and Semi-finals of the Kennel Club Olympia Agility Stakes saw handlers secure a place for the prestigious competition held at Olympia in December, and Semi-finals for the Starters Cup gave dogs new to agility the opportunity to qualify for the final held at Discover Dogs London this October.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary said: 'We are very pleased that the International Agility Festival was such a huge success, and it was great to see so many dogs and their handlers from all over the world competing in one place. The festival is a big highlight of the agility calendar and we wanted to say thank you to everyone who made it a fun and enjoyable event for those attending, especially those who travelled hundreds of miles to compete and judge. Well done to all our wonderful winners We hope that they are proud of their achievements over the weekend.'

Ceri Rundle, Managing Director of CSJ Specialist Canine Feeds, said: 'Huge congratulations to all the winners and competitors at the Kennel Club International Agility Festival 2018. Each year we are really impressed by the passion, dedication and calibre of competitors, and this year was no exception. The Festival is an excellent event for all dog and agility lovers, and this was definitely reflected in the record breaking number of dogs we had competing over the four days. CSJ are proud to sponsor the festival and we wanted to say a huge thank you to the organisers, handlers, dogs and visitors who helped make this year’s festival such an entertaining and friendly event.'

The top three placings in each of the main competitions at the festival were as follows:-

The Kennel Club Special International Final

    Large Special International Final

1. Carola Derst with Macy Von Waltenweiler

2. Naomi Kameda with Swany Diesel

3. Katsuhiko Kameda with Driven Diesel of Merry Legs

    Medium Special International Final

1. Justine Baudhuin with Cavalrina's Zola Zandora

2. Elisenda Huidobro with Ribaand Drac De Sant Jordi

3. Diane Quonils with Opium Black of The Four Bee's

    Small Special International Final

1. Julio Freire with Asmoan Email

2. Lizandra Ströhle with Louisiana Vom Karntnerland

3. Descamps Nico with Roos V Den Dullaerthoeve

Kennel Club Agility Championships

    Large Agility Championships

1. Lee Gibson with Never Never Land F'Hawk
2. Dave Munnings with Ag.Ch. Comebyanaway Reddy for Fame
3. Marita Davies with Lalapaws Taken by Surprise

    Medium Agility Championships

1. Christine Hicks with Uphill Flyer

2. Gilli Sayer with Morgansr Chance Find

3. Apryl Britton with Belsharose Quintessia

    Small Agility Championships

1. Bonny Quick with Ag.Ch. Goldheart Trail of Flames

2. Sarah McLean with Milo’d of Mischief

3. Lorna Goodban with Tweet Like Choklat

Starters Cup Semi-Final (Discover Dogs qualifier)

    Large Kennel Club Starters Cup Semi-Final

1. Sue Kewley with Clomarah Buddleia

2. Katie Fox with Jess for the Fun of It

3. Alison Trotman with Malmelsa Romancing Marcello

    Medium Kennel Club Starters Cup Semi-Final

1. Will Rayner with Edison Air So Cool

2. Donna Wardle with Flyby Choccywoccydoodah

3. Elizabeth Green with Riley William

    Small Kennel Club Starters Cup Semi-Final

1. Simone Southwart with Forever Effervescent

2. Claire Perrinand with Jazzy Jeff Summertime
3. Lorna Whiteand with Legend of Zelda

Novice Cup Semi-Final (Crufts qualifier)

    Large Kennel Club Novice Cup Semi-Final

1. Jo Nashand with This is what Lu Came For

2. Sarah Woodley with Basileas Yabba Dabba Doo

3. Sarah Kitching with Rooqui Raging Racer

    Medium Kennel Club Novice Cup Semi-Final

1. Toni Dawkins with Bachero Cross My Heart

2. James Adams with Devongem Tiz Gold Standard

3. Louise Godwin with Hainans Dollor Girl

    Small Kennel Club Novice Cup Semi-Final

1. Michèle Taffijn-du Bois with Total Touch Don't Stop Me Now

2. Jayne Anderson with Tottlefields Totally Tipsy

3. Emma Frost with Skippy Kipph

Kennel Club International Young Handler Final

    International Young Handler (under 12)

1. Imogen White  with Kethinna Take My Breath Away

2. Taylor Lyon  with and Rohamki Taylor Made

3. Taylor Lyon  with Tynever Tariq

    International Young Handler (12 and over)

1. Sara Bacon with Tynevermoor Torque

2. Emilia Bowers with Fandabidozi Star Ting

3. Belle Howlett with Leia's Queen of Naboo at Bonbellami

Kennel Club British Open Semi-Final (Crufts qualifiers)

Large Kennel Club British Open Semi-Final

1. Martin Reid with Ag.Ch. Borderpaws Secret Surprise

2. Dalton Meredith with Fandabidozi Star Light

3. Anthony Clarke with Rujaff Fatel Protest

    Medium Kennel Club British Open Semi-Final

1. Hayley Telling with New Illusions Bi Enchantment of The Five Colors

2. Heather McLean with Black Magic Navigator

3. James Brown with Up an Atom

    Small Kennel Club British Open Semi-Final

1. Alan Bray with Devongem Fire Starter at Upanovatigers

2. Sarah McLean with Milo'd of Mischief
3. Rachel Ward with Pretty Dear AW/G

Kennel Club Nations Cup

    Large Kennel Club Nations Cup

1. Spain 3 -Alex Sabini with I'mind de Loustalaire des Bourdalats, Miriam Garcia with Beauty Happy Dreamy, Xavier Lopez with Troya De Santa Quiteria

2. Belgium - Ingrid Donny with Kissmo Nice as Can Be, Dayna Michiels with Noah Precious Diamond, Chris Grauls with Silque Odin Son of Kaigo

3. Netherlands - Leanne Loef with Loxley, Robin Wormhoudt with Qi, Mirjam Suijlen-Boons with Borderwell Just Jamie

    Medium Kennel Club Nations Cup

1. Germany 2 - Susanne Bonk with Keeper Barney, Susanne Bonk with Brave Fynn, Ralf Lackmann with Mandurah Black Pearl

2. England 1 - Harriet Harding with Little Miss Iz, Robin Gretenkort with Heikym Quitzel, Shannon Springford with Ag.Ch. Shansdream a Gift of Love

3. Germany - Marina Huber with Alice of Wolfanger, Robin Pottrick with My Magic Two Fast Four You, Viola Fasching with Calabanga von den wilden Kehrlen

    Small Kennel Club Nations Cup

1. Germany - Jessika Frank with Fjolla vom Schafhuegel, Tanja Gube with Arctic Snowcrystal Maple Leaf, Ivonne Höhne with Hermine The Best

2. England 1 - Abby Blythe with Smarties are ablast AW/G, Rachel Ward with Blazecroft Midnight Akemi AW(S), Jodie Forbes with Mongrubah Bramble Ruby

3. Belgium - Ingele Meulenbergs with New Sense of Love of the Four Bee's, Descamps Nico with Roos V Den Dullaerthoeve, Clara van leeuwen with Tattoo Jewel

For the full list of results, please visit www.thekennelclub.org.uk/events/international-agility-festival/.

Orchard Arden Grange and Embroidery Shop Finals Cancelled

Due to the cancellation this year of the Orchard Agility Independent shows at which the qualifying classes are held for the Arden Grange Starter Dog of the Year & Embroidery Shop Finals, there will be no Finals at the Summer Open Agility Show, i.e. 24th to 27th August, 2018.

 As there were only two shows - one in July and the other in September 2017 - where competitors qualified for the above Finals, there are not enough Finalists in which to hold the Finals this year.

Orchard Agility hopes to resume the qualifying classes at their shows next year and Orchard Agility look forward to seeing you at one or more of their shows next year.

Agility Plaza Takes Over UKA Account Admin

In a recent press release, UKA has confirmed that they have now moved all account administration to Agility Plaza. The old UKA account pages have now been closed. All of UKA account details are available to view on your Agility Plaza account page. Your UKA contact details may now also be amended from there.

All new handler and dog registrations will be fully functional as of Wednesday, 8th August 2018 on Agility Plaza. Full details of how to register are available at www.ukagility.com/how-to-register/. It is very simple and user friendly.

UKA membership renewal will now be automated through your Agility Plaza account page. For those that have been due for renewal so far in 2018, this will be showing on your Agility Plaza account when you next login. UKA handler membership is for five years. A dog's registration is for life.

There will be a change to the rule for new dogs registering with UKA who are transferring from KC with immediate effect. This will now be solely dependent on the dogs KC level at time of the dog's registration. The date of handler registration is now irrelevant. We have also amended the transfer levels to ensure all new dogs can begin in beginners.

The rule book has been amended to read as follows:-

1.3a Registering dogs at the correct level.
When you first register as a handler with UKA, if you have been competing at Kennel Club agility events with the dog you are also registering, you must transfer them into the equivalent UK Agility Level. Refer to the transfer table below to find the corresponding Level for each Programme.

