Flyball Racing
Flyball racing is a great sport for energetic dogs who love
tennis balls and owners who want to participate in a fast paced
event.
In the 1970's the first tennis ball launcher was invented in
California by Herbert Wagner and so began the sport of Flyball.
In 1985, the North American Flyball Association, Inc. (NAFAź) (http://nafadb.flyball.org/public.shtml)
was formed to standardize rules and keep records of
competitions. In 2005, United Flyball League International (U-Fli)
(www.u-fli.com) was formed to
promote flyball.
Each Flyball race consists of 2 teams of 4 dogs each. The
dogs race side-by-side down a straight course that is 51 ft.
long with 4 evenly spaced jump hurdles, trigger a Flyball box at
the end of the course lane, grab the released ball and return
with it back over the course. The next team dog is then relayed
over the same course until all 4 dogs have completed their runs.
The first team to finish without errors wins the heat. The
tournament then continues until the top team of the day is
awarded.
Many teams run all 4 dogs through the course in less than 20
seconds. The NAFA record is now under 16.0 seconds. NAFA
tournaments are divided into divisions so that teams compete
against other teams of equal abilities. All dogs including mixed
breeds are eligible to compete and earn titles in NAFA
sanctioned tournaments.
TK's Ruby Slippers owned by handler Kris Milne
of team Turn & Burn is the only Boykin Spaniel on record as
having completed NAFA titles. |
