Best Agility Dogs Expected For Regional Trials This Weekend
By Robert Thomas
If you’re looking for a FREE event with a lot of woof in it then head up to the Moose Jaw Exhibition Grounds - 250 Thatcher Drive East - and the Golden Mile Arena as the 2023 Agility Association of Canada (AAC) Regional Agility Trials will be held this Saturday and Sunday.
Hosted by the Moose Jaw Dog Club the regionals will feature 85 dogs and 60 handlers from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nunavut.
The event is a qualifier to compete in the national agility trials (championships) to be held later in Ontario.
“You have to get a qualifying score that is high enough to go to nationals,” Tracey Cook president of the Moose Jaw Dog Club.
The agility trials will be awarding gold, silver and bronze medals but winning a medal does not mean a dog and their human handler goes on to nationals.
All dogs and their human handlers continue on to nationals who receive a qualifying score. The qualifying score is a minimum bar competitors must equal or surpass in order to advance to nationals.
“We do a give placements, and anyone with a high enough score to attend nationals will receive a national qualifying ribbon and they can go on to nationals,” Cook said.
Dogs will be weaving their best this Saturday and Sunday as the Moose Jaw Dog Club hosts of the regional agility qualifiers to advance to nationals - MJ Independent file photo
The points scoring system is not just about time, but also competitors can be assessed faults for their runs.
“If you knock down a bar or you go off course your points get deducted.”
Being that this is a regional agility trials the level of the course is set at the Masters level.
“For the humans, yes, us it is going to be very competitive but the dogs are just here to have fun,” Cook said.
“Your dog does not have to be competing at that level, but the course will be set at that (Masters) level.”
Due to the competitive nature of the competition, it’s more than likely the dogs competing will be older dogs who are more skilled and trained in agility.
“Some of the younger dogs may not be attending because they don’t have the skill set yet and we’re gonna have some young dogs who are going to be try their best,” she said, adding “any dog over 18 months (of age) with an AAC number is eligible to compete,” she said.
People spend hours and years training the dogs to compete at this level so the competition will bring the best dogs and handlers to Moose Jaw.
“There will be some very talented dogs, and some very talented handlers.”
The dogs will navigate through three types of courses as part of the competition.
The Moose Jaw Dog Club said the event is free to anyone. The concession will be open, as well as there will be raffle baskets that spectators are more than welcome to purchase from.
“If anybody wants to come and watch some agility, they’re more than welcome to come and watch. We just ask that you ask the owners if you are allowed to pet their dogs before you pet them. Just respect them because they are athletes going into competition.”
The hosts also ask spectators remain in the stands, and do not go down to the actual arena area as it could potentially impede the competition.
Other than that spectators are more than welcome to come out and watch the action.