Once a dog is registered with UK Agility, results from other organisations do not count towards progression through the Levels in UK Agility with the exception of winning a Champion Certificate or Reserve Championship Certificate under Kennel Club rules.

Dogs with no competition history or that are under competition age at the time of registration will start in Beginners.

1.3b Registering dogs at a later date
As of 8th August 2018 all new dogs registered with UKA with a new or existing member will transfer across from the Kennel Club grade they were eligible for at the time of the dog registration. As per the table above dogs with no competition history with an existing member or that are under competition age at the time of the dogs registration will start in Beginners.

Once a dog is registered with UK Agility it cannot be registered again with a different name or number or under a different handler/owner. A dog transfer to a new owner can be requested to UK Agility.

If the dog is already registered with UKA and an owner transfer takes place, the dog will remain in its current UKA Level with all UKA results standing.

If a dog wins a Champion Certificate or Reserve Championship Certificate under Kennel Club rules the owner/handler may apply to the UK Agility office for them to be moved up to Champion Level in both Programmes.

SW Junior Finals Results

On Saturday, the 4th August the first ever finals of the SWAT South West Junior Challenge were held at the SWAT summer show in Somerset, judged by Chris Huckle. Lots of people stayed to watch and cheer the Juniors on, creating a fabulous atmosphere.

This was the first year that the challenge had been held. The aim was to encourage the Juniors in the South West who have very few opportunities to compete in Junior classes, helping them build confidence in a competitive atmosphere. Local South West clubs supported the competition by holding heats with the winners being invited to the finals. As it was the first year, the heats had low numbers especially in the Under 9 section. 

The results
The Final had four runners - only one in the under 9s, Zoe Gilmour. Zoe knew she had to not get eliminated with her dog Gem. She went Clear with a lovely smooth run.

In the 9 - 16 year old Final, there were three runners. Charlotte Baker (15) with Widget and Shannon Coles (16) with Ted both had unfortunate Eliminations but handled the course really well. Georgia Boniface (13) with Chance went Clear to huge applause for a lovely run. 

Congratulations to Zoe and Georgia for being our 2018 Champions!

Organiser Toni Keating said, 'All the competitors had a smile on their faces. Thank you to Chris for judging and Sean Canerin fior the great photos as well as all the clubgs who held the heats. The 2019 will have more heats across the region than this year. We hope to build on this year's success and encourage future starts of Agility.

Orchard Finds New Venue

Orchard Agility has secured a new venue for their September Independent Agility show at Standalone Farm, Wilbury Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 4JN.

There has, however, been a slight change of date. The show is now going to be held on 15th and 16th September, 2018.

The schedule will be on the Show Diary soon.

  Rosemary & Ian Stowers said, 'Orchard would like to thank everyone for their patience. The schedule will be on the Agilitynet Show Diary soon.'

Agility Team GB Win Silver at EO Champs

Team GB Red won a Silver medal in the Large Team Relay final at the European Open Agility Championships in Vienna, Austria over the weekend of 26th - 29th July. They were competing gainst 105 other teams from around the world in the qualifiers on Friday 27th where they reached 4th place, earning them a spot in Sunday’s final where they then achieved their Overall Silver medal.

The team was made up of Dan Shaw with Geek, (BC), Natasha Wise with Pebbles (BC), Greg Derrett (Team Captain) with Addict (BC) and Martin Reid with Spring (BC).

Another Team GB achievement was Hayley Telling with her Shetland Sheepdog, Teal who won 1st place in the Individual Medium Agility round on Saturday, 28th July.

The event attracted 850 handlers and their dogs from all over the world, with 37 countries represented at the competition including Russia, Venezuela and Greece. Agility Team GB competed in both the Team and Individual rounds and the event provided a great opportunity for the team to demonstrate their skills on European courses and to compete against world class competitors.

Team Manager, Mark Laker commented, 'Going home with medals and class wins makes all the preparations and practice for the European Open 2018 worthwhile. Agility Team GB dogs and handlers looked strong, fit and well prepared for the challenging courses they faced. I’m very proud for the opportunity to work with these top handlers and support them as they compete with the best in the world.'

Agility Team GB is supported by Kennel Club, CSJ Specialist Canine Feeds, DOG StreamZ, Nottingham Trent University, Agility 1st, Animal Trust and Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, the Kennel Club's preferred cross-channel partner. The official equipment supplier is First Contact.

Ceri Rundle, CSJ’s founder and sponsor of Agility Team GB, said. 'Well done to all our handlers and their incredible dogs for competing at the European Open Championships last weekend – they all performed extremely well and we are very proud to sponsor Agility Team GB. The determination and dedication of the dogs and handlers was very clear to see and they all should be pleased with their performances out there. Congratulations to the team!'

Matt Campbell, founder of DOG StreamZ, commented, 'Congratulations to the Agility Team GB squad on their achievements at the European Open in Vienna. The team’s dedication, skill and commitment to the sport was a pleasure to see. Go Team GB!'

The team of 25 and their dogs were chosen following this year's squad selection process which concluded at the Performance Weekend hosted by Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus in April.

For the full list of results, visit www.eo2018.at/

To find out more about what it takes to become a part of Team GB in 2019, please visit and download the squad selection process at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/activities/agility/international-agility-teams/team-gb-2019-qualification-process/ Details on squad training days and the performance weekend dates will be available in due course.

 JULY 2018

Scottish Agility League Announcement

Hannah Wade sent us this statement.

I will no longer be doing the Scottish Agility League after this year.

There are a number of factors why.

1. I work full time. I’m struggling to fit it all in. I don’t mind the work. It’s fine but it’s hard going at times. Sometimes up at 1am checking results.

2. James has decided that he is no longer doing the programme that runs the League.

3. Last year I decided not to do LHO leagues. I got asked why and a few people were not happy about this. This year I decided to add six more tables which means six more trophies, rosettes and more work. This has not worked well and could probably be due to there being a separate LHO League. If I had known about that earlier, then I would have given it a second thought, but I was trying to keep my customers happy.

I will not be passing it over to anyone else.

But I would like to thank you all for your support offer the past years. 

To all the people who donated trophies I thank-you. Please let me know what you would me to do with your trophy. If you want it returned, then that's fine but it will be after 2019 obviously as 2018 winners need to display it.

Any questions please ask.

What Agility Plaza Learned from It's First KC Champ Show

Mike Brickman, founder of e-gility and Agility Plaza, claims they have passed another milestone at the Tuffley Champ Show. Here is his explanation of what happened there.

Saturday was somewhat 'stressy' as the network mysteriously collapsed when we fired up all 11 rings although we had thoroughly tested the capacity beforehand. Stay calm and carry on! I decided to pair the network down to six rings and add the other rings as and when the network was under control. I also decided to remove the ringside scoreboards as they were creating network traffic which we could manage without. After an hour or so, we had a workable network.

By then though we had lots of runs 'scrimed' on paper so had some catching up to do. In the rush to get this done, a few results had been missed off, so the secs stepped in and double checked all the early results. Thanks to the heroic efforts of the ring parties and secretaries, we had caught up by lunchtime and the afternoon was business as usual.

As we still did not know what had caused the network to collapse. I decided that for Sunday we would play safe and stagger the ring starts slightly to avoid everything hitting the network at 8.30 and keep the scoreboards in reserve.

Then, just as we were setting up someone from First Contact asked me if we had been having network problems. They had also been struggling to get the 2-way radios working properly all day and discovered that they did not work when near our control boxes. Eureka! Both systems were operating on exactly the same radio frequency and were interfering with each other. With 11 rings all starting at once, their calls to the PA had swamped our network. This resulted in yet more calls to say that the e-gility system was not responding so total collapse. I am guessing that this has been an issue in the past, but with fewer rings with less radio traffic, it has just caused an occasional blip rather than a complete wipe out.

Switching the radios to a different channel cured the problem and for Sunday the network ran to form.

The Champ classes went smoothly, and it was very satisfying to see the combined results and final running orders automatically coming of the printer a couple of minutes after the last of the two heats closed.

One of my concerns prior to the show was getting so many ring parties going at once as most had not used the system before. However, a combination of a formal training session, a 'practice day' on Friday, a good scattering of experienced e-gility people and my support team all worked well. Despite the extra challenges of having to deal with the network issues on Saturday morning, the ring parties performed brilliantly and just got on with the job. In fact, nearly all my PA calls were to the Secretaries rather than the rings to sort out issues for individual competitors.

Lessons learned
Although we were able to deal with Saturday's network issue, it involved a lot of improvising both by the ring parties and the support team. We even had to create a fictitious Ring 12, so we could catch up on classes while the real ring got on with the next class.

