Bexhill dog competes in European Flyball Championships

'Phoenix', who has her own passport, is currently ranked Number two Australian Shepherd of all time by the British Flyball Association (BFA) and has earned the title of 'Flyball Dog Intermediate."

Described by the BFA as, 'an incredible dog sport that is exciting for you and your dog', the competition in Belgium saw seventy three teams from nine European countries taking part, including nineteen teams from the UK.

Phoenix, who lives in Cooden Beach with owner Rachel Brown, was running with the GB Racing team, which included three border collies and a sheltie. They came sixth in Division three (of ten divisions), having raced against teams from Belgium, Germany, France, and Cheshire.

Flyball is the fastest growing dog sport in the country and Rachel explained more about the sport:

"Flyball is a ball carrying hurdle relay race, involving teams of four dogs. The dogs race against another team in another lane, over four hurdles, retrieve a ball from the box at the end of the lane and back over the four hurdles, then the next dog goes. The winning team is the first to get all four dogs to complete without any faults."

She added: "It's fast colourful and noisy."

Flyball was first seen in California in the seventies and, in the early nineties, a group of UK enthusiasts formed the British Flyball Association (BFA).

Now a worldwide sport, teams compete in America, Japan, Austria, and many European countries, and Rachel said since discovering the sport when Phoenix was just nine months old it's become a big part of their lives:

"I first became aware of the sport when Phoenix was nine months old; we were at Crufts and she had won second place in the puppy class. Whilst we were there I saw people doing Flyball."

She added: "Australian Shepherds are a breed that need to use their brains. Phoenix took obedience and agility classes, and when she was eighteen months old she started competing in Flyball."

Phoenix is now six years old and is a member of the Wimbledon Whizzers Flyball team traveling around the country most weekends competing at what Rachel describes as "very competitive tournaments."

She said: "Phoenix and all the dogs who compete get very excited just before they play, they scream and jump up and down, and when they are racing they keep an eye on their competitors as they run because they want to win!"

It's a sport that Rachel said Phoenix thoroughly enjoys and expects her to compete for a few more years yet, she said: "Phoenix absolutely loves it!"

For more information visit the website at: www.flyball.org.uk