IFCS

[aardogs]

http://ifcsteamusa.com/

I am really glad that USDAA seems to be doing more to publicize and glorify the team. Honestly, not very many people care about the IFCS team (from my personal experience) and well, that really really sucks. FCI sure seems more prestigious, but is that because it is or is that because it is highly publicized, there is a big tryout event, it is  livestreamed, etc? 

In reality, I think IFCS is a lot more of a World Championship for dog agility because ANY dog can compete. What if the best agility dog in the world is a mixed breed? Or a shelter dog? 

Of course I am biased because Panic is a shelter dog. Yes, I would love to attend World Team Tryouts and all that jazz, it looks like a blast, but the reality is is that isn't and won't ever be an option for us. 

But I would love to eventually reach a higher level of competition with him. I love being challenged and running really tough courses, and Panic seems to do better on them--if only because I am enjoying them more and putting effort into it.

I'm not sure if we'll ever make the IFCS team, but actively trying for it is a way for me to push myself to another level. So bottom line is, yes I'm going to submit that silly form. :) 

Comments

[sclmarm.livejournal.com]

Woo Hoo!! I'm partial to the rescue/shelter dog too. Go Panic!! I'm very partial to Jack Russell's and USDAA's IFCS has had many of those on their team and FCI, not a one.

[aardogs.livejournal.com]

So true! That seems to be true of USDAA in general--lots of terriers out there. I absolutely love going to USDAA trials because of all the awesome Jacks and other terriers!

[purpledogs.livejournal.com]

YEAH for you!!!! I am SO glad you're sending in the form! :) :) :) Great attitude.

[afrogfordevi.livejournal.com]

You're AWESOME!!!

I have the AKC WTT DVD from last year, and I've watched it about a billion times. My mom often watches it with me, and one day jokingly I told her, "Chaos could never do this. Even if he was magically ten times faster and trained perfectly, he could never even go to AKC World Team Tryouts. Want to guess why?" After an hour she still couldn't figure it out. When I told her it was because he didn't have an AKC pedigree, she literally flipped about how totally wrong and "horrible" that is. To me it seemed like a fact of life kind of thing, not particularly offensive, but man, she was upset! I'm with you.

Some of my agility-obsessed friends didn't even know there /was/ an IFCS world team before I mentioned it. Sad.

[aardogs.livejournal.com]

I love watching the FCI DVD I have (wish there was an IFCS one as well...maybe one day!)

I always saw it as a fact of life kind of thing too, just like AKC not allowing mixed breeds. It doesn't make me mad or anything, it's just a little bit silly--to me, dogs are dogs. Why should a dog be measured by their pedigree?

What makes me really upset is that at AKC shows that have both agility and conformation, mixed breeds are not allowed in agility. Huh? They don't want the mutts mingling with the high-brow conformation dogs? Come on.

[gumbypuppy.livejournal.com]

Not so. The "no mixed breeds at events with conformation" rule was dropped before the mixed breed program started, as were the separate classes. Clubs are allowed to decide whether or not to accept mixed breeds at their events, but if they do have them, there are no special regulations for them.

[aardogs.livejournal.com]

I am so glad to hear that! I wasn't sure if that was one of the rules they dropped or not, thanks for letting me know!

[brisbeethewhite.livejournal.com]

The thing about FCI is that is where you see the most participation by the greatest number of countries. It's still not a 'true' world competition by any stretch. IFCS isn't a true world competition just because not that many countries participate. So, there really isn't a 'true' world competition out there in agility.

I think the EO might be the closest, but then you have the fact that for many countries just about anyone can go, which means the level of competition is really varied. And they never have a good surface it seems, which defeats the whole purpose in my mind.

Then I personally think having 'games' at a world championship seems silly to me - but then, I'm not a fan of games. Traditionalist at heart.

[aardogs.livejournal.com]

Very true. I don't know why more countries don't participate, I really don't know much about it (just because it seems like there is a total lack of information out there). With all the different organizations and rules and championships, it's really difficult to gauge. Are other sports like this? I don't know.

[gumbypuppy.livejournal.com]

First off, I think it's great that you're trying for this, it's good to have a goal to reach for.

As to why the FCI championships are better known/higher regarded, there are a couple factors at work. One is that the FCI championships have been held longer, and are held every year, so there have been a lot more of them. The IFCS event has been held every other year since 2002 (according to that site), so not so many of them.

The IFCS is also basically the international arm of the USDAA. Not exactly, but close. I did read something about this elsewhere, and it's pretty much the USDAA and Russia partnered with the stated goal of wanting an international standard for agility- I think maybe so it could become an Olympic event, but I might be making that up. Anyway, it is very USDAA-centric, with the classes offered and the jump heights. Which doesn't fall that well into what the rest of the world is doing, hence the fact that it hasn't caught on more than it has. I'm not sure the rest of the world even uses those particular games. Most countries certainly don't put the weight on them that the USDAA does.

The games do make the event less accessible, because if you don't train for them, they are hard to do, and if the classes aren't important in the orgs you usually compete in, you aren't going to want to train them.

I did think about trying for this myself, since it's to be in the US, but the selection process is pretty impossible for me, I simply can't get to the events I would need to earn points at. From that aspect, the AKC FCI team is more inclusive, as the requirements to try out can be met anywhere, then there's the "all or nothing" tryouts, and you're done.

But I'd agree with Heather that there isn't a true world championship which gives a reasonable chance to anyone. Fun to play with what we have, though.

[aardogs.livejournal.com]

The games at a World Championship I don't really get. But thanks for telling me about all of this, I honestly didn't know anything about it and that all makes a lot of sense. Still, I think it's a little sad that people simply don't seem to care about the IFCS team.

USDAA seems so reluctant to any type of change, but if they are looking to set an International Standard it seems like they should try to do things a little more in line with what the rest of the world is doing. US agility in general seems so different from how it is everywhere else.