Specifically for shows of this size, we need a proper contingency plan so that rings can operate on paper while we deal with issues and catch up quickly once the problem is resolved. To this end, I will be adding a 'Faults' and 'Time' column to the Calling Lists so that they can be immediately pushed into service as emergency scriming sheets. I will also work out a better way to enter the paper results quickly and efficiently, with minimal disruption to the working of the ring.

One massive plus at this show was that, despite scorching sunshine throughout the show, our brand new tablets did not overheat. For KC shows, we will only be using these new style tablets at summer events unless we can find a practical fix for the old tablets.

 JUNE 2018

Another Orchard Cancellation

As Orchard Agility still have not finalised the paperwork and legalities with regard to the potential new venue for our Independent shows, we are now having to cancel the Mid-Summer Agility show on 28th & 29th July, as we feel that until we can confirm a new venue we would not wish people to miss out on entering other Agility shows that weekend.

Once we have any news on a new venue we will post this as soon as possible.

If you wish to receive a refund on entries to the Easter show, the May Day Bank Holiday Show and the June show, and your cheques have been cashed, please send a written request together with a SAE to Rosemary Stowers at the address detailed on the schedules. The Cut Off date for refunds is Monday, 18th June, 2018.

Change of Waverunners September Weekend Show Date

Several weeks ago it was announced that a huge cycling event is coming to Chichester on the 23rd September which means closing about 100 miles of local roads, including the road to the Waverunners Hunters Race venue. 

With 15,000 cyclists plus spectators expected, show organiser Karen Fuller said, 'It is not viable to even try to find another venue as the traffic disruption is going to be dreadful, so we've really had no choice but to re-schedule.'

The show will go back to Waverunners original show dates which is the weekend before on the 15th & 16th September 2018.

The Kennel Club have agreed the new dates and most of the lovely judges can still make it, but competitors should be aware that some Judges are likely to change and the schedule has been updated.

Agility Plaza will be in contact by email to anyone who has already entered the show and, if you are unable to make the new dates, cancellations can be done by logging into your account. 

For mor einformation, go to www.waverunnersagility.co.uk

 MAY 2018

KC Changes to Regulations Regarding Judges Contracts

The Kennel Club has recently approved changes to the rules for Agility, Obedience, Working Trials, Heelwork to Music, Rally and Flyball to encourage clubs to give careful consideration to circumstances before withdrawing a judging contract, and to ensure that they had a clear rationale for doing so.

With effect from 1^st January 2019, the following regulations have been amended for all the above.

Amendment to Regulation H18.b

TO:

You should note that we reserve the right to cancel the contract before the date of the appointment if there is a change in your circumstances, which in our reasonable opinion would adversely affect your ability to fulfil the appointment. Clubs may cancel a judging appointment where there is clear evidence that the judge’s ability to fulfil the appointment has been adversely affected, or in consultation with the judge. (Insertion underlined.)

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Orchard Show Venue Announcement

Owing to the fact that the venue in Great Offley that had been secured for our Orchard Agility independent shows was unsuitable to hold our shows on it, Rosemary & Ian Stowers have decided to cancel their next show on 16th & 17th June. They will not using this venue for the reasons stated below.

Correction ... They have now secured a new venue for their independent agility shows but, because the venue owners need about six weeks to process all the paperwork such as insurance, etc. our next Agility show, i.e.
Mid-Summer Agility show, will be held on 28th & 29th July. The schedule is on the Show Diary page on Agility Net.

   Rosemary said, 'Please bear with us with regard to refunds, etc. for our cancelled shows. We will be working on these, hopefully, by next week.'

The Otley Show Will Go On

The centre of Wetherby Race was used for an event in September 2017 which resulted in substantial damage being caused to the ground. The ground remained too wet for the race course to repair last year, so they planned to repair early this year but given the rain and snow. Unfortunately this has not happened.

The areas of damage are random, but they are all in the areas that we use for the rings and camping. 

The organisers have been in constant contact with the racecourse since February who assured us that they have every intention of repairing the ground, but unfortunately the ground has remained too wet and as yet the repairs have not progressed. They are hoping to start them this week, but they will not be in a suitable condition for us to use.

That said, after numerous meetings and site visits, we are pleased to say that currently the show can go ahead. There is a good area without damage that we can use for the rings and approximately half of the camping. The rest of the camping will be dispersed and in smaller groups 

Pam Costello said, 'It's a bit of a planning nightmare and with that in mind and to allow us time to accurately plan we will NOT be providing you with a camping pitch number with your running orders. Camping will be allocated upon arrival and you WILL be camped with the groups you requested to be with. This will allow us to move pitches if required when the repair works commence. 

Because of the extra work involved with camping we are asking that you DO NOT arrive before 2:30pm – this will allow us to have the personnel required to escort you to your camping pitches. 
We know it might be less than perfect - but our only other option would have been to cancel.'

Please share.

Changes to KC Agility Regulations

The Kennel Club has recently approved the following changes to the regulations for agility.

With effect from 1st January 2019, the following regulation has been amended to allow for dogs to wear a medicated collar such as a flea collar in place of, but not as well as, a flat leather or webbing collar whilst competing.

Amendment to Regulation H(1)10.c

TO:
c. Dogs must not wear any type of slip, half-slip collar or lead when under test. A single flat, close fitting, leather or webbing collar is permitted, providing the only attachment is a plain identification panel as an integral part of the collar i.e.: not attached by a ring. (Insertion underlined. Deletion struck through.)

With effect from 1st July 2018, the following regulations have been amended to allow for the length of the long jump and the width of the rising spread equipment to be reduced for the Lower Height Option.

Amendment to Regulation H(1)(A)7 and H(1)(B)1.c

Regulation H(1)(A)7

TO:
Societies may offer the Lower Height Option to all dogs in that height category and it may be offered at all grades. It is to be run as part of any Standard class as defined in these regulations and must be clearly identified in the schedule. Each relevant class will have two heights with a change part way through to raise/lower the jump heights and may extend/reduce the length of the long jump and width of the rising spread, within the permitted ranges, and competitors must run at their entered height. (Insertion underlined.)

Regulation H(1)(B)1.c

TO:
No practice is allowed on the course save that competitors will be allowed to walk the course set at Small, Medium or Large height without their dog(s) before the class begins. The height of the hurdles may be raised/lowered and the length of the long jump and width of the rising spread may be extended/reduced, within the permitted ranges, during the course walking time if multiple heights are offered within the same class. (Insertions underlined.)

Amendment to Regulation H(1)(B)4.(15)

The following regulation has been amended to make it clear that the result of an Additional Measurement takes effect immediately and does not require confirmation from the Kennel Club.

Regulation H(1)(B)4.(15)

TO: (15)  
The dog will continue competing at it's current height until the additional measurement has been completed and confirmed by the Kennel Club. The Kennel Club will confirm the results of the additional measure in due course. (Deletion struck through. Insertion underlined.)

IMCA / PAWC Team News

This year, the UK will be hosting the 2018 International Mix & Breed Agility Championships (IMCA) at the Wood Green Animal Shelter in Huntingdon (Cambs) from Thursday 23rd to Sunday 26th August 2018. UK agility handlers are invited to come to witness some of Europe’s top handlers compete in IMCA – along with, of course, supporting the UK Team!

Each year interest in this event grows and, with the UK hosting the event in 2018, there were even more entrants than expected.

The competition will be held on Juta Grass Competition AstroTurf which is not cheap but one of the best to compete on.

IMCA Selection Day
The International Mix & Breed Championships Agility (IMCA) Selection Day was held on on Sunday, 18^th March at Willow Farm (Kent). It was open to any Grade 5 – 7 dogs and run over a number of FCI courses. From the number of entries received, we knew this year’s team choice was going to be the hardest to date.

Paul Hinchley had judged the championships in Austria in 2017 and he kindly agreed to judge the Selection Day. He was able to describe to the handlers the special qualities of this event along with passing on knowledge of the type of courses which might be set.

This year it took around three weeks to make the final team selection. The rules allow only 15 dogs per country in the Individual Championships with no more than seven in any one height which made it so very hard this year to choose. We could have announced the IMCA team several weeks ago but wanted to announce both parts (IMCA & PAWC) of the UK TEAM together as we are ONE TEAM.

PAWC
In the UK Agility is said to be 'a sport for all.' For those people attending the events for the first time - both team members and spectators - there is one piece of kit I can recommend you take - a box of tissues!

The UK has been taking part in this ParaAgiity event since 2002 when Sheila Partridge first represented the UK. Since then, the UK has had a presence at the event, travelling all over Europe to compete.

The PAWC event is divided into seven groups of disability which range from those in wheelchairs and varying degrees of mobility issues to sight and hearing issues etc. Each PAWC competitor submits an application to the organising board members who assess eligibility to participate in the event.

