As part of the AKC National Championship, Presented by Royal Canin week, the American Kennel Club held the third annual AKC Fast CAT Invitational. Over the span of three days, 429 dogs competed to determine who was the fastest dog in two divisions: Pure Speed and Speed of the Breed.
A total of 186 dog breeds were represented. The top five fastest dogs of each breed were invited to compete in the Fast CAT Invitational, based on AKC Fast Coursing Ability Tests (Fast CAT). Each dog ran twice during the three days of preliminary runs.
Pure Speed Division
Dogs that ran in the Pure Speed Division included the top 10 fastest dogs, according to their height class. These dogs were recognized based on how fast they ran, and the number one dog was declared the 2023 Pure Speed Champion.
2023 Pure Speed Champion
HC 1: Whippet “Reas” Wildtucks Momentary Lapse of Reason FCAT DE AM TKN, owned by Lindsay & Matthew Manetti.
HC 1.5: All-American Dog “Inky” Black Ink FCAT5, owned by Jennifer Smith.
HC 2: French Bulldog “Winston Bolt”, Winston Bolt BCAT, owned by Braden Frederick.
Speed of the Breed Division
Dogs that ran in the Speed of Breed Division ran against other dogs of the same breed. Their runs were compared with the average to the breed. In this division, the top 10 fastest dogs competed to see who was the fastest over the average speed for their breed. The number one dog in this division was crowned 2023 Speed of Breed Champion.
2023 Speed of the Breeds Champion
The winner of the Speed of Breeds Division was Lhasa Apo, “Max” RA FDC DCAT SWA THD CGCA CGCU TKE ATT BN-V FITB. Max is owned by Debbie English, and had the fastest time over the average speed for the breed during the AKC Fast CAT Invitational.
The AKC National Championship is right around the corner, and you don’t want to miss the action! Tune in to ABC on December 31 at 2 p.m. ET to see who’s crowned Best in Show.
Did you miss last year’s show? You can watch the 2022 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin on demand on AKC.tv!