More Top Picks Vremi 10 000 Btu
player ready...Glenview resident and dog handler, Han Yu and her dog Skye have been chosen to be a part of the American Kennel Club’s USA Agility World Team.
The team will travel to the Czech Republic to compete in the FCI Agility World Championship on October 4 – 8, where 700 dogs from 55 countries will compete.
“It’s a privilege to represent the USA on the world stage, with my best girl Skye, it will be an experience of a lifetime for both of us,” Yu said.
Skye is a miniature poodle and Yu’s first performance dog. Skye is about to turn six.
Yu says she first began to compete in agility sports several years ago while living in Kansas.
“I didn’t really know anything about dog sport but met a local agility trainer in a puppy class,” Yu said.
“Having the chance to work with your dog is fun, it strengthens the connection and bond that you have together, and there is a whole world of agility competition out there,” Yu said.
Since then, the duo has competed on the European Open Team and as finalists in several large-scale events _ both in the U.S. and abroad.
This will be the first FCI Agility World Championship for Yu and Skye.
FCI stands for Fédération Cynologique Internationale or the English translation is International Canine Federation, the largest federation of national kennel clubs and purebred registries. The FCI is based in Belgium and has contract partners for each country. The American Kennel Club is the contract partner in the US, according to the federation’s website.
Yu will be one of 16 handlers and their dogs on Team USA to participate.
“Our goal this Fall will be to do the very best job we can, and to run out hearts out,” Yu said.
Yu is a professor at Kansas State University, where she teaches communications online.
Yu says although she is not a full-time agility trainer, she finds time to work regularly with Skye in their backyard, which has been transformed in a home-based agility course.
“I used to be a weekend warrior, but with Skye we do a daily play and workout session that includes warm-up, flex and stretch, running the course, and focusing on reinforcement of select obstacles,” Yu said.
Agility is a growing, fast-paced dog sport in the United States, organizers say, with more than one million entries into The American Kennel Club’s program each year. Dogs race against a clock as they navigate an obstacle course with strong concentration and speed. Agility is an American Kennel Club Companion event that is open to all dogs, whether purebred or mixed breed.
The American Kennel Club is a nonprofit organization, the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs, according to their website. The American Kennel Club USA World Agility Team is proudly sponsored by YuMOVE, the official dog joint supplement of the American Kennel Club.
– Original Credit: YuMOVE and Great Dane Photos.
“We are thrilled to have Skye and Yu represent the United States at the FCI Agility World Championship,” said Carrie DeYoung, director of Agility, in a news release. “This year’s team is top notch, and we can’t wait to see what they accomplish in October.”
“We are incredibly proud to be the official dog joint supplement for the American Kennel Club and the remarkable and talented USA World Agility Team,” said Jennifer Pratt, US vice president of marketing, YuMOVE. “We can’t wait to support and cheer on the entire USA team, including Skye and Yu, on their journey to the Czech Republic.”
Yu says as the owner and handler of Skye, she attributes their success to the fact that they work together as a team, and feel like members of the same family.
More Top Picks Phonemic Awareness Vs Phonics Whats The Difference
Gina Grillo is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.