History of Flyball
Flyball was started in the USA and the NAFA (North American Flyball Association) was formed in the 80s. Flyball came to Britain in the early 90s when the British Flyball Association (BFA) was formed.
What is Flyball?
Flyball is a team relay race with a squad of 6 dogs of which 4 can run in a heat. The object of the race is for each dog to jump over 4 hurdles, trigger a Flyball box, catch the ball and return over the hurdles. When the first dog returns, the next dog is released and so on until all four dogs have raced. Each team races against another team in the other lane. The race is won by the first team to get 4 dogs and 4 balls back over the finish line without any faults.
Who can do Flyball?
A dog of any age, breed or size can do Flyball, the main objective is to have fun with your dog(s). There are starter classes which dogs can compete in from the age 0f 12 months and from the age of 18 months they can compete in BFA sanctioned tournaments. This is to ensure the long term health of the dog.
Dogs receive points for running in BFA sanctioned tournaments and these points allow dogs to get titles such as Flyball Dog (FD), Flyball Dog Intermediate (FDI), Flyball Dog Graduate (FDG) and Flyball Dog Advanced (FDA).
Further Information
To find out more information about BFA Flyball in the UK, visit the BFA website or the Kennel Club Crufts Flyball Team.
