Dog agility in the U.S. is about to take on an international flair. The United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) is introducing a new world-class event that follows the format of international agility contests, offering head-to-head competition in a run for gold, silver and bronze medals.
The inaugural Masters Challenge Agility CupSM takes place August 23-26, 2018, at the Williamson County AG Expo Park, in Franklin, Tenn. Internationally known agility judges Paul Hinchley (Great Britain) and Francisco Berjon (Mexico) will officiate.
“We’re very excited to offer this new Masters challenge, which we’ve modeled after the International Federation of Cynological Sports (IFCS) World Championships. Our goal is to allow dogs and their handlers to test their skills in an internationally competitive environment, without having to travel across the globe,” said Andy Hartman, USDAA vice president.
As part of this event USDAA will be selecting competitors and dogs for the 2019 USDAA World Team competing next April in the Netherlands at the 2019 IFCS World Agility Championships. More than a dozen USDAA competitors compete at the IFCS World Championships in any given year. In 2018, for example, USDAA sent 20 dog/handler teams to Milan, Italy, for the competition and brought home three silver and three bronze medals. |
“With our new Masters Challenge event, we will be able to extend that kind of international experience to our competitors, whether they want to try out for the World Team or not, by hosting it here in the U.S.,” Hartman added.
In dog agility competitions, canines are guided only by voice and hand signals from their human partners as they race against the clock, flying over hurdles and through hanging tires, weaving around poles, scuttling through tunnels and bounding off the see-saw.
The Masters Challenge Agility CupSM will feature competitors at all levels and dogs of all sizes vying for gold, silver and bronze medals in seven categories (or “classes”), such as Individual Jumper, Individual Standard Agility, and Biathlon (Biathlon Jumpers and Standard Agility Combined), among others. A total of 231 medals will be awarded.
Based on scores in the seven classes, the judges will then determine winners of the Masters Challenge Agility Cup and Masters Challenge Performance Agility Cup. The general public is welcome to attend.
The United States Dog Agility Association is the world’s largest, independent canine sports authority, dedicated to promoting the sport of dog agility as a recreational, family sport that fosters responsible pet ownership. With more than 10,000 active competitors worldwide, the USDAA continues to advance the fast-growing sport internationally, hosting regional championships in Japan, Canada, Mexico, and Spain, as well as in cities around the U.S. For more information on the sport or recreational agility exercise, visit USDAA.com.
