We continue discussion of the games of the 2019 Petit Prix.

Time is growing short. The Petit Prix is less than two months away!

OR
Oct 4– 6, 2019

TDAA Petit Prix!!
Jackson County Expo, Central Point, Oregon
Judges:  Norm and Robin Carlstrom, Lynnwood, Washington
Contact:  Marsha Houston at Houston.marsha@gmail.com

Fairgrounds atmosphere. Four standard classes and six games over two days. Games include Power & Speed, Four-Leaf Clover, Lucky 13, Tag 10, Quidditch, and Snooklers. Warm-up workshops (Wed-Thu prior to PP) provide an opportunity to acclimate AND you earn Qs and titles!

Premium

The TDAA has approved a restricted entry for DOGS NOT QUALIFIED. Follow this link for information. Feel free to share this PDF.

2019PetitPrixforNQDogs.pdf

The Standard Course

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Briefing

In our culture, the Standard (numbered) course doesn’t require much of a briefing. Follow the numbers, keep the bars up, hit the paint, and have as much fun as possible.

The scoring basis is: Faults, Then Time.

This course features several international style challenges[1]. The course starts with a tight wrap. And the approach to #2 is surely a back-side, which is followed by another tight-wrap.

It’s worth noting that most of the front of the right is a “cluster” which is an arrangement of obstacles with multiple points of entry and, consequently, multiple options to exit. Half of this course involves the cluster.

The approach to the weave poles, and the dismount, are tricky technical bits.

 

The Purpose of the TDAA

We would be remiss in not including the Standard course in the discussion of Petit Prix games. There are four scheduled for the 2019 Petit Prix!

The standard course uniquely differentiates the TDAA from what you will find in any other agility organization. Aside from equipment made to scale for dogs of smaller stature, the spacing between obstacles is considerably tighter than would ever be allowed in those other organizations.

Let’s be real. Courses are designed in the agility world for the 22″ Border Collie. There is no way that the challenges are the same for the Yorkie (for example) as it is for that Border Collie. Frankly, even the handler of the fast Sheltie hasn’t much concept of the skill required to run that Border Collie… because the challenges simply are not comparable.

This is from the first page of the TDAA Rules and Regulations:

The purpose of the Teacup Dogs Agility Association is to provide a competitive venue for dogs of small stature without regard to breed or pedigree, and to encourage course challenges that are comparable to the course challenges which face large dog handlers in other popular venues.

We want the handler of the small dog to understand and master the timing and handling skills of the big dog. And the only way to do so is to present a course that requires those comparable skills.

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Questions comments & impassioned speeches to Bud Houston Houston.Bud@gmail.com. Visit our web store: www.dogagility.org/newstore. You’ll find in the web store The Book of Agility Games, a comprehensive reference to all manner of agility games played for competition and fun around the world.

[1] With apology to Nancy Gyes, as the course concept was taken from a course of her design.