6-9 March 2025, The NEC Birmingham

Rules for agility competitions at Crufts

2023/2024

Below is the criteria in order to qualify your dog for agility at Crufts.

General regulations

The following regulations apply to all Crufts and Discover Dogs qualifying Agility competitions and heats.

All events must be judged under the appropriate Kennel Club regulations H & H (1) in force at the time of the event. Competitors entering any competition will be deemed to have agreed to abide by these regulations.

All heats must take place at Kennel Club licensed shows and the class name in the schedule should replicate exactly the name of the competition as stated in these regulations.

All Kennel Club supported competitions should be judged using standard marking.

If the entry for the heat exceeds the Kennel Club limit for a judge in a day, then the class will be equally split and another judge appointed for the second part. Qualifiers and points from that heat will be taken in equal proportion from each part.

Dogs entered in any heats must be eligible for the competition entered. Judges have the right to check the dog’s Kennel Club Agility Record Book to ensure the dog is running in the correct height category. Where points are accumulated throughout the year these will be allocated to the specific handler and dog partnership (no substitution of dog or handler may be made). If there is an equality of points after all the heat results have been calculated, the dog and handler partnership which has achieved the highest place at a heat will take preference in the final allocation of places.

An entry fee will be charged for each dog at Crufts and Discover Dogs.

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 by emailing here.

Crufts Singles Agility Competition 2023/2024

Qualifying heats will be scheduled as a standard combined class for grades 6 & 7. There will be a separate qualifying competition for each height category (small, medium, intermediate and large) with 11 heats for each height, held at Kennel Club licensed shows throughout the country.

Eligibility

Competitors may enter more than one dog in a heat. Competitors may qualify more than one dog for the final.

Qualifying

The first 10 placed dogs in each heat will have the following points awarded:

1st place = 10 points, 2nd place = 9 points etc. down to 10th place = 1 point. Qualifying points will be awarded down to 10th even if the show does not award class places down to 10th. The top 8 dogs from each height with the highest accumulation of points will be invited to compete in the Crufts Singles Agility Finals at Crufts 2024.

If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the final, reserves will be taken from dog/s with the highest number of points from the heats which have/has not qualified.

Administration

Note to show societies: In the event of awards at the show not going down to 10th place the Show Secretary must still record the top ten places (excluding eliminated dogs) and send the results to the Working Dog Activities Team at the Kennel Club within 14 days of the show by emailing here.

Crufts Large Novice ABC Agility Stakes (Special)

Eligibility

This competition is a special agility competition open to all dogs excluding Border Collies, Working Sheepdogs and any of their crosses. In the event of any dispute regarding the parentage of a dog competing in the ABC Agility competition, any concerns should be recorded in the Incident Book and reported to the Kennel Club.

Those dogs eligible to compete in competition for large dogs are those measuring over 50cm at the withers.

Dogs should be eligible to compete at Grade 1 - 5 at the time of qualifying for the semi-final. Any subsequent wins gained by the dog will not alter its eligibility to compete in the semi-final or final.

Competition Rules

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. Standard rules will apply and all equipment used shall be of a standard size for that height category.

The semi-final will consist of one round of agility competition and one round of jumping competition; the top 8 dogs qualifying for Crufts will be those with the least combined faults in the fastest combined time calculated over the two rounds of the semi-final.  If there is equality of faults and time, the agility round will take precedence.

The final will consist of one round of jumping and one round of agility competition. The winning partnership will be those with the least combined faults in the fasted combined time calculated over the two rounds of the final. If there is equality of faults and time, the agility round will take precedence.

Qualifying

There will be 10 qualifying shows throughout the year.  The first 10 placed dogs in each heat will have the following points awarded:

1st place = 10 points, 2nd place = 9 points etc. down to 10th place = 1 point. Qualifying points will be awarded down to 10th even if the show does not award class places down to 10th

If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the final, reserves will be taken from dog/s with the highest number of points from the heats which have/has not qualified.

The top fifteen dogs, with the most points, will be invited to a semi-final at Discover Dogs 2023. There will be a charge per dog. Discover Dogs will be held alongside The London International Horse Show at London, ExCel in December. Car parking will not be provided by The Kennel Club.

The first eight highest placed dogs at the semi-final will be invited to compete in the finals to be held at Crufts Dog Show, NEC Birmingham in March 2024.

Administration

Note to show societies: In the event of awards at the show not going down to 10th place the Show Secretary must still record the top ten places (excluding eliminated dogs) and send the results to the Working Dog Activities Team at the Kennel Club within 14 days of the show by emailing here.

