I really disliked the selection process for the final. There were a few really nice dogs in the final, but the majority of the class was just below average. I compete mostly in Tennessee and the percentage of quality dogs being run is much higher than the percentage that was allowed to make it through at westminster. I don't think the way they did it allowed for the best dogs to be displayed. In most areas, you will find more quality dogs than what the selection process allowed to be shown. I was also disappointed to see my sport represented so poorly. Again, there were a few great dogs, but the rest made agility look foolish. I want to see us agility competitors well represented, and the way it was done did not allow that to happen.
We were discussing it at the agility seminar today, and no one was really happy with it. Besides that, the course was not an international style course. Back side of jumps are a common occurence on akc excellent/masters courses now, and the majority of these handlers were not prepared to handle this. If you are going to be in a final for a championship, you should be capable of handling common sequences seen. I don't mean a person has to be able to q every time. People and dogs make mistakes, but there were a lot of really sad mistakes that probably wouldn't have been made had more competent dogs been allowed to move on. It also dumbed it down for some of the other breeds and certain mutts. The dogs in the final should've moved on because they earned it (and they would have!). Not because they were given a freebie just because they had a certain breed. It also makes it seem like we have to give the mutts a spot because they certainly couldn't have made it that far on their own (sarcasm). The chips should've fallen where they landed. The 16" mutt as well as Roo! would've made it to finals on their own merits. They wouldn't have been there just because they were given a freebie. So would the Rottie, Pyr Shep, and Miniature Schnauzer. They would've easily made it into the top ten without a hand out. In the future, it would be nice if they would allow the top ten to move on based on merit.
Others at the seminar felt there needs to be more requirements to qualify. Make no mistake, there were a huge number of people trying to enter. They weren't going to be hurting for entries. Someone I know suggested they do something like require the dog to have a MACH or PACH to attend. I wouldn't mind requiring that and a certain yps at each height as a base line. There shouldn't be course trotting dogs in a final for a championship. A championship implies quality, especially when in conjunction with westminster.
Honestly, would you appreciate your sport dumbed down to make it more approachable for the public? Should people bring their ungroomed pet dogs to westminster to compete and be granted the right to go through just so we can make the public feel good? Should we add in a mutt class to be PC? No, it's westminster. When you think of it, you think of the best. It's a show with top quality, beautifully presented dogs with skilled handlers. That is not what they did for agility. They made a mockery of this 'championship' by putting mediocre dogs ahead of quality dogs with speed and skill so we can be all feel good for the public. We had a few great handlers... Patti Gagnon, Andrea Samuels, Ashley Deacon, Soshana Dos, etc, but by and large the large majority were not the best dogs there. The 8", 12", and 24" class were downright embarrassing to watch with the exception of a few dogs.
I'm sorry, but with the exception of a few, had you shown me this as a person who hadn't competed in agility yet, I wouldn't have been impressed. We don't go to middle school basketball or football games (unless they are someones own child or friend) to watch. We go to big NBA or NFL games. We want excitement, to watch the best. It's why we pay money to go see sports. It's the same thing here. What person is going to be impressed when they hear championship and come to see what they assume is our best and instead are given dogs who can't even do the course? I would be much more impressed seeing a dog like Ashley Deacon's Pyr run than some of them that trotted, or were making what felt like novice mistakes. There were classes where only 1-2 dogs even qualified. That is a sad, sad percentage. The only good thing I can say is that an impressive dog eventually did win in every height class.
, Sounds like I didn't miss a lot though.
) I have to agree, the HopeShelties, the dogs entered should be MACH or PACH dogs so the sport is better showcased. Not everyone with a MACH or PACH is a top dog since, if you throw enough money at it, eventually you'll get lucky enough to get the qualifications BUT you have a better chance of presenting a better representation of Performance sport. Heck, the dogs in Westminster's Confirmation show are all champions, why should the requirement be there for Agility also.