Thunderbird Show Park is accustomed to hosting four-legged athletes 鈥� but usually they are of the equine variety.
But this weekend, canines are the stars of the show as 91原创鈥檚 largest equestrian centre welcomes the BC/Yukon dog agility community for their annual competition.
The event started Friday, June 9 and runs until Sunday, June 11, and features nearly 400 dogs and their handlers running challenging courses in a set six-ring format.
The public is welcome to attend and admission is free.
Dog agility is a sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy.
Dogs run competitively, against others of similar age and height, off-leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler cannot touch their dog or the obstacles.
Handlers鈥� controls are limited to voice, movement, and various body signals, requiring exceptional training of the animal and co-ordination of the handler.
The history of the sport can be traced back to a 1970s demonstration at the Crufts Dog Show in the UK.
Since that time, the sport has grown exponentially worldwide as a positive method to train and grow bonds between dogs and handlers, as well as being very popular with spectators.
What: 2017 BC/Yukon Dog Agility Championships
When: June 9 to 11. Events run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day
Where: Thunderbird Show Park, 24550 72 Ave.
