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Contents

4th Height Jumping
As an agility handler of more than 20 years, Ann Harmes has seen many changes in our sport, mostly she would say for the better. It is amazing to see how agility has grown and developed - indeed beyond recognition - from when she first started competing with her crazy working sheepdog- although, some things never change! When asked to write this piece for the 4th Height Supporters Group, she thought it would be of value to canvas the views of her friends, and those whom she admires within the sport, both as handlers and professionals. Here she shares their thoughts as well as her own in a differing perspective.
101 Tips for Newbies
For those going to their first ever agility trial or their first show with a young/new dog, here are some words of advice from seasoned competitors in no particular order, as compiled by Carla Ruigh from the AGILE E-list. And don't forget everyone was a Beginner once.
Another Look at the FCI Worlds
Ask people anywhere in the agility world what the biggest and best international agility competition is and they will likely tell you it’s the FCI World Championships. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Sounds all-inclusive. To be World Champion! The best of all the best, right? Not quite. UK and international competitor Bonny Quick wonders why the agility community continues to support international 'pedigree only' competitions when so many of our 'good' dogs are excluded.
The Anatomy of a Show: Thoughts of a Show Manager
Roy Wilce was sitting on his patio in the sun with a coffee, and a collie lying at his feet. Life was good. The Show had gone well, but his thoughts about it keeping turning over in his brain like some demonic tumble-dryer. 'Perhaps...', he thought, 'it will help if I unload everything onto paper.' (05/07/00)
The Appliance of Science
At first glance you could be forgiven for thinking that agility judge and keen observer Alan Waddington has lost the plot, but I urge you to read this series of mini-articles, They might make you change the way you read an agility course even if it does not make your financial investment decisions any easier. So hold onto your hats... here we go. The Isaac Newton Dog Training Academy presents the impact of the laws of nature on dog agility.
Bitten by the Bug
A little while ago, Theresa McAteer read something that not only made her smile, it made her think back over the last four years to a time when she was free of this contagious disease called Agility. She wrote this article for the Letchworth DTC Agility newsletter about how she and her husband caught the bug.
Competition Nerves at Crufts
Performance anxiety affect most agility competitors at some point during their agility career. Kaye Medcalf went as a reporter for Agilitynet to Crufts, to find out the techniques the top young handlers and Championship competitors have for managing the pressures of competing, especially in front of large audiences.
Dan Shaw Dan Shaw on Being a Groom
When one qualifies for most big agility events like Crufts, Olympia and the various World Championships, it is traditional to take a groom (usually a friend) with you. The groom's job is basically to make the handler's day easier. In 2024, Dan Shaw was grooming for his partner Dave Munnings with Legacy in the Championship and he was helping Martin Reid and Naarah Cuddy with their ten million qualified dogs in the Singles. Of course, extra love had to be given to his home bred girl, Runbye Going Banananas! In an interview with photographer Linda Gore, he explains what a groom at Crufts usually does.
Day Parking
Most agility show organisers put a lot of time and thought into working out the layout of their show. They assess the risks of moving traffic and do their best to make the showground as safe a place as possible. It's an agility issue as well. Why are there always some people who take advantage of a good thing? asks Christine Short

Designing Courses is Quite Difficult!
There's been a lot of debate recently about the suitability  of courses for a particular type of class. Some competitors are quick to criticise when things are not right for them, but very rarely give praise when things go well. Judges too, can misunderstand what their objective should be when designing a course. Barrie Harvey, Chairman of The Agility Club, puts forward his point of view.
Angelo 'Doc' Docherty
Angelo 'Doc' Docherty's path into judging was not an easy one as he did not come through the usual agility training route. Nevertheless he is celebrated his 300th Kennel Club appointment in 2018 and looking for more.
Want to start competing in agility? Compete already but find all the rules confusing?

The agility survival pack contains <I>Your First Agility Show</I> an excellent book with rules / regulations and general advice to help you survive agility shows, a bag of training treats, a ring clip and some poo bags.

Steve Croxford (Manager of the KC British Agility Team) thinks the book is an excellent comprehensive guide to anyone interested in agility” and makes entering your first and subsequent shows a doddle. 

Tony Griffin (Chairman of the KC Agility Council) says this book gives the reader the complete answer to what goes on at an Agility Show.