There is no limit as to the number of handlers a country can enter in a PAWC Team. Each handler, however, is restricted to entering a maximum of two dogs. Each PAWC competitor has to complete an application form stating what their disability is and how it affects them competing such as restrictions on the ability to turn, inability to accelerate pace, poor vision issues, lost limbs, wheelchair handling etc. Their doctor has to sign and confirm the diagnosis and mobility restrictions stated on both the form and in a letter. Along with this we have to supply three videos of the handler and dog in a competition environment which is then sent to two of the officiating board members for them to review and decide if each application is acceptable or not.

This year there were applications for a total of 34 competitors ranging in age from 13 years to 77 years! All Team UK Para applications have been accepted so the UK Para teams will be the biggest ever sent to PAWC and hopefully the most successful

Within the team there are some handlers who have competed abroad before but, for many, this will be their first time at an international competition, probably due to not being able to cope with the travel abroad.  Hopefully once they have taken part in the magical atmosphere of the competition this year, we can look at ways to overcome their travelling issues to join us again on the Team in Spain 2019.

Nigel Perry said, I am so proud to announce that my gorgeous 4 legged pal (Molly) and myself will be representing the UK team in the PAWC Paragility World Championships this year in August. Molly really tries her best for me with every run she does. To be a part of such a magnificent symbolic agility competition which encompasses handlers of all disabilities is just out of this world. A total dream come true!'

IMCA & PAWC 2018 Combined UK Team

Congratulations everyone.

Refunds for Spring at Ramsey Update

This is an update on the date by which refunds for the Spring at Ramsey which was canned on 7th and 8th April will be processed.

Show Manager Bernadette King said, 'As we have received more requests for refunds than originally expected, we have had to revise the time by which they will be dealt with. They will now be processed by Thursday, 3rd May 2018.

Further update...

Thank you for your patience about the refunds. Dealing with them is taking much longer than envisaged and more time is needed to deal with them. We hope to have them dealt with by Monday, 21st May.

Why They Had to Cancel the May Orchard Agility Show

We received this message from Orchard Show organisers Rosemary and Ian Stowers...

We are sending this message because most of you whom we have disappointed will be sitting somewhere in the lovely sunshine wondering why on earth we have had to cancel the show st The Old Football Ground, Luton WHite HIll, Great Offley.

As many of you will know, Easter was an absolute washout for us and many other shows but, with some recent good weather, we were confident that May would be no problem at all.

A group of us visited the field on Sunday and found it to still be quite boggy over a majority of the venue. Some felt that it was still too wet and vehicles would not cope with the conditions. Because the weather forecast was mainly dry, we decided to delay the decision until Wednesday.

Rosemary and I revisited the field Wednesday evening. Although the ground was still boggy and far from ideal, it had a good grass cover, so we decided that we could manage with 4x4s and careful parking. To give you an idea of what it was like, wherever we drove on the field we left a trail of mud. This would be okay for one vehicle but not so great for 50 or 60 vehicles. Not wanting to disappoint our competitors again, we decided to go ahead.

I took the caravan on Friday tea time and just about got into place, and that was only because I used my land Rover for towing.

That evening I received an email from the Offley Parish Council, querying the time of year of the show was booked, saying it was too early even though they had been given all the show dates when we set up the rental. Also they didn't want any more damage to the field than what was done at the last show at Easter which was called off becasue of the rain. There were a few other negative things noted. We had six caravans on at Easter along with the equipment trailer before we cancelled. In such boggy conditions, we left some ruts. If we had gone on with the show, it was obvious in such wet conditions that we would be leaving some pretty bad damage to the grounds. It was then we decided that we could not go ahead once more.

We are very sorry to disappoint so many people. In the 14 years of Orchard shows, we have only cancelled on two other occasions due to weather or ground conditions. We will not use this venue any more but look for another one locally. We thought we had found the ideal place but it was not to be. We hope that if you had entered you had an enjoyable Bank Holiday weekend.

Good luck to you all in future competitions wherever they may be.

 APRIL 2018

Introducing the Agility Team GB 2019 Development Squad

The Kennel Club has announced 11 new dogs and handlers who have been selected onto the 2019 Development programme for Agility Team GB.

They were chosen to train towards a place on the 2019 squad from those who competed exceptionally, as well as those who showed potential as up-and-coming dogs and handlers at the Performance Weekend hosted at Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus on Sunday 8 April.

Mark Laker, Agility Team GB Manager said, 'Following very positive feedback from the handlers on last year’s development programme, I’m pleased we’re able to continue building on the idea of bringing new up and coming handlers and dogs into Agility Team GB. These handlers have been given a unique opportunity to be supported by the coaching team as they prepare for possible 2019 team selection.'

The new recruits include:-

The team is sponsored by CSJ Specialist Canine Feeds, DOG StreamZ, First Contact, Agility 1^st, Nottingham Trent University, Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, Animal Trust and supported by the Kennel Club.

The squad qualification process to try out for the 2019 Agility Team GB can be found on the Kennel Club website, www.thekennelclub.org.uk/activities/agility/international-agility-teams/.

This year, Agility Team GB will be competing at the European Open Agility Championships in Vienna, Austria from 27-29 July, and the FCI Agility World Championships in Kristianstad, Sweden from 4-7 October.

The Kennel Club Announces Agility Team GB

The Kennel Club has announced the agility teams which will represent Great Britain at the European Open Agility Championships in Vienna, Austria from 27-29 July, and the FCI Agility World Championships in Kristianstad, Sweden from 4-7 October.

The successful handlers and dogs were chosen following this year’s squad selection process, which concluded at the Performance Weekend, hosted by Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus from 6-8 April.

The Kennel Club congratulates all the handlers who have been selected to represent Agility Team GB this year which, once again, is kindly sponsored by the team’s two main sponsors, CSJ Specialist Canine Feeds and DOG StreamZ.

This year’s Performance Weekend was judged by Seppo Savikko from Finland. Courses were designed to test dogs and handlers on speed, fitness, consistency and accuracy. Over the weekend there was some fantastic handling on these courses where dogs and handlers could really show off their skills. 

Due to positive feedback, the coaching team brought back the win-on place for the European Open Championships. This meant an opportunity was given to one handler and dog from each of the heights (Small, Medium and Large) to be automatically selected onto the European Open team after being the top performing dog and handler in a final round held at the Performance Weekend. Natasha Wise with Nedlo Flipping Shiny Pebble, in the large height group; Steven Richardson, who has won this place for two consecutive years, with Ag.Ch. NoWorries Sweep's Dream, in the medium height group; and Sarah McLean with Milo'd Of Mischief, in the small height group won the coveted spots, and will be joining the rest of the European Open team in Vienna in July.

Team Manager, Mark Laker said 'Congratulations to all the handlers who have been selected for this year’s teams. It’s always a tough decision when there are so many top performing dogs and handlers on the squad. However, the coaching team and I believe we have selected a strong team who can go out to the European Open and the FCI World Championships and win medals.'

The teams selected are as follows:-

Full results from the performance weekend can be found at First Place Processing. More information on the qualification process for the 2019 squad can be found at the Kennel Club web site

Agility Team GB is sponsored by CSJ Specialist Canine Feeds, DOG StreamZ, First Contact, Nottingham Trent University, Eurotunnel, Agility1st, Animal Trust and supported by the Kennel Club.

TAG Easter Refunds

If you are requesting a refund for the TAG Easter show on 31st March to 2nd April which was cancelled, please let us know state which day(s) you require a refund for.

• If you entered online, your account will be credited. If you require a refund please email the Show Secretary by 4th May 2018.
   

• if you entered by paper, you will receive a refund by cheque. Please send a SAE to the show secretaries address on the schedule. Again you need to request the refund by 4th May 2018.

Alternatively, please let us know if you would like your refund to go to a charity.

Rachel Rogers said, ' Thank you to all those people who supported us through the easter show and agreed that the right and sensible decision was made. We have a duty of care to the dogs and the handlers and feel that we made the right and correct decision based on this. We hope those that attended the games afternoon on saturday enjoyed it. We literally threw it together that morning!.

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Refunds for Spring at Ramsey in Market Harborough

This is an update on the date by which refunds for the Spring at Ramsey which was canned on 7th and 8th April will be processed.

Show Manager Bernadette King said, 'As we have received more requests for refunds than originally expected, we have had to revise the time by which they will be dealt with. They will now be processed by Thursday, 3rd May 2018.

Further update...

Thank you for your patience about the refunds. Dealing with them is taking much longer than envisaged and more time is needed to deal with them. We hope to have them dealt with by 21st May.

  SOATC Champ Show Update

News flash... The show is going ahead at Winterton Showground as scheduled this weekend. The organisers are satisfied that they have addressed the access and camping issues.

Please read carefully and share.

For the show to go ahead, there will be a few changes and we ask for your cooperation in respecting the venue.

• We have hired some temporary road surface to access the showground. Some areas are still very churned up and will be cordoned off. Only drive where directed.

• Do not arrive before 2pm. There will be no towing vehicle before that time if needed.

• Please keep vehicle movement to a minimum.

