January 2021 NDAL League Courses

Following is a preview of the January 2021 courses and games for NDAL league play. Because of the extreme conditions wrought on the world by the coronavirus pandemic the NDAL presents for play in January three historical NDAL courses.

50×70 Fast & Fun

The January 2021 50×70 Fast & Fun league game is a Numbered Course, designed by Dennis Vogel. This game was first run in the NDAL in July of 2017.

Briefing

A Numbered Course is scored Time, Plus Faults. Follow the numbers, keep the bars up and hit the paint.

Historical

The standing Top Dog in this game was recorded in July of 2017, playing for Wicked West Australians out of Banjup Western Australia. Ripley, a Border Collie handled by Nic Ford, finished this course with zero faults in 29.83 seconds:

60×90 Masters

The January 2021 60×90 Masters league is a numbered course designed by Dennis Vogel. This course was originally run in the NDAL in July 2017.  

A Numbered Course is scored Time, Plus Faults.

Historical

The standing Top Dog on this course, recorded in July 2017, represented AQ4U’s Fast & Furryous out of Brooks, Kentucky: Blade, a Border Collie handled by Brian Wakefield finished this course with zero faults in 31.90 seconds:

36X85 Fast & Fun

The January game for the 36×85 Fast & Fun league is a Looper.

Briefing

A Looper is a numbered sequence that is twice repeated, without stopping. The design should make the transition between the two performances central to the riddle of the course.

This game is scored Time, Plus Faults. Follow the numbers, keep the bars up, and have fun.

Historical

The standing Top Dog on this Looper, recorded in July 2017, represented Wicked West Australians out of Banjup Western Australia: Ripley, a Border Collie handled by Nic Ford finished this course with zero faults in 32.86 seconds:

An Open Invitation to New Players

New clubs and individuals are always welcome to join us in play these historical courses. Download the scorekeeping worksheet below; contact the League Secretary to help with the details at Houston.Bud@gmail.com.

• The 50×70 Fast & Fun League is intended to allow the dog to work at full extension with modest handling challenges.
  Download Scoresheet010121B50x70.xls
• The 60×90 Masters League focuses advanced handling challenges.
  Download Scoresheet010121C60x90.xls
• The 36×85 Fast & Fun League is intended to allow the dog to work at full extension with modest handling challenges.
  Download Scoresheet010121D36x85.xls
• Existing league franchises will be emailed their scorekeeping worksheets set up with their current rosters upon request.

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Questions comments & impassioned speeches to Bud Houston Houston.Bud@gmail.com. Visit our web store: www.dogagility.org/newstore. You’ll find in the web store The Book of Agility Games, a comprehensive reference to all manner of agility games played for competition and fun around the world. Last chance before the store closes!

Change is in the Wind for the NDAL

Happy New Year!!

The National Dog Agility League begins a new season effective January 1, 2021. We emerge from a year of a dire COVID pandemic and considerable economic adventure, bordering on depression. A small number of NDAL Franchise clubs continue to play each month. We expect only modest recovery in 2021.

But we are determined to treat ourselves to a bit of fun and recreation where-ever we might find it. And we face the coming year with hope and optimism.

Rebranding

The “National” Dog Agility League will likely be rebranded as the “International” Dog Agility League in 2021. The IDAL will be uniquely positioned to conduct virtual competitions between teams around the world in a unique world championship format fitted to our times (for example, this is the ideal “social distancing” approach to dog agility competition.

New Team Member

We have invited Melissa Wallace to join the IDAL team as Teams Liaison and Director of Marketing. As Liaison between team captains Melissa will actively consult with the clubs who, as our Board of Governors, ultimately will make decisions that determine how league competition will be conducted. By extension, Melissa will direct marketing efforts and introduce league play to potential new clubs.

Payment Processing

At the end of January, 2021 we will effectively close down our current payment processing system at dogagility.org. While we contemplate a new (possibly automated) payment processing system we will transition exclusively to a PayPal system of payment. We will make official announcement of the target PayPal address before league play begins in February, 2021.

BLOG1561 NDAL

Questions comments & impassioned speeches to Bud Houston Houston.Bud@gmail.com. Visit our web store: www.dogagility.org/newstore. You’ll find in the web store The Book of Agility Games, a comprehensive reference to all manner of agility games played for competition and fun around the world. Last chance before the store closes!

November 2020 36×85 Fast & Fun Results

One club only played the 36×85 Fast & Fun game in November, Dirty Dogs Agility League out of Parker, Colorado. We’re expecting at least one more club to rejoin the league in December.

