The agility thread

Our SW ALC Rep Martin Tait has had his application under the new process rejected, and he will no longer be serving on the ALC. He’s sent through KC updates which mention changes to the winning out timeframe, the change to a max of two graded classes (doesn’t say if that’s per day or per show, assume per day but?) and that micro height is agreed in principle (doesn’t mention the actual height though).

Maybe I should try to get my head around the non-KC shows, it’s all a bit depressing really.
 
Spotherisk said:
Fancy coming back to agility?!
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I'd absolutely love to! Honestly watching this weekend I realise how much I miss it. It's been forever but also I could imagine myself right there in the ring (getting lost!)

My lovely rescue I've got now wouldn't be suited to it though, we tried hoopers and I had high hopes but she showed zero interest 🙄
 
Bellaboo18 said:
I'd absolutely love to! Honestly watching this weekend I realise how much I miss it. It's been forever but also I could imagine myself right there in the ring (getting lost!)

My lovely rescue I've got now wouldn't be suited to it though, we tried hoopers and I had high hopes but she showed zero interest 🙄
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I came back after a gap of around 20 years . It’s very different , but I’m having fun .
 
blackcob said:
The mere mortals have rejected all historical proposals for a grading review, so they'll make micro contingent on accepting a great big stinker of one. 💩
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It absolutely stinks! How can they say we need Micro on a welfare basis, yet basically want to do a deal on the grading in order to put it through? Its either a welfare issue or it isn't? With the matrix issues too plus running v small small I just wish there was A4A in my area. I may well go back to independents. They dont want Micro ,they dont want people to progress with steady clears. The KC are an absolute load of tossers and Agronet isn't much better as they have deleted 2 of my comments 🤬😂
 
Ditchjumper2 said:
It absolutely stinks! How can they say we need Micro on a welfare basis, yet basically want to do a deal on the grading in order to put it through? Its either a welfare issue or it isn't? With the matrix issues too plus running v small small I just wish there was A4A in my area. I may well go back to independents. They dont want Micro ,they dont want people to progress with steady clears. The KC are an absolute load of tossers and Agronet isn't much better as they have deleted 2 of my comments 🤬😂
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I reckon they're going to ban discussion on micro on Agronet as they did on the new matrix. :rolleyes:
 
She's churning them out again in any case.

Spotherisk said:
Not having been in agility for very long, please can someone tell me what the grading review is or might be about?
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The most recent proposal:

Reduce the number of graded classes allowed per day from 4 to 2.
Reduce number of grades allowed in graded classes from 3 to 2.
Increase minimum number of combined grades allowed in combined classes from 2 to
3.
Combined classes should have an indicator that shows the expected level of course
design. E.g. Combined 4-6 (4) number in brackets indicates to the judge to design at G4
complexity. (6) would mean course set to G6 level.
This will also indicate to the competitor the expected level of skill required and tested
on each course.
Grade 7 will become championship level only, requiring additional wins. At standard
classes, all championship dogs would be eligible for G6 classes.

It was not deemed appropriate to add an additional level and so by Grade 7 becoming
Championship, with additional wins required, it will make room for the extra height of
competition that has been requested for the welfare of smaller dogs (see proposal on micro
height). It also allows the room to reduce the limbo period as requested (see proposal on limbo
periods)
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They got through the bit about two graded classes per day but everything else proved unpopular. There is resistance to any proposal that the KC limit show licences instead (either by proximity to other shows or by restricting the number of licences available to each club/company) because £££.

Being already split by 4 heights x 7 grades, micro makes it 5 x 7. Given they're already clearly looking at reducing progression, they won't want to split the already tiny class sizes even further. In fairness it also has implications for show organisers (more classes, longer judging days, more awards to purchase).

It think it likely that there will be more shows scheduled only for certain grades and heights, with only the bigger summer shows offering all grades and heights. I suspect there will also be a forcing of the issue of dropping G7 and/or introducing additional requirements to competing in champ.

There have been major grading changes previously but IIRC they were all aimed at reducing numbers in huge class sizes and fixing bottlenecks, we are now faced with completely the opposite problem and the KC need to pull their finger out and decide what problem it is they are actually trying to fix with these proposals.
 
I do think maybe progression can be too easy with so many shows and small classes. A friend who started competing with her dog the same time as I did with Zig is now grade 6, we've just gone grade 3. She does a lot of shows, which is fair enough and I am not at all bothered that she is way ahead of me, in fact my old brain would never cope with learning courses at a higher level. However, we have done a few independent shows where we are in the same class, and we always beat her, so maybe she has gone up too fast.
 
There's a dog six months older than V now racking up its last wins to G7. 😳 Our journey looks different etc. etc. 😜

Twas ever thus that you could pick shows known to have a low entry ('Adams on a rainy Tuesday' was a frequent snide comment back in the day meant to infer one was pothunting) but now even summer weekend shows routinely have entries in single figures which never used to happen.

I still don't quite know where I stand with it. On one hand a clear win is a clear win, you've got to have the skills to beat the course even if you're the only clear. On the other hand if there are competitors who only ever go to one sort of show and aren't getting exposure to different judges, different types of course design, those trendy 'European' influences and different pools of competition it is entirely possible now to reach G7 without really 'advanced' skills or beating many of your peers, which is presumably what the KC is getting at. They want a pyramidal progression structure, not a top heavy or bulgy one.
 
Jenko109 said:
Boils my piss when they stop people discussing things.

Like when nobody was allowed to dare mention Lauren Langman, the All About Dogs Puppy Farming extraordinaire.

God forbid anybody speak up.
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An acquaintance of mine purchased a LL puppy prior to it all kicking off I believe. Changed its name as didn't want to have the association of a Devongem. Has just announced that due to all its ongoing health issues it won't be doing any more agility and it's already had one lot of surgery!
 
