By Adam Prudhomme
Staff Reporter
High velocity canines are coming to the Napanee Fairgrounds July 29-30 as the local Ready, Set, Go Flyball Team hosts their sanctioned annual tournament.
Back for its ninth year, the Flyball tournament draws teams from across Ontario, Quebec and New York State to take part in a weekend chock full of dog relay races. The object of the sport is for trainers to get their team of four dogs to speed through hurdles and retrieve a tennis ball as quickly as possible in a relay-style race.
“The big requirement to do the sport successfully is (for the dogs) to be able to sprint,” explains Paul Rioux, team captain of the Napanee area based Ready, Set, Go Flyball Team. “They sprint pretty well the whole time. You have to be able to sustain that sprinting for three or four times in a matter of one race. Depending on the scheduling, you could have 10 races in the weekend. The dogs get a good workout. That’s why they’re Jack Russell, border collie and all high energy breeds.”
The racing dogs come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, all with a passion for the sport. Rioux says his dogs start to get excited as soon as they walk into to the arena and realize they’re about to do some flyball. The trainers also come from all walks of life, with the Ready, Set, Go Flyball Team made up of 17 members ranging from age 17 to 70.
Not only is the sport a great source of exercise for the dogs, but also strengthens the bond behind dog and owner.
“There has to be a connection between the handler and the dogs,” said Rioux. “In a normal racing situation there’s going to be four dogs in the lane that the dog is in. The focus on the handler is so crucial.”
Many of the dogs are ‘rescue’ dogs, coming from situations where they were unwanted, abused or neglected. Their Flyball training serves as part of their rehabilitation as they learn to trust humans.
The races will begin on 9 a.m. on Saturday and continue through the late afternoon and then pick up again Sunday morning. Admission is free for spectators.
“Every year we do a different theme,” Rioux says of the tournament. “There was a casino night, the ‘50s, a Mexican night. We always try to put a different spin on it and we try to support a different cause every year. This year we went with ‘the great outdoors’ and our charity is the Tim Horton’s Camp, where they raise funds to help send kids to camp.”
Guests will have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for a new mountain bike, with all proceeds going to charity.
All races will be held indoors, inside the York Street arena.