The Kennel Club Agility Stakes

• The Quarter and Semi-Finals will return to The International Agility Festival in 2025.
• The large set of equipment used at the Finals will be required for the Quarter & Semi-Finals held at The International Agility Festival.
• The main ring at The International Agility Festival will need to be bigger – at least 45 x 30 metres – to replicate the existing Semi-Finals and Finals held at The London International Horse Show.
• The following regulations apply to all Agility stakes qualifying Agility heats and Finals.
• All events must be judged under the appropriate Kennel Club Regulations H & H(1) in force at the time of the event.
• The competition will be held under Kennel Club rules and regulations for agility and any handler entering the competition will be deemed to have agreed to abide by these rules and regulations.
• There will be ten heats held at Kennel Club licensed shows throughout the country between 1 March and 31 July.
• Qualifier course design should reflect that expected in the International Arena at The London International Horse Show at ExCel.
• Dogs entered in any heats must be eligible for the competition entered and judges retain the right to check the height of any dog or ask to see the height stated in the Kennel Club Agility Record Book.
• Once a dog has qualified for The Kennel Club Agility Stakes Final at one height and subsequently changes height, the qualification is removed, and the dog will need to re-qualify at the new height. The next placed dog at the qualifier at which the withdrawn dog qualified will be invited to the Quarter-Final / Semi-Final. If a height change occurs after the Quarter-Final / Semi-Final, the next placed dog from the Quarter-Final / Semi-Final will be invited to the Semi-Final / Final at The London International Horse Show.
• The handler that qualifies a dog for the Quarter-Final / Semi-Final / Final will be the handler that competes, handler substitutions are not allowed.
• Dogs cannot compete in more than one competition at The Kennel Club Agility Stakes Finals. If a dog qualifies for more than one Quarter-Final or Semi-Final the first successful qualification will take precedence, and the dog will be withdrawn from any further Quarter/Semi-Finals and replaced by a reserve.
• Once a dog has qualified for The Kennel Club Agility Stakes Final, or as a reserve the handler is deemed to have accepted an offer to compete at The Kennel Club Agility Stakes Final, it invalidates any reserve places in any other competition. If the first invitation to compete is declined it invalidates any reserve places in any other competition.  
• All winners of The Kennel Club Agility Stakes Finals will be invited to compete in the following year’s Quarter-Final or Semi-Final without qualifying through the usual procedure via heats.
• Note for show societies: All results from these heats must be sent to the Working Dog Activities Team at the Kennel Club within 14 days of the show date. (These rules will be amended if any changes are made to Kennel Club Agility Regulations during the course of the competition year).

Eligibility

• Qualifying heats will be scheduled as a standard combined class for grades 5 to 7. Those dogs eligible to compete in competition for Small Dog Agility Stakes are those measuring 350mm or under at the withers.

Qualifying

• The first five previously unqualified placed dogs from each heat will go forward to the Semi-Final to be held at The Kennel Club International Agility Festival. The first ten dogs from this Semi-Final will qualify for the Kennel Club Small Dog Agility Stakes Final held at The London International Horse Show at ExCel in December.
• Competitors may enter more than one dog in a heat. Competitors may qualify more than one dog for the Semi-Final, however only the competitor’s highest placed dog at the Semi-Final will qualify for The Kennel Club Small Dog Agility Stakes Final.
• Once a dog has qualified for the Semi-Final, further heats may be entered for competition although any placings in these further heats will not affect the dog’s eligibility for the Semi-Final.
• If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the Semi-Final, the reserve will be the next placed dog at the qualifier at which the withdrawn dog qualified. If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the Final, the reserve will be the next placed dog from the Semi-Final.
• Please note that there will be an entry charge for the Semi-Final at The Kennel Club International Agility Festival and for the Final at The London International Horse Show at ExCel. Car parking won’t be provided by The Kennel Club at ExCel in December.

Eligibility

• Qualifying heats will be scheduled as a standard combined class for grades 5 to 7. Those dogs eligible to compete in competition for Medium Dog Agility Stakes are those measuring over 350mm and those measuring 430mm or under at the withers.

Qualifying

• The first five previously unqualified placed dogs from each heat will go forward to the Semi-Final to be held at The Kennel Club International Agility Festival. The first ten dogs from this Semi-Final will qualify for the Kennel Club Medium Dog Agility Stakes Final held at The London International Horse Show at ExCel in December.
• Competitors may enter more than one dog in a heat. Competitors may qualify more than one dog for the Semi-Final, however only the competitor’s highest placed dog at the Semi-Final will qualify for The Kennel Club Medium Dog Agility Stakes Final.
• Once a dog has qualified for the Semi-Final, further heats may be entered for competition although any placings in these further heats will not affect the dog’s eligibility for the Semi-Final.
• If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the Semi-Final, the reserve will be the next placed dog at the qualifier at which the withdrawn dog qualified. If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the Final, the reserve will be the next placed dog from the semi-Final.
• Please note that there will be an entry charge for the Semi-Final at The Kennel Club International Agility Festival and for the Final at The London International Horse Show at ExCel. Car parking won’t be provided by The Kennel Club at ExCel in December.