As far as progressing goes I have competed in small classes and still not managed a win 🙄🤣 The KC defo want a certain type of handler/dog to progress and they are manipulating the rules/heights/progression criteria to achieve it. The sad thing is they really don't care about the grass roots people, and I suspect the ALC reps who don't toe the line and who challenge stuff are probably the ones who are being outed too. I have friends who have progressed quickly again because they go to Friday or midweek shows whereas I mainly only ever compete at weekends. I defo won't do Dogs in Need anymore as just no point, even though one of my nearest shows and I love going. I have entries in for 2 shows and will see how they go. My girls generally are better in the winter so fingers crossed we at least make the time.
 
Ditchjumper2 said:
As far as progressing goes I have competed in small classes and still not managed a win 🙄🤣 The KC defo want a certain type of handler/dog to progress and they are manipulating the rules/heights/progression criteria to achieve it. The sad thing is they really don't care about the grass roots people, and I suspect the ALC reps who don't toe the line and who challenge stuff are probably the ones who are being outed too. I have friends who have progressed quickly again because they go to Friday or midweek shows whereas I mainly only ever compete at weekends. I defo won't do Dogs in Need anymore as just no point, even though one of my nearest shows and I love going. I have entries in for 2 shows and will see how they go. My girls generally are better in the winter so fingers crossed we at least make the time.
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I have recently had my first clear win, in G1 jumping, new matrix. We’ve been competing for 2.5 years. My lurcher is happier indoors too, last weeks camp really showed that up with an indoor and outdoor session on both days.
 
My G2 dog still hasn't had a clear round. 💀

I don't think my G7 dog has had a win this season either so I'd also be buggered if they bring in further qualification for champ. My dogs encompass the whole spectrum on which they could piss competitors off with a grading review. 😒
 
Nexus and A4A both capitalising on the current situation on socials. 😂 I wonder if this will turn out to be a real turning point for the alternative organising bodies.

Our unaff club has offered micro for donkeys years but is operating at maximum capacity already, never not had a waiting list for the winter series.
 
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I was looking at the Nexus shows - it’s a long trip for us though, about 150 miles. As I’ve only done KC to date other types of show confuse me!

I was thinking too it would be nice to know where people on this thread are based/competing. I’m in Devon, and compete Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset.
 
Spotherisk said:
I was looking at the Nexus shows - it’s a long trip for us though, about 150 miles. As I’ve only done KC to date other types of show confuse me!

I was thinking too it would be nice to know where people on this thread are based/competing. I’m in Devon, and compete Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset.
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There was supposed to be a Nexus show near me at Kelsall but it was cancelled 😞 . I’m in Shropshire and don’t travel more than an hour to shows but I’m lucky there are quite a few independent and A4A locally . But not many KC which is why I do so few plus I prefer lower jumps for him .
 
I'm in Suffolk so generally 2 KC indoor shows a month within an hours drive in the winter. Plus Independents at the same venue. Unfortunately no A4A in East Anglia. I understand Iconix wont be KC next year either? I will do a couple indoors and see if girls any better in the cold but will probably not plan my life around shows. When I gave up horses I said I wasn't going to let agility rule my life like horses did, but its easy to keep doing more and more. Since my husband died I probably do it for a social too. I don't ever expect to get to Gr7 but I want the chance to progress and that seems to be taken away sadly.
 
I'm also in Shropshire and will day trip most of the West Midlands, closest KC venues these days are 1hr away, DSD is 1hr 15 but it's an unpleasant drive if that makes sense.

I’ll do 3+ hours and camp for champ, qualifiers etc. for the eldest a few times each year, usually as part of a club group.

Club #1 has one indoor unaff show a month through the winter.

Not wild about some aspects of A4A and Nexus and in any case decisions about shows for my youngest are necessarily dictated by the venue set up and available space, because she’s a knob.
 
Ditchjumper2 said:
I'm in Suffolk so generally 2 KC indoor shows a month within an hours drive in the winter. Plus Independents at the same venue. Unfortunately no A4A in East Anglia. I understand Iconix wont be KC next year either? I will do a couple indoors and see if girls any better in the cold but will probably not plan my life around shows. When I gave up horses I said I wasn't going to let agility rule my life like horses did, but its easy to keep doing more and more. Since my husband died I probably do it for a social too. I don't ever expect to get to Gr7 but I want the chance to progress and that seems to be taken away sadly.
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Do you know of any agility clubs fairly close to Newmarket ? My daughter would quite like to try agility with her lurcher but she is fairly restricted on time so couldn't travel too far.
 
Well, things didn't get any better. Please bear in mind I am wallowing and venting and not yet in a solution-orientated frame of mind. 💀 Last outdoor show of the season, 3 x Es, 1 x 25f.

In fairness some of this was due to poor course design; one jumping course had lines that many large fast dogs would find difficult and one agility course was not only grade inappropriate on several counts but also completely batshit.

Even more batshit, the judge for the latter approached me at the finish to say that he didn't mean to contradict my training methods but could he give some advice, as he'd intended for the tight turns on to the contacts (yes, identical tight turns on all three) to be 'check checks' and not whatever command I'd been giving my dog... I had, in fact, been giving my dog her tight wrap command, it just isn't 'check check', and the reason she went off piste is because his course design was completely unsuitable. For those not familiar, it is absolutely not normal and also against code of best practice for judges to comment like this in any way and I was left open-mouthed and had to just walk off without saying anything because it was so unexpected. He had two clears of 58 dogs which I think bears out my point.

Anyway... the remaining two courses were perfectly nice and appropriate and should have been right up her alley but instead she just threw herself at whatever obstacle she decided was appropriate, scattering poles in her wake. Then comes the screaming. 🫥

I am so very tired.
 
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