Agility News

British Sport Going to the Dogs? You Bet!

Britain might have got no further than the quarter finals at Wimbledon and might have embarrassingly flopped in the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2008 but our hopes of victory can now be pinned on a completely different kind of sporting team.

Border Collies and Miniature Poodles are among the dogs that the Kennel Club will be sponsoring, for the first ever time, to strut their stuff at the European Open Championships for agility, after making it through a gruelling qualifying series.

And with four world-class dogs already on the team it seems that Kate and Gin, who reached the final of Britain's Got Talent, might not be the only ones to show the world what our British dogs are made of.

The 30-strong team of dogs (and their handlers) will be pitched against 650 dogs from another 30 European countries – including Spain, which has enjoyed notably more sporting success than Britain so far this year – in a bid to take the coveted European Agility Championship title on 19 and 20 July in Germany.

This is the first time that the Kennel Club has decided to sponsor a team to enter the prestigious competition. Caroline Kisko, spokesperson for the Kennel Club, said: “We are very proud to be sending a team to the European Open Championships for agility and we wish them the best of luck.

“The competition is open for both cross breeds and pedigrees, which is something we fully support and hope that after a summer of sporting woes, the dogs will bring back the prizes for Britain!”

Hopes are already high for the British contenders - who are all champions of major dog contests including Crufts, The Olympia Agility Stakes and the International Agility Festival - and who went head-to-head against 100 British dogs in April to be chosen to represent their country at the European Open.

Four of the Brits on the team are already world champions and have a clutch of silver and bronze medals – from both the team and individual competitions at the FCI World Championships – between them.

A total of twelve different types of dog - both pedigree and cross breed - will be represented in three separate categories – small, medium and large.

And more action is set to come this summer when British hopefuls compete at the Kennel Club's International Agility Festival in Peterborough, on 8-10 August, which is the largest agility show in the world. The International Agility Festival welcomes dogs from all over the world and the winners are chosen to compete at Crufts.

John Gilbert, team leader of the British European Open Championship Team, said: “I am really pleased to be part of the first Kennel Club sponsored team for the European Open Championships. We have got a really strong team together and I am confident that we can do our country proud.”

ENDS
8th July 2008

Please note
Last year's FCI World Agility Championship winners who will be competing in this year's European Open Championship are:

Bernadette Bay (part of the Silver winning Medium Team) will be competing with her Shetland Sheepdog, Hex.

Amanda Hampson (part of the Silver winning Medium Team) will be competing with Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Mix.

Lee Windeatt (part of the bronze winning Large Team) will be competing with Border Collie, Bold.

David Munnings, who won the individual silver medal in 2005, will be competing with Border Collie, Dobbie.

There will be a brand new ‘have-a-go' ring at the International Agility Festival, 8-10 August, at Peterborough Show Ground, where visitors and their dogs can try the sport for themselves. For more information see www.kcagility.org.uk

(posted 08/07/2008)

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