SAINT JOHN, NB – The YMCA of Greater Saint John is thrilled to announce that the Irving Oil Field House will be hosting the UK International (UKI) Canadian Open Agility competitions in 2022 and 2023. At this event, between 300 and 400 teams of dogs and their handlers from across North America will showcase their abilities in agility, jumping, speedstakes, and game class competitions. It also serves as try-outs for Team Canada in the World Agility Open, which will be hosted in the Netherlands in 2023.

“The Irving Oil Field House is one of the premiere indoor sporting facilities in Atlantic Canada,” said Shilo Boucher, CEO and President of the YMCA of Greater Saint John. “Hosting Canadian Open Agility competitions will provide additional world-class experiences at the Irving Oil Field House.”

“We are very excited to be hosting this event at the Irving Oil Field House,” said Aaron Froude, Lead Instructor with Flat Out Dogs, agility judge and coach, and past UKI Canadian Open winner. “I believe it will be the best facility that this calibre of event will be hosted at since the nationals began. The field provides an indoor space, with all the amenities we would need, and turf fields, which are also ideal for this sport.”

The 2022 competition will be held this August. The event will provide a huge economic spin-off for the Greater Saint John area. It will attract hundreds of visitors, all of whom will be staying at local hotels, visiting restaurants, and supporting local businesses for five days while in the city.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the UKI has yet to determine if spectators will be able to visit and watch the competition. Capacity will depend on the number of registered contestants and the guidelines of the New Brunswick Department of Public Health at that time.

About Dog Agility Competitions

Dog agility is a sport where a highly trained dog and its handler navigate obstacle courses. They are scored on their agility and accuracy. You can learn more about them by reading this linked article from the American Kennel Club: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/sports/agility-competition-101/.

About the Irving Oil Field House

The Irving Oil Field House is a 110,000-square-foot indoor track, turf and fitness facility. It features two indoor turf fields, a 200-metre track and a fully-outfitted fitness centre. The Irving Oil Field House offers sports and recreation programs and serves as a centre for many sports teams and organizations. Licenced Child Care is also provided at the Irving Oil Field House. The YMCA of Greater Saint John oversees operations and programming at the Irving Oil Field House.

About the UK Agility International

UKI has grown to have more than 14,000 registered members, with more than 1,000 members joining the organization each year. Throughout the year, it organizes hundreds of days of competitions for dogs of all sizes and abilities. For more information, visit https://ukagilityinternational.com/.

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