FCI Agility World Championships 2006
We’ve collected together some
information and links which should help those hoping to compete with or support
the British team at the next FCI World Championships. You can scroll through, or to jump to a
specific section click the links below.
GB Team Qualifying Competition
Crazymaesy FCI / Carpet Training
The Championships are being held in
GB Team Qualifying
Competition
The British Team Manager is Steve
Croxford. The selection process is
expected to be similar to that for 2005.
If so then a single qualifier will be held at the Sports Connexion,
Ryton on Dunsmore,
The competition will be open to senior
agility dogs which are on the KC Breed Register. The closing date for entries will be 1 month
beforehand. A schedule will be
published, available from Tony Griffin,
or online on Agilitynet. Click for the 2005 schedule and entry form as Word
documents.
Dogs must meet the requirements of the Pet
Travel Scheme for re-entry to the
The competition will be held under FCI
rules. A summary will be in the schedule
and a full copy will be available from the Kennel Club. Click 2005 FCI
Rules for those current as at
An internationally respected judge will be
invited. In 2005 it was Adri vd Bosch from
Competitors will need to have an Agility
Record Book. The Kennel Club’s web
site is www.the-kennel-club.org.uk. The “publications” section under
the “online shop” tab allows online ordering of an Agility Record
Book.
Crazymaesy FCI /
Carpet Training
The surface at the Sports Connexion is a
hard sports surface with a little grip that handles like carpet.
We usually
run a few nights midweek in the weeks prior to the qualifiers with 2 sessions a
night, from
If you are interested in taking part then
please send a mail with your contact details to iain@crazymaesy.co.uk. Dates near to the qualifying competition
usually fill up quickly!
The GB Team’s official vet is Peter
van Dongen. This is what he had to say
about getting your dog vaccinated for travel to the 2003 World
Championships. Deadlines will be similar
this year.
“This is the information about the 'deadline'
for people interested in taking part in the WC qualifier this year for the WC
Agility in Lievin on
As we are most likely to be coming back from
Peter has also kindly allowed us to reprint
below an excerpt from his book “Vets and Pets” which is now sold
out in paper form. At the end of the
excerpt is a link to the very helpful DEFRA web site.
RABIES
AND THE PET TRAVEL SCHEME (PETS)
There have been many articles in the
veterinary and popular press in the last few years about rabies, the relaxation
of the quarantine system, the proposals of new systems to minimise the chance
of introducing rabies and other infectious diseases into this country etc. In
most discussions surrounding this issue emotions have got the better of many
people. Many organisations and people have very strong ideas about this issue,
though not necessarily having all the information they need to make an informed
choice.
Rather than go through the whole issue of
rabies, its symptoms, the vaccines available, the risks of relaxation of the
quarantine rules and the implications of the proposed changes, I will outline
the 'new' system only, the Pilot Scheme of which has been introduced by the
government in March 2000. This has been decided upon after lengthy consultation
with a panel of experts who have researched and debated this issue for a long
time before reporting to the government.
The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) allows dogs
(and cats) to (re-)enter the UK from approved countries without having to go
into quarantine, provided they meet certain conditions as outlined below. The
scheme also allows you to travel to and from approved countries with your dog.
Who
does the scheme apply to?
It only applies to dogs and cats. It is limited to a list of approved
countries, most of which are within Europe. It only operates on certain sea,
air and rail routes to and from the UK. If you want to know the exact routes
available please ring the PETS helpline number: 0870 - 2411710 (8.30am-5pm,
mo-fr).
What
are the conditions?
Dogs and cats are
allowed to (re-)enter the
1. They must be
fitted with a microchip that meets an ISO specification (see earlier article
about microchips). If your dog has not already got a microchip implanted, this
can be quickly and easily done by your vet. The costs of this procedure are
usually in the region of £20 to £25. You will get a certificate of
this microchip number and registration. Having your dog microchipped is a good
idea even if you never intend to travel abroad, as it also increases the chances
of being re-united with your dog should he get lost in this country.
2. They must be
vaccinated against rabies, once initially, and thereafter once every one to two
years, as a booster. The dog must be at least 3 months old and already fitted
with a microchip before he is vaccinated. You will get a vaccination
certificate from your vet. There are three makes of rabies vaccine on the
market today and your vet will normally have one of them available immediately.
3. They must be
blood tested approx. 30 days after the vaccination. A laboratory will measure
the level of antibodies that the dog has produced as a response to the
vaccination. If the level is not high enough, the dog must be re-vaccinated and
re-blood tested. You will get a certificate from your vet with the result of
the blood test. The result may take some time to come through, as there are
only a small number of laboratories doing a large number of tests.
4. They must have
been succesfully blood tested at least six months prior to being allowed to
travel under the scheme.
5. They must have
a signed PETS certificate (PETS-1) certifying the above conditions have been
met, before you travel. These certificates are sometimes called the 'Pet
Passport'. (Note: the documentation has since changed and you now get an EU Pet
Passport, which is also valid in
6. They must be
treated for certain parasites (for a potentially dangerous type of tape worm
and for ticks) 24 - 48 hours before re-entering the
How
does the scheme work?
Before you dog re-enters the
What
else should you do to protect your dog?
It may be advisable to ask your vet about
other treatments such as for the control of external parasites like
ticks, that you may wish to carry out as a preventative before travelling, to
minimise the risk to your dog whilst abroad (see also Chapter 23).
Has
quarantine been abolished altogether?
No, it still is necessary to put dogs into
quarantine if they are coming from countries other than the ones mentioned in
the scheme, and if they do not meet the requirements set out in the scheme.
Further
sources of information:
*The DEFRA website: www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm
*PETS Helpline: 0870 2411710 (
*Your own vet!
Peter van Dongen, MRCVS
If you’ve been to the World
Championships before you’ll know how much fun they are and how much you
can learn from watching the world’s best agility handlers and chatting to
the other supporters. If you
haven’t then this will be a great introduction as Basel is easy to get to
from the UK by road, rail or air and we know the Swiss organisers are committed
to putting on a wonderful event. You can
travel independently (there is travel and hotel information on the official web
site http://www.agility-wc2006.com/e/reise/anreise.htm)
or Kate Howard will be putting together a supporters travel package. These are always well organised and good
value. Contact Kate on KATEH90@aol.com. Kate will also once more be sourcing
supporters’ kit with a similar look and feel to the GB team kit. Shirt swapping with other supporters is a
traditional part of the event!
