Dogs from 45 States and Canada Vie for National Agility Champion Titles
Nearly 1,000 of the top agility dogs and handlers in the nation will vie for the title of American Kennel Club® (AKC®) National Agility Champion in their height classes on March 30 – April 1, 2012 at the Reno Sparks Livestock Event Center in Reno, Nevada. The prestigious AKC National Agility Championship (NAC) will feature the top agility teams in the country soaring over jumps, whipping through weave poles and climbing seesaws and A-frames.
“We look forward to welcoming the nation’s top agility competitors to this beautiful site in Reno,” said AKC Director of Agility Carrie DeYoung. “We are especially excited to welcome our All-American dogs. In just their 2nd year of eligibility, 29 mixed-breeds qualified and 12 will compete! We wish all of our entrants the best of luck.”
Eighty-eight breeds, plus AKC Canine Partners enrolled dogs, from the speedy Australian Shepherd and Border Collie to the tiny Chihuahua and Yorkshire Terrier will compete. Several rare breeds are also entered, including the Icelandic Sheepdog, Pumi and Pyrenean Shepherd.
About the Event
The AKC National Agility Championship is a competition that requires participants to garner a certain number of points and qualifying rounds in local shows the preceding year to become eligible to participate.
The Championship consists of five rounds to be completed over Saturday and Sunday. All dogs will compete in the first three rounds. Rounds four and five will be limited to the highest-scoring performers. After round five, the top dog in each jump height – 8”, 12”, 16”, 20”, 24” and 26” for the Regular classes and 4”, 8”, 12”, 16” and 20” for the Preferred classes – will win the title of National Agility Champion of 2012.
Competition will take place on Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is FREE and the event is open to the public. Agility is the AKC’s fastest growing sport, and reached one million entries in 2011. This exciting, athletic event requires conditioning, concentration, training and teamwork. Dog and handlers must negotiate a timed obstacle course, off-leash, striving for a perfect score of 100. Missed obstacles, knocked jumps or other mistakes result in penalties deducted from the total score.
Results and Event Updates
The latest event updates, exhibitor interviews, photos and videos, behind-the scenes information and results will be posted on Facebook. Real-time results will also be posted to Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/AKCNACResults. RSVP to the AKC National Agility Championship Event Page and you won’t miss a thing!
2012 AKC National Agility Championship by the Numbers:
- 640 – MACH (Master Agility Champion) or PACH (Preferred Agility Champion) dogs competing, including one MACH20.
- 20 –Past National Agility Champions entered.
- 12 – All-American Dogs – members of AKC Canine Partners – will participate, the highest total ever!
- 4 – Rings of competition with real-time results via Twitter.
- 4 – Juniors Handlers, under the age of 18
- Highest Breed Totals:
- 227 Border Collies
- 120 Shelties
- 62 Australian Shepherds
- 49 Golden Retrievers
- 42 Papillons
- 37 Poodles
- Largest Numbers of Competitors By State:
- California: 295
- Washington: 98
- Colorado: 74
- Texas: 43
- Minnesota: 35
- Oregon: 34
- Arizona: 28
- Illinois: 24
- Ohio: 23
- Idaho: 20
- Dogs Titled in Other Arenas:
- 68 Breed Champions
- Two Triple Champion
- 5 Obedience Champions
2012 Judges:
Kitty Bradley – Colorado
Sheila Kaufmann – Colorado
David Nauer – Colorado
Catherine Nelson – Wisconsin
Anne Riba – Illinois
Debby Wheeler – California