Competition is expected to be fierce on Saturday as Hawkesbury Show plays host to Australia’s second biggest flyball dog racing competition.
To be held at the Show Dog Complex, the event — The Supercoat Challenge: Howling In The Hawkesbury Flyball Competition — will run from 8am to 5pm.
Flyball is dog sport event where two teams of four dogs relay race over four hurdles, trigger and catch a tennis ball from a flyball box, turn and return over the four jumps and as they cross the start/finish line the second dog can start its run.
The race is started using count down drag racing lights and each dog’s time is displayed on a large scoreboard at the rear of the ring.
Teams are seeded on times and the fastest dogs can complete the 30m course in just four seconds.
Races are normally the best of five heats.
A total of 23 teams of up to six dogs per team will be competing throughout the day.
The three fastest teams that competed at the recent National Championships at the Canberra Royal Show will all be competing at the Hawkesbury Show.
These teams all are capable of running under 18 seconds.
Flyball is not only a sport for fast working dogs. All breeds of dogs can be seen in the sport.
There will be eight divisions racing at Hawkesbury.
First division teams will be running times of around 18 seconds and the 8th division teams will be just as competitive but with times around the 30 second mark.
Flyball racing is a great spectator sport.
It is fast, exciting and all the dogs in each team love to bark and say just how much they are enjoying the day.