Eligibility

• Qualifying heats will be scheduled as a standard combined class for grades 5 to 7. Those dogs eligible to compete in Intermediate Dog Agility competitions are those measuring over 430mm and measuring 500mm or under at the withers.

Qualifying

• The first five previously unqualified placed dogs from each heat will go forward to the Quarter-Finals to be held at The Kennel Club International Agility Festival.
• The first twenty dogs from this Quarter-Final will compete in a Semi-Final held at The London International Horse Show at Excel in December. The top ten highest placed dogs in the Semi-Final will qualify for The Kennel Club Intermediate Dog Agility Stakes evening Final at The London International Horse Show. Competitors may enter more than one dog in a heat.
• Competitors may qualify more than one dog for the Quarter-Finals. However, only the competitor’s highest placed dog at the Quarter-Finals will qualify for the Semi-Final.
• Once a dog has qualified for the Quarter-Final, further heats may be entered for competition although any placings in these further heats will not affect the dog’s eligibility for the Quarter-Final. If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the Quarter-Final, the reserve will be the next placed dog at the qualifier at which the withdrawn dog qualified.
• If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the Semi-Final, the reserve will be the next placed dog from the Quarter-Final.
• Please note that there will be an entry charge for the Quarter-Final at The Kennel Club International Agility Festival and for the Semi-Final / Final at The London International Horse Show at ExCel. Car parking won’t be provided by The Kennel Club at ExCel in December.

Eligibility

• Qualifying heats will be scheduled as a standard combined class for grades 5 to 7. Those dogs eligible to compete in competition for Large dogs are those measuring over 500mm at the withers.

Qualifying

• The first five previously unqualified placed dogs from each heat will go forward to the Quarter-Finals to be held at The Kennel Club International Agility Festival. If the heat is split, then three dogs will be taken from each part.
• The first twenty dogs from this Quarter-Final will compete in a Semi-Final held at The London International Horse Show at Excel in December. The top ten highest placed dogs in the Semi-Final will qualify for The Kennel Club Large Dog Agility Stakes evening Final at The London International Horse Show.
• Competitors may enter more than one dog in a heat. Competitors may qualify more than one dog for the Quarter-Finals. However, only the competitor’s highest placed dog at the Quarter-Finals will qualify for the Semi-final.
• Once a dog has qualified for the Quarter-Final, further heats may be entered for competition although any placings in these further heats will not affect the dog’s eligibility for the Quarter-Final.
• If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the Quarter-Final, the reserve will be the next placed dog at the qualifier at which the withdrawn dog qualified. If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the Semi-Final, the reserve will be the next placed dog from the Quarter-Final.
• Please note that there will be an entry charge for the Quarter-Final at The Kennel Club International Agility Festival and for the Semi-Final / Final at The London International Horse Show at ExCel. Car parking won’t be provided by The Kennel Club at ExCel in December.

Eligibility

• Qualifying heats will be scheduled as a special combined class for grades 5 to 7 in both intermediate and large dog heights. This competition is a special agility competition open to all intermediate dogs and large dogs excluding Border Collies, Working Sheepdogs and any of their crosses. Any concerns regarding a dog’s eligibility should be recorded in the Incident Book and reported to The Kennel Club.
• Those dogs eligible to compete in competition for Intermediate are those measuring over 430mm and measuring 500mm or under at the withers and Large dogs are those measuring over 500mm at the withers.

Qualifying

• The first three previously unqualified intermediate placed dogs and the first three previously unqualified large placed dogs from each heat will go forward to the Semi-Final to be held at The Kennel Club International Agility Festival.
• The first five intermediate and first five large dogs from this Semi-Final will qualify for the Final held at The London International Horse Show at Excel in December. There will be no restriction as to the number of each breed that may qualify for the Final.
• The ten competitors in the Final will be competing on the same course. Heights will be changed, and separate awards will be given.
• Competitors may enter more than one dog in a heat. Competitors may qualify more than one dog for the Semi-Final, however only the competitor’s highest placed dog at the Semi-Final will qualify for The Kennel Club Intermediate ABC and Large ABC Dog Agility Stakes Final.
• Once a dog has qualified for the Semi-Final, further heats may be entered for competition although any placings in these further heats will not affect the dog’s eligibility for the Semi-Final.
• If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the Semi-Final, the reserve will be the next placed dog at the qualifier at which the withdrawn dog qualified. If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the Final, the reserve will be the next placed dog from the Semi-Final.
• Please note that there will be an entry charge for the Semi-Final at The Kennel Club International Agility Festival and for the Final at The London International Horse Show at ExCel. Car parking won’t be provided by The Kennel Club at ExCel in December.

Browse through the list of qualifying shows.

The Kennel Club Agility Stakes Quarter and Semi-Finals will be returning back to The International Agility Festival on Thursday 7 August. The event is held at Rutland Showground. Competitors will be emailed about entering this event nearer the time.

Judge - Dan Hodson

The following Semi-Finals and Finals will take place in the International Arena at The London International Horse Show on the following dates:

Thursday 18 December - Medium Agility Stakes
Friday 19 December - Intermediate ABC and Large ABC Agility Stakes
Saturday 20 December - Intermediate Agility Stakes
Sunday 21 December - Large Agility Stakes
Monday 22 December - Small Agility Stakes

Judge - Nic Jones
Assistant Judge - Amanda Luttman