We are using “historical” courses, which have been played before. The efforts of dogs playing in October earn Lifetime Performance Points (LPP), as the historical performances were ranked with the new performances. And LPP is a measure of rank.

36×85 Fast & Fun November 2020 Results

The November 36×85 Fast & Fun League featured a numbered course designed Bud Houston. This is a historic course originally played in May of 2017.

A Numbered Course is scored Time, Plus Faults. Follow the numbers, keep the bars up, and have fun.

Results

Dirty Dogs Agility League posted all of the league scores in November.  Paws4Fun Agility Club out of Kemptville, Ontario, Canada maintains a narrow lead for the year. With only one month remaining we expect Paws4Fun to post scores in December to hold off Dirty Dogs.

Follow this link to view individual performance by dogs and their handlers. Most of these are graced with a YouTube link:

Standings110120D36x85.pdf

Top Dog

The Top Dog in November represented Dirty Dogs Agility League. Ollie, an English Shepard handled by Heather Cotterman, finished this course with 5 faults in 24.36 seconds:

The second-place dog overall was Rain, a Pommeranian, handled by Dawn Denkins. Rain and Dawn finished this course with zero faults in 34.52 seconds:

The third-place dog was Addie, an All American handled by Allison Shride who finished this course with zero faults in 37.3 seconds:

December Courses and Beyond?

New teams are always welcome to join us for NDAL league play. You are welcome to join any of our four ongoing leagues. The December 2020 National Dog Agility League games and courses have been published here:

https://wp.me/p2Pu8l-jc

We will be publishing “historical” courses so long as the world is required to stay at home and maintain social distances that make organized sports difficult to play. These courses are appropriate for small groups and individuals that have the capacity to build full courses.

BLOG1560 NDAL

Questions comments & impassioned speeches to Bud Houston Houston.Bud@gmail.com. Visit our web store: www.dogagility.org/newstore. You’ll find in the web store The Book of Agility Games, a comprehensive reference to all manner of agility games played for competition and fun around the world.

November 2020 50×70 Fast & Fun Results

Six clubs have reported results for the 50×70 Fast & Fun League in November.

We are using “historical” courses, which have been played before. The efforts of dogs playing in November earn Lifetime Performance Points (LPP), as the historical performances were ranked with the new performances. And LPP is a measure of rank.

50×70 Fast & Fun November 2020 Results

The November 2020 50×70 Fast & Fun league is Pole Jacks, designed by Bud Houston. This game was first run in the NDAL in May of 2017.

Briefing

Pole Jacks is played like the children’s game of jacks. The performance of a short set of weave poles is the bounce of the ball. All other obstacles on the course are jacks and have specific point values. Jumps are worth 1 point; tunnels are worth 3 points.

After the “bounce” (doing the weave poles), the team must “pick up” the appropriate number of jacks by scoring an equivalent number of points. The handler and dog team will bounce “onesies,” bounce “twosies,” bounce “threesies,” and so forth until either they score “sevensies” or time expires.

Time begins when the dog first makes a “legal” entry into the weave poles. Time stops when the dog touches the table with one paw. The end-of-time whistle ends scoring only. After the time whistle, there will be no fault and no points for the dog taking additional obstacles on the way to the table to stop time.

ON ANY FAULT, THE PICK-UP IS LOST AND THE DOG MUST “BOUNCE” AGAIN AND RETRY THE SAME NUMBER.

The dog must pick up points equaling the number for which the team is shooting after the bounce. Entering the weave poles with fewer or more than the correct “pick up” is a fault.

No obstacle may be taken back-to-back on the same pick up. However, an obstacle may be repeated in the same pick-up.

Note that the final score will be a single digit number ranging from 0 to 7. In any game with a finite number of possible scores time to the table will be an important tie-breaker.

Pole Jacks is scored Points, then Time.

