SportsEvents is edited for those who plan tournaments or other sports events.
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February 2014 21 www.sportseventsmagazine.com Many people considering the world of sports probably don't even think about canine sports. An American Kennel Club (AKC) dog show, like the world-renowned Westminster event, might not even seem to fit the bill. But the canine sports events cate- gory is composed of much more than AKC conformation events high- lighted at the Westminster show. They include competitions in agility, tracking, obedience and performance that test canines on the skills they were bred to demonstrate—like track- ing, retrieving, herding and other specialized skills. There are tens of thousands of canine sports events every year, sanc- tioned not only by AKC but also by organizations like the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) and the International Sled Dog Rac- ing Association (ISDRA). According to those within these organizations, the competitions are crowd-pleasing events that can have huge economic impact on host communities. American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club is the largest and most prominent canine sport organization in the nation. Dat- ing back to 1884, the New York City- based AKC sanctions more than 22,000 events annually. Many of the major events include activities out- side of the show rings such as galas, receptions and classes. Several of AKC's premier annual events garner exceptional media attention, none more so than the ven- erable Westminster Dog Show held each year at Madison Square Garden. The second longest continuously held sporting event in the nation, the show made headlines this year with the announcement by the Westminster Kennel Club that it would for the first time allow mixed breed dogs to compete in the agility trial at this year's show. AKC promotes canine sports and its own competitions through nu- merous media and activity-driven channels, and participation in AKC- sanctioned competitions has grown steadily in recent decades. And while there was a slight dip in recent years due to the downturn in the ➤ Crowd- Pleasing Canine Sports Test Dogs & Their Owners Gone to the DOGS BY T. WAYNE WATERS SPORT Report ▼ Anchorage Fur Rendezvous World Championship Britt Coon *21-27 SE FEB 2014_Layout 1 2/11/14 11:16 AM Page 21