• Only park where directed in designated areas.

• Please do not allow your dogs to bark continuously, especially near residential areas. Noise may be being monitored by the council.

• To help with camping, if anyone who lives near to the venue is willing to give up their pitch and travel daily, we will refund your camping fee. Please pm Marilyn Murphy before 5pm tomorrow if you would like to do this.

• Some pitches may not be feasible. I will try to contact anyone who is affected by this. We have marked extra pitches in the reserve camping area.

• Please help on the rings when you can.

There are a number of changes to camping pitches. If you have been moved, you will have heard from Sue Mallabar, our show processor, or myself with your new pitch number. 
Some pitch numbers are not quite as on the plan so when you arrive on the venue, please check where you going whilst you are still on hard standing.

If your vehicle does get stuck, please stop immediately and wait for assistance.

Thank you all in advance for your support and hope you have an enjoyable and successful show. And thank you to those who have really helped us out by giving up their pitch. Finally huge thanks to the team who are out there now laying road matting.

See you all tomorrow. Drive safely.

Orchard Easter Refunds

The cut off date for refunds for entries to the cancelled Orchard Easter Agility show is Friday, 13th April 2018 (1st class postmark).

Further to her emails, telephone calls and/or messages to every competitor who entered the Orchard Easter Agility show, organiser Rosemary Stowers said, 'If you do not wish to transfer your entries to any of our forthcoming shows, please drop me a line, together with a SAE by no later than Friday, 13th April (1st class post mark).

Good News for BSD Show

Further to the message from the Belgian Shepherd Dog Society of GB about not being able to use The Camp at Ramsey for their show this weekend, the organisers are happy to report that, after contacting an awful lot of possible venues, they have found a venue for their show. It is the Market Harborough Showground, Gallowfields Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 7QB.

Show Manager Bernadette King said, 'There were lots of suggestions from agility folks for places to contact which was a great help. I contacted lots of places. I stopped counting how many once I reached 40 venues. It was all a bit crazy, but it all worked out in the end and we got our venue. The good news is that the ground is fine, and I have seen a weather forecast for sunshine so the ice cream van is booked. We hope to see you at the show.'

Due to the change of venue, however, if anyone would wishes to cancel their entries (including camping), please email Bernadette King at before midnight on Friday, 6th April 2018 to let her know. They will process your refund within 14 days and your money will be returned either by ASO or by cheque according to the way you made the original payment.

UKA Lydiard Show Cancelled

Unfortunately the sun has come too late for the Lydiard Park UKA show. After discussing the situation at length with Lydiard ground staff and trying hard to find a new venue at the last minute, the organisers have made the sad decision to cancel. The ground at Lydiard just is not able to safely accommodate our show this weekend.

There will still be a 'Lydiard show' but at a brilliant new venue on 8th & 9th September at Coates Water Country Park, Swindon, Wilts. SN3 1NT. There will still be

We are so pleased will still have our fantastic qualifiers of SWAG Beginners Steeplechase, CSJ Grand Prix and Yellow Hound Team Tournament

For those who have pre-entered, that means that the show can be re-opened. You can either keep your entry and attend the show on the new date, adjust your entry or cancel completely. Your Agility Plaza account will be in credit.

Thank you all for supporting our show and we really hope to see you at our new venue in sunny September.

IFCS Fundraising Show Postponed

Sorry to be the bearer of more bad news, but it has been decided to postpone the IFCS Fundraising show scheduled for Sunday, 8th April due to unsuitable ground conditions.

The venue was inspected yesterday, and it is still flooded. As there is another yellow weather warning for a lot more rain over Thursday and Friday, the decision hs been made with regards to the safety of our competitors and their dogs.

Hopefully the ground will have dried out in time for the rescheduled Spring show the following weekend. The show is being rescheduled to the Bank Holiday Monday, 7th May, the day after the WCAI 2 Day Summer show. That schedule will be out shortly. Only NEW entries or refunds need apply. Deadline is the 20th April.

Please email shows.iadsa@gmail.com for all show business.

Kingdom of Fife Show Cancelled

Having completed a ground inspection this afternoon the difficult decision has been taken to cancel the show. It is appreciated this will be of disappointment. The ground at Scone Palace is carrying a fair bit of water and considering the unpredictable forecast, difficulty for campers and the comfort and safety of our club members, it is felt this is the sensible decision.

    Alan Short, Kingdom of Fife Chairman, said 'Paramount however is the safety of our dogs. They wont slow down just because the ground conditions are poor.'

Refunds
As the show has been cancelled, KoF will refund fees, less reasonably incurred expenses. Kenne CLub regulations dictate that the show has up to three months to issue refunds.

If you entered on paper and paid by cheque, you must submit a request for a refund and send a stamped addressed envelope to KoF Refunds, 3 Ramornie Mill, Pitlessie, Cupar, Fife KY15 7TH. This must be done within one month of the date of show.

If you entered online, you do NOT need to do anything. The show processors will ensure refunds will be made direct to the card used to pay for your entries and you will be sent a confirmation email.

Spring at Ramsey Alert

The Camp at Ramsey have told the Belgian Shepherd Dog Society of GB (BSDS) that they cannot hold their show on 7th-8th April at the venue as, due to the recent heavy rain, the surface water will not have drained from the site in time.

Rather than cancel the show immediately, the Show Manager Bernadette King said that are trying their best to find another venue for this weekend.

She explained, 'This is proving to be very difficult at such short notice and also since many venues are currently water logged or the ground is unusable as a result of events held over the Easter weekend. We will keep trying and let you know as soon as we have further news.'

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 MARCH 2018

New Competition at Blenheim Palace Announced

Adams Agility has announced a prestigious new competition for 2018. The Blenheim Palace Horse Trials Dog Agility Stakes will be open to Large dogs (full height only) G1-7. It will be held under under the appropriate Kennel Club Regulations H & H(1) in force at the time of the event and consist of five qualifying heats at various shows around the country.

Sandra Adams said, 'I have aspired to create something like this for years! It's wonderful to see it finally become real. My aim was always to look for an event which could parallel Olympia and really get people excited about qualifying for the Final.  The structure may change, but for the first year, it's just such a privilege to begin our relationship with Blenheim Palace Horse Trials , courtesy of SSangYong, their main sponsors.'

The Final, judged by the much loved Charlie Wyatt, will be held at SsangYong Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials on Friday, 14th September 2018.

Sandra added, 'Charlie is known through the agility community for his flowing, spread out courses, ideal for the 80 x 40 metre arena. This may be Charlie's very last judging appointment, not just for the year, but quite simply, his last ever. He has threatened to make this his final year of judging, but really, what a fitting swan song if it is.'

For a list of Blenheim Palace heats, go to the Agilitynet Show Diary or Qualifiers News page.

Kernow K9 Easter Show Announcement

It will be going ahead.

If you are going to the show, here are some things you need to know.

• All camping will be adjacent to a roadway and we will be asking people to reverse or manually push the unit on the grass.

• No vehicles to be driven over the grass.

• If you unable to reverse, we will assist you on to you pitch.

• If you no longer wish to camp, you must notify us before the show commences by email and your camping fee will be reimbursed next week.

• We have a hard standing for motor homes.

• Day parking may be moved to a hard standing area, so please look out for signs on the day.

Please share.

Important Easter Celebration Notice

To all those going to the Easter Celebration on 31st March and 1st April, Ardingly have contacted Mid Downs regarding the conditions at the Showground. Having had the weather that everybody has experienced and might experience in the next week or two, it has been decided to hold the event in the Abergavenny Buidling along with the two outside riding schools.

Camping is still available but will be on the roads in the surrounds. Dog gardens may be available depending on conditions, but no awnings. If you now do not wish to camp a full refund will be available, after the show, if you inform us by midnight Wednesday 28th March.

Please send requests for any Camping cancellations to Eastercelebcamping@outlook.com.

Day Parking will be through the North Gate, opposite the Gardeners Arms.

Ring Party Parking, and Camping, enter through Princess Gate, Main Centre Gate.

All vehicles must stay off the grass.

Love Live Streaming?

A great many of you really enjoyed the Crufts live streaming and also the ability to view events on YouTube.Please if you did enjoy them, irrespective of who was commentating, please tell the Kennel Club or Sunset & Vine who provide this service.

It costs money to provide this service and like every other organisation reviewing budgets, they need to know the service is useful, valued and appreciated. If they feel it is not, it could be withdrawn and it will then be too late to put pen to paper and moan.

Tell them now and hopefully they will continue with the service and maybe consider extending it further.

Also remember to 'like' everything you view as well.

Email Sunset & Vine at Nick.Vance@sunsetvine.com or the Kennel Club at press.office@thekennelclub.org.uk Do it now.

Becky is New Agility Team GB Assistant Manager

The search to find the new Agility Team  GB Assistant is over. The Kennel Club has announced that Becky Sargent has been appointed to the post.