Results

Follow this link to view individual performance by dogs and their handlers. Most of these are graced with a YouTube link:

Standings110120B50x70.pdf

The Top Dog among clubs reporting in October represented Agility Dream Dogs out of Albion, New York, the first-place team in November. Gracie, a Border Collie handled by Gary McCarthy has also assumed Top Dog honors for this game, assuming first place among historical performances. Gracie finished the game scoring sevensies (7), in 44.71 seconds:

The second-place team in November was AQ4U’s Fast & Furryous out of Brooks, Kentucky. AQ4U remains in first place for the year. And, with only a month remaining is in a comfortable lead. Peak, a Border Collie handled by Chistina Wakefield finished the game scoring sevensies (7) in 49.71 seconds:

The top scoring dog for the third-place team, K9cation out of Hudson, Colorado, was Rock, a Border Collie handled by Kelly Roll. Rock and Roll[1] finished the game scoring sixies (6) in 62.13 seconds:

The top scoring dog for K9 Powersports out of Grand Junction, Colorado was Keiji, a Papillon handled by Geoff Teare. Keiji and Geoff finished the game scoring sevensies (7) in 56.62 seconds:

The top scoring dog for All Breed Training Club Of Akron in Tallmadge, Ohio was Oliver, a Havanese handled by Ruth Drew. Oliver and Ruth finished the game with 5 faults, earning 20 on the bonus, in 61 seconds for a final score of 46:

The top scoring dog for Cloud Nine in New Hope, Minnesota was Asher, a Miniature Schnauzer handled by Susan Weyrauch, who finished the game scoring sevensies (7) in 58.47 seconds:

November Courses and Beyond?

New teams are always welcome to join us for NDAL league play. You are welcome to join any of our four ongoing leagues. The December 2020 National Dog Agility League games and courses have been published here:

https://wp.me/p2Pu8l-jc

We will be publishing “historical” courses so long as the world is required to stay at home and maintain social distances that make organized sports difficult to play. These courses are appropriate for small groups and individuals that have the capacity to build full courses.

BLOG1559 NDAL

Questions comments & impassioned speeches to Bud Houston Houston.Bud@gmail.com. Visit our web store: www.dogagility.org/newstore. You’ll find in the web store The Book of Agility Games, a comprehensive reference to all manner of agility games played for competition and fun around the world.

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[1] Sorry, we couldn’t resist reporting the team as Rock & Roll: Rock and Kelly Roll !

November 2020 60×90 Masters Results

Four clubs have reported results for the 60×90 Masters League in November. With the onset of winter, we’ve lost a couple clubs until weather improves.

We are using “historical” courses, which have been played before. The efforts of dogs playing in November earn Lifetime Performance Points (LPP), as the historical performances were ranked with the new performances. And LPP is a measure of rank.

60×90 Masters November 2020 Results

The November 60×90 Masters League featured a numbered course designed by Bud Houston. This is a historic course originally played in May of 2017.

A Numbered Course is scored Time, Plus Faults. Follow the numbers, keep the bars up, and have fun.

Results

Follow this link to view individual performance by dogs and their handlers. Most of these are graced with a YouTube link:

Standings110120C60x90.pdf

The Top Dog of clubs reporting in November represented the third-place team, Jumping C Crew out of Exeter, California. Ruby, an Australian Cattle Dog handled by Liz Clements, finished the course with zero faults in 36.42 seconds:

The first-place team in November was Jumpin’ K-9’s out of Temecula, California. Jumpin’ K-9’s takes a commanding lead in the series, with one month left to play in the year.

The top scoring dog for Jumpin’ K-9’s was Speed, a Papillon handled by Brenda Piper. Speed and Brenda finished this course with zero faults in 41.67 seconds:

POTC Thunder Pawz out of Brimfield, Illinois finished in second-place. Nokona, a Labrador Retriever handled by Katie Middleton finished the course with zero faults in 43.53 seconds:

The high scoring dog for the second-place team in November plays for K9 Powersports out of Grand Junction, Colorado. Trace, a Dalmation handled by Suzanne Ratchner, finished the game with zero faults, earning 20 on the bonus in 51.88 seconds, for a final score of 31.88:

Representing Dirty Dogs Agility League out of Parker, Colorado, Ollie, an English Shepherd handled by Heather Cotterman, finished this course with 5 faults in 42.58 seconds:

December Courses and Beyond?

New teams are always welcomed to join us for NDAL league play. You are welcome to join any of our four ongoing leagues. The December 2020 National Dog Agility League games and courses have been published here:

https://wp.me/p2Pu8l-jc

We will be publishing “historical” courses so long as the world is required to stay at home and maintain social distances that make organized sports difficult to play. These courses are appropriate for small groups and individuals that have the capacity to build full courses.

BLOG1558 NDAL

Questions comments & impassioned speeches to Bud Houston Houston.Bud@gmail.com. Visit our web store: www.dogagility.org/newstore. You’ll find in the web store The Book of Agility Games, a comprehensive reference to all manner of agility games played for competition and fun around the world.