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BSD Agility World Championships 2005

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - OF THE WORLD!!!!

Click here to view pictures of the 2005 World Championships

We have just returned from Aue in Eastern Germany with a coach full of trophies, having won both Team AND Individual titles against some seriously tough competition (including several people who were placed in the main FCI World Championships).

The Team competition was won by Brenda Hollis and Bailey (Baudwin Cappamore), Gill Raddings and Kyte (Minka Independence Kyte), Andy Brown and Skye (Heidron Chasing Stormy Skye), by less than one second over 6 runs. Mike Bacon and Jack (Jack of Diamonds) also ran in the team event, but their runs were not quite fast enough to count in the best 3.

Andy Brown and Skye then went on to win the Individual title by just under 2 seconds.

Whilst the rest of the squad didn't feature in the trophies, their moral support and team spirit undoubtedly helped us achieve this fantastic result for Great Britain: Individual finalists Alan Smith (running Jazz) and Louise Challis (running River), Anne Challis (with Timber). I was also there with my Blitz, but fortunately my organisational skills were somewhat better than my competition times - else I suspect we might never have got to compete at all!

Also thanks to Helen Brown for making sure we all got to the ring in good time for all our runs, and leaving us able to focus on the course itself.

We would also like to acknowledge the vital part that Reliance Coaches played in our success: Being able to leave our dogs in an air-conditioned coach all day, while the outside temperature was in the high 30's, may well have made the critical difference! A big vote of thanks to our drivers Clive & Paul, who not only squeezed a 49-seat bus closer to the ring than all the other competitor's cars, but even bought water sprayers and 'good luck' toys for all our dogs - out of their own pockets.

Finally, thanks to everyone who entered Spring At Shuttleworth show - especially those that also helped on the rings - as your entry fees made it all possible!

We started the Vapresto BSD League 3 years ago in the hope that it would help us to identify the best dogs to send to our breed World Championships, and are immensly proud that all the hard work has paid off - and so soon too!

30 May:  We did it!!!  Team and Individual Championships were both won by Great Britain! 
There will soon be more detail and photos on this page now that we have arrived home from Aue:  Unfortunately, it was not possible for Vapresto to keep this site updated during the championships as there was no suitable telecommunications link available (former Eastern Germany has still not completely caught up with the West - the fire engine attending the event must have been at least 40 years old!)

Click here for results: 

The 2005 Agility World Championships will take place in Aue, Germany (near Dresden and the Czech border) on 26th - 29th May 2005, and will be a combined event with the IPO, Mondioring, and Obedience WC, as was the inaugural agility WC in Belgium in 2003.

24 May - We're on our way to Germany...  Check this page daily for a progress report during our trip!!!

BSD World Championships 2005 - Great Britain Squad:

All squad members met all the qualifying criteria during 2004 and the dogs are all vaccinated and will be ready to travel in May.  The 4 dogs that will represent Great Britain in the team event will be selected during the Spring At Shuttleworth show weekend.

16 December: We currently have less than 8 people who wish to compete at the 2005 BSD WC.  If you have not already sent a form and wish to take part, we must receive it by Christmas Eve.  After that we will announce the team - and if there are no more than 8 entries the 'qualifier' will not be necessary.

Download the 'Qualifier Entry Form' here

30 November 2004 - Can all those hoping to qualify for the 2005 BSD WC please complete a 'Qualifier Entry Form' and email it to ian@vapresto.com as soon as possible please:

We urgently need to establish numbers of people/dogs who we need to cater for, so that we can arrange a suitable venue (as central as possible to all those taking part), an impartial judge, and obtain FCI equipment.

Click here for details of the World Championship schedule, rules and definitions

VERY IMPORTANT (Slightly amended from original posting on 13th November):

The anticipated cost for each competitor in Germany next year will be in the region of £500-£600 £800 (sorry - underestimated it earlier) - UNLESS we can raise funds to subsidise this cost:  Based on our experiences this year, we believe that we could potentially raise a large proportion of this cost from running a two-day agility show, but to do this will need a group of committed volunteers to organise it, as we do not yet have a confirmed squad to call upon!  As we expect every eventual squad member to do their fair share of fund-raising, volunteering now will put you in a good position for selection, but will not guarantee it - as the performance of the dogs has to remain the primary selection criteria!

If you are intending to try and qualify for the 2005 WC and are prepared to put in the work required to organise a show from scratch - in less than 6 months - can you please email ian@vapresto.com ASAP!

The proposed format of the qualifying competition to select the squad (date and venue are still to be confirmed, but likely to be somewhere 'central' and in March) is as follows:

-    ALL dogs and handlers that wish to go to the WC must attend the qualifier and enter the competition - even those with a guaranteed place.

-    In the morning we will have a training session to give everyone experience of the different equipment and courses.  

-    In the afternoon there will be two agility courses and two jumping courses - all designed, judged, and timed according to FCI rules.

-    Final positions in the competition will be decided by the best 3 runs of each dog (with eliminations being treated as 50 faults).

-    1st, 2nd, and 3rd placed entrants in the competition will be guaranteed a place in the squad - at least as individual competitors.

-    The 4 dogs that the 'selectors' believe will best represent GB in the team event will be selected from ALL the dogs attending the qualifier, regardless of their final placing in the competition itself.  Hopefully we will be able to recruit an independent 'expert' with good knowledge of FCI courses and rules to help make this decision (and judge the competition)!

The qualifying competition will be open to:

-    All BSDs regularly competing in KC Licensed shows at Senior or Advanced level during 2004.

-    All BSDs with a top 20 place in Agility AND a top 20 place in Jumping, at KC Novice level or above, in 2004.
(Relaxed slightly for Jumping from original criteria, as too few dogs would be eligible!)

-    The above dogs MUST already hold a PETS passport, at the time of the qualifying competition, that enables them to travel to Germany and return to the UK on 30th May 2005.
(i.e.  need to be vaccinated against rabies before 30th October 2004, if not done already)

In addition:

-    All squad members must be prepared to help us to raise the funds through sponsorship or fund-raising events.

-    All squad members should be prepared to fund the balance of their own travel and accommodation expenses if fund-raising efforts do not cover all the costs.

-    Only one dog per handler will be selected for the squad.

-    The winner of the Vapresto BSD Agility Novice and Senior Leagues, and the 2004 WC team reserve (Gill Raddings and Kyte), will be guaranteed a place on the squad at least as an individual competitor, if they wish to take up the opportunity.

-    The winner of the Vapresto BSD Agility Starters League will also be guaranteed a place on the squad at least as an individual competitor, providing that they have won out of Starters at the time of the qualifier competition, AND meet the qualifying criteria for places at KC Novice level or above.