The Parkes and District Kennel Club is set to host its annual Agility and Jumping Trial from Friday, 4 April to Sunday, 6 April.
Due to the increasing popularity of the Parkes trial, the club has expanded the event to three days, with competition kicking off at 1pm on Friday.
Dog Agility is a thrilling sport where handlers guide their dogs through an obstacle course, testing both speed and accuracy.
With no food or toys as incentives and no physical contact allowed between handler and dog, success in agility relies on clear communication through voice commands, movement and body signals.
The sport demands top-level training and coordination between dog and handler.
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This year's event promises to be a record-breaking competition, with 181 dogs entered and 1304 runs scheduled throughout the weekend - the largest trial the Parkes club has ever hosted.
Kennel Club president Denise Gersbach is thrilled with the growing success of the event.
“Our Parkes events are very popular on the NSW Agility calendar," she said.
"We have received great support from the agility community, with competitors traveling from all over NSW, ACT, SA, and even TAS.
"Our two fully fenced competition rings are a major drawcard for this trial."
Local competitors will be strongly represented, with Parkes Club members participating in Novice, Excellent, and Masters divisions.
Among them Lynn Madden’s Border Collies Drift and Rain have been training hard in preparation.
Denise Gersbach will compete with her two Border Terriers Vesper and Pinky, aiming for consistency in the Masters and Excellent events.
Fiona Watts will showcase her fast Border Collies Tucker and Indie.
Meanwhile Virginia Rice with Nellie and Tanikah Fenech with Mia are shaping up well for the Novice events.
Belinda Bruce and her Kelpie Ranny are strong contenders in the Excellent jumping division.
The weekend promises to be a fantastic spectacle for the local community, with the action starting at 1pm on Friday and continuing from 8.30am on both Saturday and Sunday at the Kennel Club grounds in Victoria Street.
Spectators can enjoy a great selection of home-baked goods and meals from the canteen while also taking part in a weekend-long raffle featuring excellent prizes.
“We have received great support from Parkes Shire Council with the maintenance of our grounds and are very appreciative of their ongoing support of our club," Gersbach said.
"The event brings plenty of visitors to town, and we expect campgrounds and caravan parks to be at full capacity for the weekend."
With competitors traveling from far and wide, and a packed schedule of runs, the Parkes and District Kennel Club’s Agility and Jumping Trial is shaping up to be a must-see event on the local sporting calendar.