Crufts Intermediate Novice ABC Agility Stakes (Special)

Eligibility

This competition is a special agility competition open to all dogs excluding Border Collies, Working Sheepdogs and any of their crosses. In the event of any dispute regarding the parentage of a dog competing in the ABC Agility competition, any concerns should be recorded in the Incident Book and reported to the Kennel Club.

Those dogs eligible to compete in competition for intermediate dogs are those measuring over 43cm and measuring 50cm or under at the withers.

Dogs should be eligible to compete at Grade 1 - 5 at the time of qualifying for the semi-final. Any subsequent wins gained by the dog will not alter its eligibility to compete in the semi-final or final.

Competition Rules

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. Standard rules will apply and all equipment used shall be of a standard size for that height category.

The semi-final will consist of one round of agility competition and one round of jumping competition; the top 8 dogs qualifying for Crufts will be those with the least combined faults in the fastest combined time calculated over the two rounds of the semi-final.  If there is equality of faults and time, the agility round will take precedence.

The final will consist of one round of jumping and one round of agility competition. The winning partnership will be those with the least combined faults in the fasted combined time calculated over the two rounds of the final. If there is equality of faults and time, the agility round will take precedence.

Qualifying

There will be 10 qualifying shows throughout the year. The first 10 placed dogs in each heat will have the following points awarded:

1st place = 10 points, 2nd place = 9 points etc. down to 10th place = 1 point. Qualifying points will be awarded down to 10th even if the show does not award class places down to 10th

If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the final, reserves will be taken from dog/s with the highest number of points from the heats which have/has not qualified.

The top fifteen dogs, with the most points, will be invited to a semi-final at Discover Dogs 2023. There will be a charge per dog. Discover Dogs will be held alongside The London International Horse Show at London, ExCel in December. Car parking will not be provided by The Kennel Club.

The first eight highest placed dogs at the semi-final will be invited to compete in the finals to be held at Crufts Dog Show, NEC Birmingham in March 2024.

Administration

Note to show societies: In the event of awards at the show not going down to 10th place the Show Secretary must still record the top ten places (excluding eliminated dogs) and send the results to the Working Dog Activities Team at the Kennel Club within 14 days of the show by emailing here.

Crufts Medium ABC Agility Stakes (Special)

Eligibility

This competition is a special agility competition open to all dogs excluding Border Collies, Working Sheepdogs and any of their crosses. In the event of any dispute regarding the parentage of a dog competing in the ABC Agility competition, any concerns should be recorded in the Incident Book and reported to the Kennel Club.

Those dogs eligible to compete in Medium dog competition are those measuring over 35cm and those measuring 43cm or under at the withers and eligible to compete in combined Grades 1 to 7 for Medium dogs.

Competition Rules

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. Standard rules will apply and all equipment used shall be of a standard size for that height category.

The semi-final will consist of one round of agility competition and one round of jumping competition; the top 8 dogs qualifying for Crufts will be those with the least combined faults in the fastest combined time calculated over the two rounds of the semi-final.  If there is equality of faults and time, the agility round will take precedence.

The final will consist of one round of jumping and one round of agility competition. The winning partnership will be those with the least combined faults in the fasted combined time calculated over the two rounds of the final. If there is equality of faults and time, the agility round will take precedence.

Qualifying

There will be 10 qualifying shows throughout the year.  The first 10 placed dogs in each heat will have the following points awarded:

1st place = 10 points, 2nd place = 9 points etc. down to 10th place = 1 point. Qualifying points will be awarded down to 10th even if the show does not award class places down to 10th

If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the final, reserves will be taken from dog/s with the highest number of points from the heats which have/has not qualified.

The top fifteen dogs, with the most points, will be invited to a semi-final at Discover Dogs 2023. There will be a charge per dog. Discover Dogs will be held alongside The London International Horse Show at London, ExCel in December. Car parking will not be provided by The Kennel Club.

The first eight highest placed dogs at the semi-final will be invited to compete in the finals to be held at Crufts Dog Show, NEC Birmingham in March 2024.

Administration

Note to show societies: In the event of awards at the show not going down to 10th place the Show Secretary must still record the top ten places (excluding eliminated dogs) and send the results to the Working Dog Activities Team at the Kennel Club within 14 days of the show by emailing here.

Crufts Novice Cup Dog Agility Stakes

This is a combined 3-5 class. Dogs should be eligible to enter a Grade 3, 4 or 5 class at the time of qualifying for the semi-final.  Any subsequent wins gained by the dog will not alter its eligibility to compete in the semi-final or final.