Team Manager Mark Laker said, 'I've worked with Becky in the past and obviously know her as an agility competitor. Becky brings a wealth of experience from the equestrian world and her own unique character and ideas to Agility Team GB. I'm looking forward to working with Becky as we support this years teams and develop future squads and teams; particularly with the exciting prospect of the UK hosting the European Open in 2020.'

Becky said, 'What an honour! I have always had an interest in sports. From a young age, I participated in national and low level international athletics, before moving into the equine sector where I spent more than 20 years competing and being a trainer both national and international. I am looking forward to bringing my ideas and experience into the world of Dog Agility. From my experience in agility and going abroad with a fabulous team, I am excited to progress this further and help to develop the squad so that we can become unrivalled with the rest of the world.'

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2018 WAO Wildcards Announced

The World Agility Open is very pleased to announce the 2018 Wildcards All applicants should now have received an email notifying them as to the selection committees decisions. Please check your spam folders if you have not received.

With over 60 eligible partnerships applying this year, there was quite a bit of competition gfor the 20 available spots. Congratulation to those that were selected and best of luck at the 2018 event. 

Greg Derrett said, 'Commiserations to those who were not selected. This year the number and quality of the applicants greatly increasing on previous years. Unfortunately the selection committee could only award five spots per height on what was a very difficult decision in all four categories. We would like to wish you all the best in your 2019 Try out and look forward to seeing you compete in future years.'

PAWC Call for Entries

The 2018 UK PAWC Team is on course to have one of the largest Teams ever - a potential team of 29 made up as follows:-

• 8 previous team members
• 12 new applications already sent in
• 9 awaiting odd bits of info

Team Manager Linda Croxford said, 'There is still time if anyone is interested in applying who has a mobility problem. There is no limit to number of PAWC handlers we can take and handlers can enter a maximum of two dogs. Don't forget those who have still to send me applications or videos that entries close on 31st March so I must have everything at least a week before the end of the month.'

All PAWC applications should be sent with the following:-

1. Doctors certificate or letter from doctor / hospital if in the UK, giving details of how handlers condition affects mobility
2. If competing in an electric wheelchair, a copy of insurance certificate to be included detailing maximum speed of vehicle.
3. 3 x videos in a competition or in an official match environment  (MP4 format only).

The UK Team is honoured to be hosting the 2018 International and Mixed Breed Championship (IMCA) and ParAgility World Championship (PAWC). The event is taking place from Thursday, 23rd to Sunday 26th August 2018 at the Wood Green Animal Shelter in Huntingdon (Cambs.)

For more information about PAWC, visit www.imca-pawc2018.co.uk or email Linda Croxford on linda@petlodge.co.uk . Deadline for applications to be considered for the PAWC team have to be sent by Linda to the board by 31st March 2018 so need to be with Linda no later than a week before this date.

Watch More Crufts on Media

Dog lovers can look forward to a record-breaking 14 hours of television coverage when Crufts returns to Channel 4 and More4 this week. This is two and a half hours more than the 2017 show which was then a record in itself.

The Kennel Club will also will be streaming the whole Agility Competition event via YouTube and Facebook. The first event begins at 8:45am on Thursday morning. The whole schedule can be found here.

• Day 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeAC6cjJ9rc
• Day 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCVMbbBYOuk
• Day 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ChEbv30pOM
• Day 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDNlg4lAhKA

The Agility streams on Facebook will be on this page: https://www.facebook.com/DogAgility/ Then selected rounds will be published to the same FB page at 10pm that night and available the following day from 9am.

With Clare Balding at the helm, Channel 4 and More4 will broadcast all the action from the show, leading up to the grand finale on Sunday when Best in Show will be crowned. This year Channel 4 will be broadcasting an extra one-hour programme from the show in the afternoon on all four days, including a new show on the Wednesday before Crufts begins.

Wednesday, 7^th March

• 1500-1600 – Channel 4 Crufts Daily Show

Thursday, 8^th March

• 1500-1600 – Channel 4 Crufts Daily Show
• 1830-2000 – More4 Crufts
• 2000-2100 – Channel 4 Crufts

Friday, 9^th March

• 1500-1600 – Channel 4 Crufts Daily Show
• 1830-1930 – More4 Crufts
• 1930-2100 – Channel 4 Crufts

Saturday, 10^th March

• 1630-1730 – Channel 4 Crufts Daily Show
• 1900-2100 – Channel 4 Crufts

Sunday, 11^th March

• 1630-1730 – Channel 4 Crufts Daily Show
• 1900-2100 – Channel 4 Crufts Best In Show

Clare will host daily highlights of the world's biggest dog event live from the NEC and will be joined by Alan Carr, who will be presenting the afternoon show with Clare, and Channel 4s 'Supervet Professor Noel Fitzpatrick. The presenters will be supported by vet, health and welfare expert Nick Blayney, as well as dog reporters and breed experts, Jessica Holm and Frank Kane.

All of the Arena action from the show will also be shown every day live on the Crufts YouTube channel which can be found at www.youtube.com/crufts.

Caroline Kisko, Secretary of the Kennel Club which runs Crufts, said, 'We are delighted that Channel 4 and More4 will be offering viewers at home the opportunity to enjoy even more of this year’s Crufts. The event holds such a special place in dog lovers’ hearts because it celebrates everything that we love most about dogs, and the programmes will reflect on the benefits dogs bring to our lives and the many fascinating aspects of Crufts.

'The enhanced TV coverage will not only bring exciting sports such as agility and flyball into people’s homes, but will enable people to see the diverse range of wonderful dog breeds, including some of the more unusual breeds that are not often seen in the streets and parks across the country, through the dog show aspect of Crufts. It will also cover topics about choosing, caring for and enjoying life with dogs, as well as different issues affecting dog owners in the UK.'

Channel 4 and More4’s coverage of Crufts will be produced by Sunset + Vine.

Trade Stands Wanted for Orchard Summer Show

Orchard Agility is looking for a 'doggy' trade stand for their four day KC Summer Open Agility show over the August Bank Holiday from 24th August to 27th August at their new venue in March, Cambridgeshire.

If you are interested in having a general pet trade stand at our show, please email Rosemary Stowers as soon as possible.

YKC Agility Team GB Announced for EOJs

The Kennel Club has announced the names of the members of the agility teams who will represent Young Kennel Club (YKC) Agility Team GB at the European Open Junior Agility Championships in The Netherlands from 13th - 15th July 2018.

The successful handlers and dogs were chosen following this year's squad selection process. Two selection days were held at Nottingham Trent University, both including agility and jumping courses, and the squad trained alongside the adult team. Handlers invited to both selection days competed on six courses in total, giving the handlers plenty of opportunity to impress. The top three handlers in each height qualified automatically for the first time, which filled the competition with extra excitement, ensuring some fantastic runs.

The selection days proved highly successful. The first day was judged by Steve Croxford and the second by guest judge Jirina Mackova from Czech Republic. Jirina is also the European Open Championship judge, and set a mixture of challenging courses for the competitors. The coaching team, made up of Mark Laker (team manager), Paul Moore (team coach), Ann Roberts (team assistant), Rachel Mowbray (team vet) and Neil Ellis (team coordinator) assessed the handlers on both days. Several aspects of the competitors were considered; not only their course performance, but the handler’s attitude, fault recovery, and dog’s health.

The Kennel Club congratulates all the handlers who have been selected to represent YKC Agility Team GB this year, which is supported by CSJ Specialist Canine Feeds and sponsored by the Kennel Club.

Agility Team GB Manager, Mark Laker said: 'In the third year of taking a team to the European Open for juniors we’ve seen over 130 young handlers try out and a greater level of agility. The standard and depth of competition across all three heights has been extremely high. I believe we’ve selected a very strong team which I’m looking forward to working with as we prepare for the European Open for juniors in the Netherlands this July.'

The teams selected are as follows:-

 FEBRUARY 2018

Vote for YKC Young Person of the Year

The YKC Young Person of the Year Award recognises and celebrates the achievements of inspiring and innovative YKC members who are making a difference for dogs. The award has five categories including Young Braveheart, Champion Volunteer, Good Buddy, Sporting Talent and Fundraiser of the year. The winners will be announced at Crufts in the YKC Ring at 11.45am on Sunday, 11th March.

The public has sent in their nominations, and the winners of each category have been shortlisted for the overall award of Outstanding Person of the Year. Finalists this year include two agility Juniors. We unashamedly support our agility youngster and urge you to vote to them.

Young Braveheart of the Year
Lauren Ashby (14) was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma Stage 3 in January last year when she was just 13 years old. The cancer was in her neck, throat, chest and spleen. This devastated the family and after undergoing surgery a few weeks later, Lauren started the painful and exhausting process of chemotherapy for six months.

