330 dogs leap, zip and whirl in Westminster agility contest

Author: JENNIFER PELTZ, AP
Published:
AP

As many as 330 dogs from Yorkshire terriers to German shepherds are vying for the agility championship at the Westminster Kennel Club show.

They’re navigating jumps, turns, ramps and tunnels at Saturday’s trial ahead of the nighttime, televised finals.

The show, now in its 142nd year, added agility in 2014, incorporating an increasingly popular sport and mixed-breed dogs. A record 29 of them signed up to compete this year.

Winners so far have all been purebred.

Handler Leslie Holm says the biggest reward isn’t a ribbon or title — it’s a connection.

She says she and her mixed-breed dog, Riley Nico (NEE’-koh) are teammates, and it’s “not just like having a pet.”

Not to be outdone, some pedigreed cats are having a go at agility at a companion event next door.

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