There will be up to 14 separate heats for large, intermediate, medium and small height dogs at Kennel Club licensed shows throughout the country, plus an additional heat at the International Agility Festival.

Competitors may enter more than one dog in a heat. Competitors may qualify more than one dog for the semi-final at the International Agility Festival, however only the competitor’s highest placed dog at the semi-final will qualify for the Crufts Grand Final.

Once a dog has qualified for the semi-final, further heats may be entered for competition although any placings in these heats will not affect the dog’s eligibility for the semi-final.

Qualifying

The first 2 previously unqualified dogs from each heat will go forward to the semi-final at the Kennel Club International Agility Festival. If the heat is split then 2 dogs will be taken from each part. There will also be a Novice Cup heat at the Kennel Club International Agility Festival, where the first 5 previously unqualified placed dogs (from each part if the class is split) will also go forward to the semi-final.

If a competitor does not take up the invitation to compete in the semi-final, the invitation will be rolled down to the next applicable dog from the relevant heat. No reserves will be invited after the running orders for the semi-final have been generated.

The top 6 large dogs, 6 intermediate, 6 medium dogs and 6 small dogs from the semi-final round of The Kennel Club Novice Cup will be invited to compete in the final at Crufts 2024.

Administration

Note to show societies: Full results including the top 10 placed dogs need to be submitted to the Working Dog Activities Team at The Kennel Club within 14 days of the show by emailing here.

2024/2025

Below is the criteria in order to qualify your dog for agility at Crufts.

General Regulations

The following regulations apply to all Crufts and Discover Dogs qualifying Agility competitions and heats.

All events must be judged under the appropriate Kennel Club regulations H & H (1) in force at the time of the event. Competitors entering any competition will be deemed to have agreed to abide by these regulations.

All heats must take place at Kennel Club licensed shows and the class name in the schedule should replicate exactly the name of the competition as stated in these regulations.

All Kennel Club supported competitions should be judged using standard marking.

If the entry for the heat exceeds the Kennel Club limit for a judge in a day, then the class will be equally split and another judge appointed for the second part. Qualifiers and points from that heat will be taken in equal proportion from each part.

Dogs entered in any heats must be eligible for the competition entered. Judges have the right to check the dog’s Kennel Club Agility Record Book to ensure the dog is running in the correct height category.  Where points are accumulated throughout the year these will be allocated to the specific handler and dog partnership (no substitution of dog or handler may be made).  If there is an equality of points after all the heat results have been calculated, the dog and handler partnership which has achieved the highest place at a heat will take preference in the final allocation of places.

An entry fee will be charged for each dog at Crufts and Discover Dogs (which is being held alongside The London International Horse Show).

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 by emailing here.

Crufts Singles Agility Competition

Qualifying heats will be scheduled as a standard combined class for grades 6 & 7.  There will be a separate qualifying competition for each height category (small, medium, intermediate and large) with 11 heats for each height, held at Kennel Club licensed shows throughout the country.

Eligibility

Competitors may enter more than one dog in a heat. Competitors may qualify more than one dog for the final.

Qualifying

The first 10 placed dogs in each heat will have the following points awarded:

1st place = 10 points, 2nd place = 9 points etc. down to 10th place = 1 point. Qualifying points will be awarded down to 10th even if the show does not award class places down to 10th.  The top 8 dogs from each height with the highest accumulation of points will be invited to compete in the Crufts Singles Agility Finals at Crufts 2025. Please note that there will be an entry charge, and car parking won’t be provided by The Kennel Club.

If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the final, reserves will be taken from dog/s with the highest number of points from the heats which have/has not qualified.

Administration

NOTE TO SHOW SOCIETIES: In the event of awards at the show not going down to 10th place the Show Secretary must still record the top ten places (excluding eliminated dogs) and send the results to the Working Dog Activities Team at the Kennel Club within 14 days of the show by emailing here.

Crufts Large Novice ABC Agility Stakes (Special)

Eligibility

This competition is a special agility competition open to all dogs excluding Border Collies, Working Sheepdogs and any of their crosses. In the event of any dispute regarding the parentage of a dog competing in the ABC Agility competition, any concerns should be recorded in the Incident Book and reported to the Kennel Club.

Those dogs eligible to compete in competition for large dogs are those measuring over 50cm at the withers.

Dogs should be eligible to compete at Grade 1 - 5 at the time of qualifying for the semi-final. Any subsequent wins gained by the dog will not alter its eligibility to compete in the semi-final or final.