Lauren has always been dog mad. She started taking part in agility three years ago with the family Cocker Spaniel/Springer Spaniel cross, Meg and became instantly hooked. After she got Percy, a Cocker Spaniel/Poodle cross in the summer of 2016 she began training him as soon as she could, but just seven months after they started training she was diagnosed and her life changed forever. Lauren was determined not to let it stop her taking part in what she loved. Even after her diagnosis, some of her first initial questions were related to agility training and what she would still be able to do.

Throughout the chemo and surgery, she set herself goals and targets to try and reach with Meg and Percy, training them a few minutes a day when she wasn't in hospital. The chemotherapy Lauren was having affected her muscle strength greatly, but she somehow still managed to get herself around an agility course – something the doctors were amazed by. She even competed in an agility competition at Easter whilst going through chemo, after her blood levels allowed her to be outside. The tactical side of agility always allowed Lauren to be thinking about what she would be doing to improve and train the dogs when she was stuck in hospital or at home for days on end, unable to attend school due to treatment. Having a passion for something kept her going through some truly horrendous side effects.

Lauren’s bravery throughout last year and her passion for agility gave her a purpose and focus to getting her through treatment. Lauren carried on training and competing when possible as it was a lifeline to trying to feel some sense of normality during such a traumatic time.

Unfortunately, since being nominated for Young Braveheart of the Year, Lauren’s cancer has sadly returned, and she will be seeking further treatment over the course of the year. However despite the worst, Lauren is just as determined as ever to channel her love and passion for agility and her dogs to make it through this difficult time.

Sporting Talent of the Year
Hannah Thorp (16) found that her life changed three years ago when she got her first dog Izzie, a Border Collie/Poodle crossbreed. Over the years, Izzie and Hannah have grown to be best friends, and the pair began training and competing in agility as soon as they were able.

After getting to Grade 7 in their first season competing, they were selected to represent YKC Agility Team GB at the European Open Junior Championships in Luxembourg, where they returned with a Bronze medal in the Individual Agility round – on Izzie’s third birthday. Less than a month later, they came 2nd in the Medium championship final at the world’s largest agility event, the Kennel Club International Agility Festival in August, where they also qualified for the YKC Agility Dog of the Year semi-final at Crufts 2018 and the Kennel Club Olympia Agility Stakes finals in December 2017.

However, the best part of the journey for Hannah is the true passion and unrivalled joy they have together, having fun, making friends and lots of memories. Hannah and Izzie have a real love for agility and an inspiring growth as a partnership, both on and off the agility course. Hannah is a great ambassador for the dog agility world, and always puts 100% into everything she does. She is an inspiration to young and old agility handlers and has really excelled in the canine activity with Izzie and her other dog, Baxter.

Other finalists include:

• Fundraisers of the Year - Sisters, Teigan (14 years old) and Alana (11 years old) Harp-Jones from Wales raised funds for charity through dog events.

• Good Buddy of the Year - Bailey Anderson (14) is a very inspirational young man from Dumfries who always strives to help others along with his love of dogs and his many hobbies.

• Champion Volunteer of the Year - Chloe Smith (17) is passionate about volunteering for a wide range of clubs and organisations.

Speaking about the finalists, Young Kennel Club Chairman, Gerald King, said: 'We are truly in awe at the passion, dedication, bravery and selflessness of our Young Kennel Club members – especially these incredible finalists. They are a credit to their generation and will, no doubt, inspire many of their peers for years to come.

'Every year we receive amazing entries for young people and everyone who received a nomination should be proud of what they have achieved. Our finalists’ stories really highlight the difference that a dog can make in a person’s life or vice versa. We are looking forward to welcoming them to Crufts and seeing who the public have chosen as the winner of the Young Person of the Year award in March.”

The finalists in each category have been invited to Crufts 2018 on Sunday, 11th March for a special presentation ceremony and each will receive an exclusive YKC ambassador’s badge and award. As well as being crowned the Young Person of the Year, there is a prize fund up to £750 which will be used towards helping the winner progress their love of dogs.

For over thirty years, Ed and Cindy McAlpine have presented the Shaun McAlpine Trophy to the winner of the award at Crufts, in memory of their son who sadly died. Shaun had himself achieved considerable success as a dog handler.

Previous winners of the annual competition have been selected for their volunteering and fundraising for dog charities, helping to organise dog activities in the local community and for assisting others through training, stewarding and mentoring.

You can vote on-line by going to the Kennel Club web site http://www.crufts.org.uk/content/whats-on/ykc-young-person-of-the-year-award/

SWAT South West Junior Challenge New for 2018

South West Agility Training (SWAT) is pleased to announce that they are sponsoring a new Junior Challenge at a number of South West shows, with the winners being invited to participate in the Finals, judged by Chris Huckle, on 4th August 2018 at the SWAT show. Their aim is to encourage Junior handlers in the region by offering a competition specifically for them, whilst raising awareness of the need to support and encourage Juniors at local shows.

The Challenge will have two categories - Under 9 and Over 9. The upper age limit is 16 years old, as they are aiming it at kids still in Secondary school.

Dogs will be able to jump their usual height, including LHO, and it is open to G1-7, the aim being to be as inclusive as possible. All heights and grades will compete against each other -the only split being handler age.

The 1st and 2nd placed handlers and dogs from each qualifier will be invited to compete at the Final. If a handler and dog partnership has already qualified in either age group, or is unable to attend, the invitation may be given to the next placed pair, provided they have not been eliminated.

For 2018 there will be five heats, kindly hosted by South Devon, Sherborne Vale, Carn Brea, Cornwall AC as well as the May SWAT show.

Heats will be held at:-

• Carn Brea - 8th April 2018

• SWAT - 28th May 2018

• Cornwall - 7th July 2018

• Sherborne Vale - 22nd July 2018

• South Devon - 29th July 2018

The plan is to make this an annual competition and there will be additional heats in 2018 / 2019 with other South West clubs already signed up for next year's Challenge.

Toni Keating said, 'I am thrilled that local clubs have been so supportive of our idea, which also helps to foster closer relations between the smaller clubs in the area. It will be exciting to watch the Juniors compete and grow in confidence from heat to heat and year to year. They are the future for our sport.'

www.swat-dogs.com

Olympia Qualifications 2018 Clarification

Gerald King, Chairman of the Prestige Events Working Party, said: 'Following the publication of changes to the Novice Stakes at Olympia 2018 we have received a great deal of feedback which has been taken on board. Accordingly there will now be no changes to the qualifications or for competitions at Olympia 2018 and further discussions will take place for 2019 and subsequent events.'

You can see the Olympia rules and qualifying heats via the website.

 JANUARY 2018

 
FCI Agility Judges Seminar at the KC

The Kennel Club is offering an opportunity to attend a one day FCI agility judges seminar in November 2018 at the Kennel Club Building in Stoneleigh, Coventry.

This is a fantastic opportunity for people to expand their knowledge and experience of judging agility in Europe. The seminar will cover advice on officiating at FCI agility competitions, FCI agility equipment and an overview of the new 2018 FCI Agility Regulations and Judges Guidelines amongst other things.

The seminar will be led by Wilf Claus, Vice President of the FCI Agility Commission. Wilf is one of Europe’s most experienced and well-known judges and brings a wealth of experience in judging at major events across the world.

The FCI Judges Seminar will be held on both Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th November 2018 and will run from 9am until 5pm.

Ticket prices are £60 per person until 5th April, and £80 after this date. The price includes lunch. Tickets can be purchased from www.thekennelclubshop.org.uk/products/fci-judges-seminar-2018-hosted-by-wilf-claus.

The closing date to buy tickets is 9th October 2018.

Large HO League Results

Congratulations to the Large LHO League Winners 2017. 

This league, sponsored by the 4th Height Supporters Group, is now open for registration for 2018. It is free to take part in the LLHO League.
 See Facebook Group for details Link 

Accredited Trainers Sought for Agility Judges

The Kennel Club is seeking to recruit Accredited Trainers for judges of agility, in order to meet the demands of Britain’s largest canine activity.

The successful trainers will be well established within the agility community with an excellent knowledge and understanding of current Kennel Club rules and regulations. They will have good presentation skills using a range of different media, and an understanding of the different learning styles of individuals with the ability to engage with the participants.

They will be expected to plan seminars, using course information provided by the Kennel Club. All seminars will consist of a range of presentation methods, including PowerPoint, group and interactive sessions, practical discussions and demonstrations and practical assessments. They will be expected to review and analyse participants' courses, critique them and provide constructive feedback.

They will also be expected to participate in the mentoring scheme for newly qualified judges, carry out Continual Personal Development (CPD) assessments on established judges and provide support and constructive feedback to the individual and the Kennel Club.

Additionally, they will be required to attend the annual Accredited Trainers Seminar at the Kennel Club Building, Stoneleigh in October.

