Dogs were flying down the field at the Lloydminster Kennel and Obedience Club’s (LKOC) sprinter trials. Some even clocked speeds fast enough to rival Usain Bolt.
The LKOC hosted the second of three sanctioned sprinter events for dogs of all ages, breeds and abilities on July 5, which saw 31 competitors. Four-legged flying missiles came from as far away as Calgary for a paws-itively good time.
The premise is simple. The dog starts about 15 metres behind the line and chases a lure, usually a plastic bag on a rope, down a 100-metre chute. Organizers calculate an average speed for points toward Canadian Kennel Club titles. The dog’s size and breed are considered when scoring.
Lynk Zoretich brought two of her dogs, Hypatia, a Miniature Poodle, and Xiaoxiao, a Chinese Crested from Saskatoon, to participate in the event.
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“Hypatia, my poodle, is a crackhead and really loves to run fast,” Zoretich laughed, explaining why she participates. “This is somewhere she can run fast and have fun and scream without me yelling at her to shush.”
Dan Gray Meridian Source
Not just for show dogs
The LKOC hosts the event to encourage wider participation in canine sports. Unlike conformation shows, which require purebred registration, sprinter trials welcome all dogs that love to run.
“We want everyone to understand their dogs can do this. If your dog likes to run, this is the sport to let it do so,” said Darcy Weber, LKOC member and owner of three competitors, including Scarlett, a Smooth Fox Terrier. “Everyone is out here to have fun and let their dogs have fun. That’s the important part.”
If Scarlett could talk, Weber joked she’d say she’s “in it to win it,” especially after her pre-race snack of choice, chicken.
Racing for glory
Some dogs completed the 100-metre dash in under 10 seconds, with a few even breaking the nine-second mark, which works out to top speeds of about 35 to 40 km/h.
The lure used throughout the day was a simple white plastic bag, propelled by an elaborate pulley system. It’s all Hypatia needs to go full throttle.
“It’s just running really fast and getting to the end. She goes for the bag, but at the end, she doesn’t care about the bag because she knows she’s going to get a ball,” said Zoretich.
“She never actually gets the ball because she’ll crack out. I’ve seen her collapse from exhaustion playing with one.”
The camaraderie between participants was also on full display. Many owners attend solo, so club members or fellow competitors often volunteer to ‘launch’ or ‘catch’ the canine cannonballs.
After one such run, Hypatia was asked how it felt to go full-zoomies on an official track. Although she was understandably quiet, her mom translated.
“Finally, I can run and no one’s yelling at me,” said Zoretich on Hypatia’s behalf.
Meanwhile, Xiaoxiao posed the question we all have in life; “Why are we running?”
“Last week, she got halfway down the track, did two complete spins and then kept running,” said Zoretich.
By the end of the day, Hypatia had a time just over 10 seconds and earned 66 points, while Xiaoxiao earned 52 points with a time of 13.9 seconds. Both dogs will continue their journey at upcoming trials across Western Canada to collect more points.
The LKOC thanked Hey Buddy 810 and Enhanced Engineering for their support, as well as Synergy Credit Union, which sponsored the ribbons. The event wrapped up on July 6 and the final sprinter trial of the season will be in September.
Dan Gray – Meridian Source
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