Winners Crowned at Second Annual Westminster Flyball Competition

For the second year in a row, Flyball has graced the Westminster Kennel Club week as a special event along with the world-renowned conformation show. Flyball has been gaining popularity as a sport since its start in the 1960s, so as the Westminster Kennel Club returned to the Jacob K. Javits Center and Madison Square Garden in 2025, so did an inaugural Westminster Flyball competition.

The second annual Flyball at Westminster took place on January 31, 2026 at the Javits Center, and winners were crowned in each division. Read below to see who won the Regular Division 1, Regular Division 2, Multi-Breed Division 1, and Multi-Breed Division 2.

Olivier Kpognon | The Westminster Kennel Club

Regular Division One Winners

The winners of the Regular Division 1 was team The Plastics from club That’s So Fetch from Columbia, SC. Their fastest race was 16.343 seconds.

The team of six is made up of four All-American Dogs: “Jyn Erso,” handled by Alex Nolte, “Nimona,” handled by Adriana Nottestad, “Tetris” handled by Morgan Nolte, and “Captain EO,” handled by Emily Allred. Border Collie “Asher” was handled by Erin Jenkins, and Whippet “Wasabi” was handled by Flora Martin.

Regular Division 2 Winners

The winners of the Regular Division 2 was team Wicked Runners from club Boston Strong located in Massachusetts. Their fastest race time was 18.991 seconds.

The team of six is made up of two Border Collies: “Mace in the Face,” handled by Judy Lamont, and “Mine,” handled by Sarah Holmes. Four All-American Dogs made up the team: “Cedar,” handled by Judy Lamont, “Quinn,” handled by Renee and Peyton Perry, “Violet,” handled by Kathy Allen, and “Loki,” handled by Chantay Sewell.

Multi-Breed Division 1 Winners

The winning team from the Multi-Breed Division 1 was team Mass Chaos from club Butterfly Effect, from Central Massachusetts. Their fastest time was 18.505 seconds.

The team is comprised of six dogs: two All-American Dogs, a Pyrenean Shepherd, a Border Collie, a Belgian Malinois, and a Labrador Retriever. Their fastest time was 18.505 seconds. “Be’, a Pyrenean Shepherd, was handled by Amanda Haldeman, and Border Collie “Sol” was handled by Ben Shryock. Rachael Bell handled Belgian Malinois “Evita” and Labrador Retriever “Enzo.” Kristine Rich handled two All-American Dogs: “Orzo” and “Oakley.”

Division Two Winners

The winning team of the Multi-Breed Division 2 was team MultiFin Crew from Jersey Shore Runners club, a team from Hammonton, NJ. Their team was comprised of  three All-American Dogs, a Border Collie, a Border Terrier, a Jack Russell Terrier, and a Miniature American Shepherd. Their best time was 19.779 seconds.

Katherine Nieves handled All-American Dogs “Danny Zuko” and “Ender.” The third All-American Dog, “Phred,” was handled by Sue Ericson. Sue Ericson and James Jr. Ericson handled “Alfie,” the Jack Russell Terrier, and Annamarie Pagano handed Miniature American Shepherd “Wicked.” Border Collie “Madison” was handled by Christina Dessin, and Border Terrier “Higgins” was handled by Joanne Newfield.

Inspired to Try Flyball?

If Westminster Flyball has you thinking about trying the sport with your dog, there are many ways to get involved with a team and start training. A Flyball relay race has lights and plenty of action. Dogs race down a set of lanes over jumps towards a spring-loaded box that releases a ball, which they catch, and then they race back to their handler. Whichever team gets the fastest time, wins the race.

The AKC recognizes titles in Flyball in partnership with the North American Flyball Association (NAFA): FDCH (Flyball Dog Champion), FM (Flyball Master), and ONYX.