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Flyball is a
relay race for dogs that was invented in California in the late
70's. It is said that Herbert Wagner first showed it on the
Johnny Carson Show to millions of Americans. Soon afterwards dog
trainers and dog clubs were making and using flyball boxes. The
sport became so popular in the early 80's that the North
American Flyball Association was formed.
A flyball
course is 51 feet in length and consists of four jumps and a
springloaded box that propels a tennis ball. A team is made up
of 4 dogs with their handlers and up to 2 alternates. Dogs must
go over the jumps, activate the box, catch the ball, return over
the jumps and cross the start/finish line before the next dog on
the team can go. Two teams race against each other side by side
and the first team to finish all four dogs without making a
mistake wins.
Jump
heights range from 7 inches to 14 inches and are set at 4 inches
below the smallest dog's shoulder height. Teams are divided into
separate divisions, where dogs of equal ability and skill level
compete against each other. Any mixed breed or purebred dog can
play.
Flyball
tournaments are usually organized in either a round robin or
double elimination format. In our region, the first team to win
3 heats receives points towards their tournament standings.
Division 1 teams that place in the top 3 in a tournament also
receive points towards regional standings.
This is a
fast paced and exciting sport where wins and losses are often
determined by fractions of a second. Handlers aim for perfect
starts and precision passes in order to get the best time. Dogs
often start from 50 feet behind the start line in order to get
to top speed as they pass the oncoming dog.
The
current world record for regular racing is held by Spring Loaded
of Michigan with a 15.22 second time! The multibreed world
record (four different breeds on one team) is also held by
Spring Loaded with a 15.80 second run.
Warning: this sport has a highly addictive nature for
both handlers and dogs alike. Flyball fanatics are often seen
travelling throughout nearby provinces to attend tournaments.
For the dogs, well the sound level at any flyball tournament
will tell you how much they love it!
TITLES
Division
1 teams race for tournament points that lead to regional
standings. Individual dogs also earn points towards titles.
These points are given according to the team's total time as
follows:
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Under 32 seconds, each dog receives 1 point.
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Under 28 seconds, each dog receives 5 points.
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Under 24 seconds, each dog receives 25 points.
The
titles that can be earned are:
|
Abbreviation |
Title |
Points |
Award Type |
|
FD |
Flyball Dog |
20 |
Certificate |
|
FDX |
Flyball Dog Excellent |
100 |
Certificate |
|
FDCh |
Flyball Dog Champion |
500 |
Certificate |
|
FDCh-S |
Flyball Dog Champion Silver |
1000 |
Certificate |
|
FDCh-G |
Flyball Dog Champion Gold |
2500 |
Certificate |
|
FM |
Flyball Master |
5000 |
Pin |
|
FMX |
Flyball Master Excellent |
10000 |
Pin |
|
FMCh |
Flyball Master Champion |
15000 |
Pin |
|
ONYX |
Onyx
Award |
20000 |
Plaque |
|
FGDCh |
Flyball Grand Champion |
30K
to 90K |
Plaque |
|
Hobbes |
Hobbes
Award |
100000 |
Plaque
Addendum |
* Some of the above information was taken from the
flyballdogs.com homepage. If you would like more information on
flyball, a link to that website is provided on the our links
page.
Home
Call: (306) 691-5064
Email:
kcmactavish@sasktel.net
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