Which dogs claimed titles at the 2019 Masters Agility Championship?
As part of Westminster Week, the sixth annual Masters Agility Championship was broadcast on Fox on Sunday afternoon as a precursor to the 2019 WKC Dog Show later in the week. Which dogs would claim titles at the 2019 Masters Agility Championship?
As is the case with most televised agility competitions, each dog made two runs in the finals and only the faster run counted (and was shown).
Using American Kennel Club rules, there were five classes based on the dogs’ height at the withers (shoulders).
(For more on how agility competitions work, see our introduction to the sport here.)
Gabby the Papillon won the 8 Inch class with a time of 39.31 seconds.
In the 20 Inch class, Verb the Border Collie won with a time of 32.05 seconds.
12 Inch Class
In the 12 Inch class, Radiance the Shetland Sheepdog started things off with a run of 42.18 plus five faults for a time of 47.18 seconds. Libby the Jack Russell had all kinds of trouble, racking up 20 faults for a time of 77.21 seconds.
Next up was Kie the Mini Schnauzer, a member of the Music City Road Dogs flyball team, had some trouble, adding up 10 faults for a time of 68.64 seconds.
Valkyrie, a gray Poodle-ish breed called a Bedlington Terrier, came just short of stealing first place away with her faultless 47.46 runtime. Her parents were named Thor and Nike, setting up legendary expectations while continuing the very clever mythological strain.
Dillon the Cocker Spaniel, named after the Gunsmoke character, ran the course in 45.75 seconds, with five faults added resulted in a respectable 50.75 time.
Dino the Lowchen was next, and he blazed through in 43.80 seconds with no faults, and would have been even faster if he hadn’t come to a complete halt on the dogwalk for four to six seconds.
Defending class champion Pre the Poodle crushed Dino’s lead time into extinction, scorching through the course in 35.10 seconds with zero faults.
Mixed breed Plop (charitably referred to as an “All-American Dog”) was turning donuts on his run, and then tripped off the teeter totter, but still managed an excellent 37.99 second run. He was followed by Trek the Sheltie with a clean 40.32 run.
Running last, Pixel the Miniature American Shepherd torched the course in 33.45 seconds to claim the 12 Inch championship.
16 Inch
Ruby the Bulldog started things off in the 16 Inch class with a run of 46.53 plus five faults for a time of 51.53 seconds. She was followed by Bodee the Springer Spaniel at a clean 43.86.
Harley the Staffordshire Terrier looked to take the lead, but 10 faults bumped her time up to 49.80 seconds.
A Cocker Spaniel therapy dog named Chance was next, with five faults his run clocked in at 51.87 seconds. Following him was Skye the Keeshond, who galloped through the course with a clean 39.10.
Hijack the Australian Shepherd ran next, and his speedy run was derailed by 15 faults for a 49.66 time. Louie the mutt – er, All-American Dog – ran 39.93 with five faults added on.
Not to be outdone, an Aussie named Trudi sailed through with a clean 34.29 run.
She was followed by a Sheltie named after Bruce Springsteen; Boss rocked his way to the top of the chart with his faultless 33.33 time.
The final dog to run was the defending class champion, Pink the Border Collie, who said, “So what if Boss set a quick time?” and promptly dashed off a faultless 31.23 to claim the title again.
24 Inch
The final class to run was the largest, as an 11-year-old Golden Retriever named Rush led off the 24 Inch dogs with a leisurely yet clean 56.75 time, which isn’t bad for a senior citizen.
A 10-year-old cancer survivor named Harley (another All-American Dog) set the pace with her 43.92 time.
Ebbets the Lab posted a 55.58 with five faults, he comes from a family of dogs all named after baseball stadiums, which is a cool theme.
Duke the Berger Picard is a model who has appeared both in print and in TV commercials, but with 10 faults his run clocked in at 61.16 seconds, so maybe agility isn’t quite so much up his alley.
A German Shepherd named Schatzi ran a fairly quick time – 47.38 – but racked up an astonishing 25 faults, making her time 72.38 seconds. Braddock the Rhodesian Ridgeback wasn’t much cleaner, totaling 15 faults for a 60.94 time.
Cushla the Irish Setter also had 15 faults tacked onto her time for a 67.24 run. An 8-year-old Poodle named Isaac – wearing a full show cut – managed to restore some order with a clean 47.57 time.
A herding dog named Fergus was running a good time, but quickly earned five faults, at which his handler decided it was time to call it a day, leaving Fergus with a DNF.
The final dog in the class to run was Kaboom the Border Collie, who was trying to defend her class championship from last year. She came very close, too, but scored five faults, leaving her with a runner-up 45.63 time.
Verb became the 2019 Masters Agility Championship Grand Champion, the fifth Border Collie to win the overall title in six years.
The 143rd Westminster Kennel Dog Show will be on FS1 on Monday and Tuesday February 11-12, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET each night.