MASTERS AGILITY CHAMPIONSHIP
LEFT : DIANA HAN , MIDDLE : CHRISTINA FRAUSINI , RIGHT : JACK GRASSA
The 10th Anniversary Masters Agility Championship presented by Purina Pro Plan ® will showcase the most incredible canine athletes and their handlers as they face a challenging obstacle course of jumps , tunnels , weave poles , and more in entertaining races against the clock . This fan-favorite event takes place on Saturday , May 6 , 2023 , as the feature attraction of the Westminster Kennel Club ’ s Canine Celebration .
Agility is a timed competition that tests a dog ' s ability to complete an obstacle course following its handler ' s commands . The athletic event requires a great deal of conditioning , concentration , training , and teamwork . Courses vary across competitions , and participants are not given the course map ahead of the event day . Any dog is eligible for Agility , purebred and All-American ( mixed breed ) dogs alike . Approximately thirty All-American ( mixed breed ) dogs are entered each year , striving for the Top All-American award .
The entry is limited to 350 of the country ' s top agility dogs who hold AKC Masters Agility Champion or Preferred Agility Champion titles . The competition is divided into five height classes – 8 , 12 , 16 , 20 , and 24 inches , which refer to the height of the jump . Dogs compete in the class appropriate for their size in two qualifying rounds – a Standard Agility course and a Jumpers with Weaves course .
The ten dogs with the fastest combined scores from the five height classes will advance to the Championship Round . The 50 finalists will be vying for the ultimate title of Masters Agility Champion . Each year the Westminster Kennel Club donates $ 5,000 to honor the winner of the Masters Agility Championship to the AKC training club of their choice or the AKC Humane Fund . A donation of $ 1,000 will be made in the names of the Highest Scoring All-American Dog and each of the four remaining first-place dogs in their height classes .
WESTMINSTER There ’ s only one ®