Applicants will need to submit a CV to demonstrate that they meet the following criteria:-

• Five or more years of regular judging experience
• Judged at Grade 6 or above
• Good presentation and teaching skills
• Attended and passed the exam for the Agility Regulations and Judging Procedure seminar and attended and passed the Course Design and Judging Seminar; or passed the Regulations and Judging Procedure examination on the Kennel Club Academy and attended and passed an Agility Judging Seminar
• Willing to travel to deliver seminars
• Have a commitment to mentor newly qualified agility judges for their initial judging appointments
• Willing to carry out CPD assessments on established judges

Anyone up for the role? Applications should be emailed to agility@thekennelclub.org.uk or sent to The Kennel Club, Clarges Street, London W1J 8AB for the attention of Rachel Mansfield. The deadline for applications is 26th March 2018, after which an assessment day will be arranged.

Bretford to Host 1st Champ Only Show

Bretford Dog Training Society is delighted to announce that they have been awarded Agility Championship class status in 2018 at all three heights. It will only host Championship classes which will enable us to provide the very best environment for a top level Championship Agility show.

The Bretford Championship Agility Show will take place on Saturday, 27th October 2018 at Moreton Morrell College Warwickshire CV35 9BL.  The venue will offer two indoor rings of a minimum of 40m x 25m, warm up areas, and tiered audience-seating area for the Final. Championship Judges Andrew Dicker (Large dogs) and Roger Griffin (Small and Medium dogs) will officiate

 Luke Taylor said, 'We believe this will be the first time a Kennel Club Agility show will host only Championship classes and, whilst only open to competitors of Championship eligibility, we would love to see handlers of all grades join us at this central venue (10 minutes from Junction 15 M40) to cheer on some of the best Agility dogs in the country in the last Championship classes for 2018.

 'We are seeking and would welcome suggestions from Championship handlers on ways to ensure that Bretford offer the best Championship competitor experience possible within the resources available to us. Please contact committee member Luke Taylor with your suggestions and comments at taylor.luke@hotmail.co.uk.'

 The show schedule will be out later in the year.

KC Call for Stories

This year marks the 40th year of agility at Crufts. The Kennel Club press office wants to showcase the passion and dedication that people have for competing and training in agility with their dog to celebrate this anniversary.

Perhaps you will also be celebrating 40 years of agility? Or competing in agility with your dog has changed your life, or the life of your dog? If you are a seasoned professional or a humble amateur, they want to hear from you.

Please share your story with them here https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/XR3Z7FG

Agility Nuts Celebrates 100 Independent Shows

The Agility Nuts Summer Show 1 at Bilsthorpe Sportsground on Saturday, 5th to Sunday, 6th May will be the 100th Independent show that has been held since the first Agility Nuts show way back in August 2008.

Originally planned as a one-off, the Agility Nuts Independent shows quickly developed into something more. The winter of 2008-09 saw their first 5-show Winter Series at Trent Valley Equestrian Centre which was followed by a 4 show Summer Series at Parkland Stables in Ruddington, famed for the amazing hospitality of the venue owners, not to mention the challenging bridge on to the venue!

Within a couple of years, they were running 11 independent shows a year plus one Kennel Club Show, which switched to 10 independent shows plus two Kennel Club shows in 2013. Ruddington hosted their summer shows until the end of 2011 and, after a couple of years assessing a few different venues, Bilsthorpe Sportsground, with it's amazing running surface, became our regular venue from May 2014. Trent Valley hosted their Winter Shows up to the end of the 2013-14 season after which they moved to Oakridge Arena where they continue to hold shows with 2 large netted rings over the winter months.

The Agility Nuts Independent shows have always allowed four runs per day for all dogs- including Veterans - the only exception being the simple runs for Nursery dogs (16-24 months) introduced for the 2012-13 winter series. They allow training in the ring and NFC runs, meaning that dogs can run at whatever height they want should they wish to do so.

They've always had an overlap of dog heights so that large Mediums and small Larges can run at Medium height, for example. At their very first show, they introduced the concept of ABL (Anything But Large) classes, where all dogs other than Large dogs compete against each other. This format proved popular with competitors and remains today.

They also introduced the annual Triathlon event into the summer schedule back in 2012, an event that combines running (not long!), Obedience (not formal) and Agility - or rather jumping - with special prizes for the winner. With netted rings, the Agility Nuts Summer and Winter Series shows are the perfect shows to get your dogs used to the competition environment.

Since the very first show Agility Nuts has had ringside laptops for inputting results and a live display of results as they happen in the Office area. It means they have a complete record of every run at all of their shows. They run Leagues for different levels (Elementary, Starters, Novice and Senior) and for Veterans with Dog of The Season Awards presented at the end of each Winter and Summer Series. We always enjoy a friendly and competitive atmosphere at our shows.

Paul Sensky of Agility Nuts DTC said, 'And so we approach Show 100. To celebrate, we will be making some special presentations including Most Wins and Most Eliminations (!) amongst others. We will also be offering competitors the chance to win £100 worth of Agility Nuts entries at the show, but you'll have to be there on both days to improve your chances of winning!

'Finally, I thought I would share some current stats with you, compiled courtesy of our complete record of all results.'

• 3831 classes in the first 96 shows
• 1402 handlers and 2499 dogs have been to at least one of the shows
• 77,761 runs entered
• 18,789 clear rounds
• 16,142 placed rosettes awarded
• 226 Judge's Specials awarded
• 21 dogs with over 100 clear rounds including one with over 200
• Most placings for one dog = 374
• Most wins by a single dog = 76
• Highest aggregate League Points for a single dog = 8119
• 1 x dog has competed in every single show - yes, they will definitely be getting a special award!

Paul continued, 'Many people have enjoyed the shows from the very beginning, but special thanks must be made to Hazel and Sue who have helped us in the office at every single show, and to Jane, Viv, Jayne, Natalie and Ann who have kept things running smoothly around the rings for us for so many years now.

'There are still two more shows to get through before we get there so if you want to join us at Oakridge Arena for our 11th February (POTD) , February 11th and March 3rd you can enter online at www.firstplaceprocessing.com  or head over to the Agility Nuts website, www.agilitynuts.co.uk . Our first Kennel Club show of the year at Thoresby Park on April 7-8 is also available to enter.'

New SKS Show Announced

SKS Agility show is a new two day show being held at Hickstead Show Ground (West Sussex) on the 4th & 5th August 2018.

The show will offer Lower Height Option for all heights with separate awards. As well as several sponsored classes, with lots of prizes to be won. It will also include a very exciting evening final - The StreamZ Team Speedstakes, which is kindly being judged by the one and only Simon Chandler.

The StreamZ Team Speedstakes final will be run in the evening once show has finished.

Stacey said, 'I am very excited to run the SKS agility show this year. It is my aim to create a fun friendly atmosphere for all competitors and I would like to make this an enjoyable weekend show for everyone.'

As well as the fantastic catering, there will also be a bar that will be serving an array of drinks at very reasonable prices.

Change to KC Agility Regulations

The Kennel Club has recently approved the following change to the regulations for agility.

The below regulation has been amended to account for instances where a dog competing in the Large height category may have been requested to have an additional measurement. The amendment has clarified that where a dog had been measured, an additional measurement could be requested. However, if the dog had commenced competing without entering the measuring process it would not be possible for it to be subject to an additional measurement.

The amended regulation will be included in the regulation booklets as of 1 January 2019, however, the regulation in principle will be followed with immediate effect.

Amendment to Regulation H(1)(B)4.(11)

TO:

An additional measurement may be requested by the Kennel Club or a Kennel Club approved Championship Agility Judge. The dog in question must have already had its final official Kennel Club measurement. The Judge need not be officiating on the day the additional measurement is requested but must be in attendance at the Show. No fee will be required from either the Judge or the handler/owner. Any Large dog which has not been through the measuring process shall not be eligible for an additional measurement. (Insertion underlined.)

Agility Team GB Performance Weekend Announced

The Kennel Club has announced the date and judge for the Agility Team GB Squad Performance Weekend, which will be held at the Brackenhurst Campus at Nottingham Trent University. It will be held from Friday 6th - Sunday 8th April. The judge has been confirmed as Seppo Savikko from Finland and assistant judge will be Neil Ellis.

Dogs and handlers who are not part of the 2018 squad may enter on Sunday 8th April 2018 to gain experience on courses designed and judged by an international judge. The coaching team will be looking for a maximum of 12 dogs (four from each height) from the Sunday competition to be invited on to the 2019 squad for the development of dogs and handlers.

The coaching team will be focusing on dogs and/or handlers new to international agility competitions and who show potential as future squad members.

The day is capped at 150 dogs in total, ideally a maximum of 50 dogs per height: large, medium and small. Dogs must be competing at grades 6 or 7.

The closing date for entries is 5th March 2018.

Further information about the squad qualification process for 2019 can be found on the Kennel Club’s website - www.thekennelclub.org.uk/activities/agility/international-agility-teams/.