Fun on the Run

Agility and your Bearded Collie!

Beardies and the sport of agility are a perfect match. What better way to use that “bounce” than to encourage your Beardie to run, jump, dive through tunnels and scale over obstacles? Agility is a sure way to keep both Beardie and owner in shape, as it is an activity that requires both dog and handler to be in motion. Agility has its origin in the UK, and was first widely demonstrated as an entertainment program at the Crufts dog show in 1978. Enthusiasm spread across the UK and spilled over to America in the 1980’s, where organizations were established and rules for competition created. The sport is open to all dogs, purebred and mixes. Dogs compete against dogs of similar size, running courses against the clock. Many of our members are involved in agility. Many years ago, Sarah Halsey and Wizard had been racing through agility courses with tremendous success for over 11 years and became the 1st Beardie to achieve the MACH 10 title. The club is so proud of their accomplishments! Past members, Libby and Jack Buhite are BAD people..which you must understand to be a very good thing. BAD is an organization they began in 1997 for Agility enthusiasts: Beardie Agility Diehards. They work closely with the BCCA Agility Committee compiling agility stats and submitting articles for the BCCA publications. Libby Myers-Buhite was also the 2009 Agility Co-Chair for the BCCA. Read more about agility on their BAD website! The BCCSC holds an Agility Fun Day some time each year. Whether an agility MACH or Novice, everyone has a great time on the equipment. Don’t miss this event and your opportunity to sample the sport of agility with your Beardie.