Author: Sally Rowe

*Last guaranteed delivery date before Christmas 2007 = Tuesday 18th December* First Show
The number of people competing in the sport of agility has increased dramatically over the last few years and consequently there are many more shows - small, medium, large and huge. And all can be not just a little daunting if it is your first time competing. If you are a  newcomer to the sport, here are a few tips from Sally Rowe to help make your debut more successful.
Global Judging
Week after week, agility judges all around the country set courses to test of our ability. If we struggle, we can go away and train these challenges further. So surely developing our judges so they set safe and appropriate yet challenging courses is in all our interests? Most judges will at some point have taken assessments or exams and following successful completion gone off to judge. And that, for the majority, is where their professional development ends as there has been nothing to cater for them in this regard. Until now... Becky Dixon reports on the Global Judging Program (GJP).
Going Veggie
In 2016 Cat Clark was admitted to hospital with sepsis from an infection. When she returned home, she was left with Chronic Fatigue. Her doctors told her they couldn’t help her, so after some research, she decided to remove both dairy and meat from her diet. Sounds completely crazy and impossible, doesn't it, but it worked!
Good Judges List
With all the recent talk about judges on the Agility Forum and around the rings, it's obviously that there is a great disparity among judges. What makes one judge standout from another? Would you agree that the judge sets the tone for the ring. After a long weekend with a judge who obviously felt nothing but contempt for the handlers, American Arlyn Sigeti, herself a judge, wrote this list of the qualities that she values in a judge.
How to be a Mini Winner
Getting to the top of your sport is not easy. It takes more than a good dog and a good handler to make an agility round look simple. What do the ten Olympia mini finalist have that the rest of us lack? What turns a competitor into a winner? To find out, Mary Ann Nester went to the Pedigree Smackos Mini Agility Stakes Final held at the Olympia International Show Jumping Championships and spoke to the handlers, judge and sponsors.
(04/01/02)
How to Self Isolate at a Show
Having spent most of his Dog Agility life first scribing, then scriming, scoring and enjoying bacon butties, Alan Waddington feels he is well placed to make a plea on behalf of the lonely long distance scrimer. For many of you out there in Agility-land, what happens to the scrimer is not high on the list of your dog agility priorities. Compared to learning new handling techniques and the highs and lows of success and failure, what happens to the person sitting in front of the timer, watching the judge, is unlikely to pop up on your radar. Alan Waddington would like you to spare a thought for the person who has selflessly given up their time to record your round.

I like butterflies

Is Agility Going the Way of the Dinosaur?
One theory about the demise of the dinosaur was that changing climates brought about a relatively rapid change in the vegetation. The dinosaur’s digestive system could not adapt to this different diet, and they became extinct due to chronic constipation. Aileen Clarke sticks her neck out and asks 'Are agility competitions heading the same way?' (06/08/02)
Judge's Special
Patch Guipago explains what these very special rosette's have meant to her and her deaf collie Defa.
The Morning After... Tuffley 2003
Ramblings of a show organiser and other reflections by Rob White.  (10/07/03)
Moving Up
To move up on points or wait for that elusive win - that was the question Lindy Margach faced with her talented yellow lab Bracken.
 
(22/11/08)
My First Show: A Wet Wet Wet Introduction to Agility
When Chris Bradley started agility training two years ago, she simply wanted to do it for fun. Being completely non-competitive and with a life-long horror of performing anything solo in front of others, she had no ambition to compete.
On Being a Team Player
Teams - love 'em or hate 'em. Just why do we do it? Dawn Williams talks about some of the advantages and disadvantages of running on a team.
(21/07/03)
One Wheel or Two?
You may have noticed judges walking around agility courses with a strange unicycle type contraption. These are known as measuring wheels and they are used to help judges set a realistic course time. Lynne Shore explains...
10/10 Paul Oldfield's Show League Table
Paul Oldfield has done his own end of the year list of shows that he attended, ranking them in order of points achieved. He stresses that these are his own personal opinions.

