Flyball

Cynosport World Flyball Championships will be held Friday thorugh Sunday, with preliminary heats leading to Sunday's Championship Finals. Rules for the North American Flyball Association (NAFA) have been adopted for the tournament, and NAFA will be the chief organizer of this event.

Flyball is a relay race between two teams of four dogs each, racing in side-by-side lanes, over a one-way, 51-foot course with four jumps spaced at 10-foot intervals followed by a spring-loaded box that shoots out a tennis ball when triggered by the dog. Teams race in divisions determined using seed times submitted by each team. This ensures that teams with like abilities compete against one another, which makes for much closer racing and a great deal more fun for everyone.

Teams are capable of posting lightening-quick times, most recently just under 16 seconds. NAFA points are earned according to the time it takes the team to run each heat with titles awarded at various point accumulation levels. This fast-action event is a real crowd pleaser with dogs posting incredible times as they execute nose-to-nose passes and streak back and forth down the lanes.

The first qualifying rounds will begin Friday, after which 50 teams will be eligible for racing on Saturday. Sunday's final elimination rounds will include just 32 of the 50 teams racing on Saturday - each one of them racing their hearts out to be named the Cynosport World Flyball Champions. Additional consolation rounds may be offered. Consult entry information for details.

For more information about the tournament go to http://www.flyball.org/tourn_cynosport.html