Acecliffe St. poodle puppies at 3 weeks old

Puppies & Agility Shows
Are they compatible. Chief Crufts vet Trevor Turner points forward The Kennel Club point of view. (02/12/01)
Recruiting Volunteers Can be Fun - Revisited
Yes folks, it's that time of year again. We all know that it can be difficult to get enough helpers to run an agility show. If a lot of people did a little, few would be burdened down with too much. Chris Hack, Show Secretary of Trent Park DAC, has come up with this ingenious device for recruiting club members.  (11/07/00)
Ring Etiquette
Rules of etiquette control the behaviour of particular social groups or social occasions and the agility circuit is no exception. (08/05/05)
Ring Party Jobs
There's fear of flying, fear of falling and fear of failure but are agility people developing a new fear - fear of ring parties. Is it because they think it is someone else's job, are too stressed to help, have too many dogs to run or just don't understand what's involved? We asked the Agility Whisperer to pontificate...  (14/05/10)
Ring Party Procedure Manual
The Cornwall AC Ring Party Procedure Manual was put this together a while back, after the Committee heard that some competitors were 'too scared' to offer to help at shows as they simply did not know what was involved. Some of it will be specific to CAC but a lot of it applies to most shows, regardless of whether operating on a manual system or an electronic system. Thank you to Kim Lawer and the CAC Committee for sharing their new, updated version. Hope it helps!
Ring Partying
To celebrate all the people who help make an agility show happen, the Scottish Kennel Club Agility held a photo competition for all helpers and ring parties at their August Show. Here are some of the entries. Can you suggest some captions…
Ring Rage
Chris Smith is a mild mannered person, not given to tantrums and rages. Aside from the odd moment she may simmer but she rarely boils over - with one exception...  (05/09/02)
Running an Aggressive Dog at a Show
Agility isn't just a hobby. It's a way of life. For dogs, it can literally be a lifesaver, boosting confidence and giving dogs an outlet for excessive energy. It's important to us all that agility is a positive an safe experience. Sadly though, it seems increasingly that people are putting dogs into the ring that may be come so stressed that they feel the need to attack.Agility Voice Editor Jill Spurr has kindly agreed to share her article.
(17/07/23)
Setting a course for Judging
Getting the course right on the day can make or break a show for people. Lin Bergan shares some of her thoughts on designing courses for the right level of competitor.  (07/02/04)

Should We Take Advanced Out of Intermediate?
Should we or shouldn’t we? What are the arguments for and against? Three top handlers present their opinions - Jo Sermon (pro), Dave Cooper (con) and Mary Anne Nester with the Mini/Midi point of view. Read both sides of the argument and then vote on this hot topic on Rachel's Mini Poll. (29/07/02)
Show Ground Reviews
Given it's in everybody’s interest to have decent ground to run on, why do some clubs persist in treating this criterion as a negligible one? Agility handler Groundhog, who prefers to remain anonymous, reviews the running surfaces of some of the venues they've run on this year.

The Show Secretary & The Rain Queen
A behind the scenes look at the run up to an agility show by Gerhard Zeigler, Show Secretary of Empingham DTC.  (16/06/02)

So You're Going to Judge for the First Time
You're pleased. You're flattered. You're terrified. You've suddenly realised there might be some things you might not know or haven’t been told about. Experienced judge Lesley Wilks passes on some tips for newbie judges on what to do on your big debut. (14/12/02)
Show 'n' Go: Never Say Never
Quasar has had dogwalk problems from the very beginning. At 12 weeks he fell off, and it took nine months to get him back on the equipment. For nine months his owner Cindy Knowlton encouraged him with praise, a ball, his favourite dog treats, ice cream and his laser, until finally one day he took a leap of faith and scurried across. Cindy knew that he just needed experience, but how many new dogwalks would it take? Entering a show 'n' go was the only answer. (21/10/99)
Show Wish List 2003
Brenda Tenten's little list of some of the things which would make our agility shows even more fun!  (08/07/03)

Sky's the Limit
It seems only a shor time ago that vet Peter van Dongen was writing about his puppy Sky. Time flies and Sky is now  old enough to compete. Would she live up to her predecessor Basil?  Here is the story of Sky's debut on the show circuit.  (18/04/04)

Talking the Course
Handlers get the chance before the contest to 'Walk the Course' before they run it. So why shouldn't judges have the opportunity to 'Talk the Course' afterwards to  explain and, if necessary, justify the rationale behind it.  (28/07/04)

Taryntimer User's Guide: Time & Time Again
Martin Pollard is supplying electronic timing to more than 40 shows around the country this year. It is possible it may be used in your ring then or at another show in the future. In this case whether are a judge, a show secretary or competitor, you may find this guide useful. And if you have any doubts about the inevitability of electronic timing, try the simple little test at the end of this article. (12/02/01)

 

YOU Make the Call
Have you ever sat in the dentist's waiting room, flipping through the pages of Seventeen or Cosmo and passing the time by filling in those cheeky questionnaires to find out if you were a wallflower or a glam queen, a thoughtful lover or a selfish cad?  Now you've got your chance to find out whether you be a good, bad or indifferent agility judge. And you don't even need a pencil - just press a key and your score is computed for you.  You may not like the result, but you probably didn't like what Cosmo had to say about you either! (17/10/01)

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