Competition Rules

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. Standard rules will apply and all equipment used shall be of a standard size for that height category.

The semi-final will consist of one round of agility competition and one round of jumping competition; the top 8 dogs qualifying for Crufts will be those with the least combined faults in the fastest combined time calculated over the two rounds of the semi-final.  If there is equality of faults and time, the agility round will take precedence.

The final will consist of one round of jumping and one round of agility competition. The winning partnership will be those with the least combined faults in the fasted combined time calculated over the two rounds of the final. If there is equality of faults and time, the agility round will take precedence.

Qualifying

There will be 10 qualifying shows throughout the year.  The first 10 placed dogs in each heat will have the following points awarded:

1st place = 10 points, 2nd place = 9 points etc. down to 10th place = 1 point. Qualifying points will be awarded down to 10th even if the show does not award class places down to 10th

If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the final, reserves will be taken from dog/s with the highest number of points from the heats which have/has not qualified.

The top fifteen dogs, with the most points, will be invited to a semi-final at Discover Dogs 2024 which is being held alongside The London International Horse Show at London, ExCel in December. There will be a charge per dog. Car parking will not be provided by The Kennel Club.

The first eight highest placed dogs at the semi-final will be invited to compete in the finals to be

held at Crufts Dog Show, NEC Birmingham in March 2025. Please note that there will be an entry charge, and car parking won’t be provided by The Kennel Club.

Administration

NOTE TO SHOW SOCIETIES: In the event of awards at the show not going down to 10th place the Show Secretary must still record the top ten places (excluding eliminated dogs) and send the results to the Working Dog Activities Team at the Kennel Club within 14 days of the show by emailing here.

Crufts Intermediate Novice ABC Agility Stakes (Special)

Eligibility

This competition is a special agility competition open to all dogs excluding Border Collies, Working Sheepdogs and any of their crosses. In the event of any dispute regarding the parentage of a dog competing in the ABC Agility competition, any concerns should be recorded in the Incident Book and reported to the Kennel Club.

Those dogs eligible to compete in competition for intermediate dogs are those measuring over 43cm and measuring 50cm or under at the withers.

Dogs should be eligible to compete at Grade 1 - 5 at the time of qualifying for the semi-final. Any subsequent wins gained by the dog will not alter its eligibility to compete in the semi-final or final.

Competition Rules

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. Standard rules will apply and all equipment used shall be of a standard size for that height category.

The semi-final will consist of one round of agility competition and one round of jumping competition; the top 8 dogs qualifying for Crufts will be those with the least combined faults in the fastest combined time calculated over the two rounds of the semi-final.  If there is equality of faults and time, the agility round will take precedence.

The final will consist of one round of jumping and one round of agility competition. The winning partnership will be those with the least combined faults in the fasted combined time calculated over the two rounds of the final. If there is equality of faults and time, the agility round will take precedence.

Qualifying

There will be 10 qualifying shows throughout the year.  The first 10 placed dogs in each heat will have the following points awarded:

1st place = 10 points, 2nd place = 9 points etc. down to 10th place = 1 point. Qualifying points will be awarded down to 10th even if the show does not award class places down to 10th

If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the final, reserves will be taken from dog/s with the highest number of points from the heats which have/has not qualified.

The top fifteen dogs, with the most points, will be invited to a semi-final at Discover Dogs 2024 which is being held alongside The London International Horse Show at London, ExCel in December. There will be a charge per dog. Car parking will not be provided by The Kennel Club.

The first eight highest placed dogs at the semi-final will be invited to compete in the finals to be

held at Crufts Dog Show, NEC Birmingham in March 2025. Please note that there will be an entry charge, and car parking won’t be provided by The Kennel Club.

Administration

NOTE TO SHOW SOCIETIES: In the event of awards at the show not going down to 10th place the Show Secretary must still record the top ten places (excluding eliminated dogs) and send the results to the Working Dog Activities Team at the Kennel Club within 14 days of the show by emailing here.

Crufts Medium ABC Agility Stakes (Special)

Eligibility

This competition is a special agility competition open to all dogs excluding Border Collies, Working Sheepdogs and any of their crosses. In the event of any dispute regarding the parentage of a dog competing in the ABC Agility competition, any concerns should be recorded in the Incident Book and reported to the Kennel Club.

Those dogs eligible to compete in Medium dog competition are those measuring over 35cm and those measuring 43cm or under at the withers and eligible to compete in combined Grades 1 to 7 for Medium dogs.


Competition Rules

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. Standard rules will apply and all equipment used shall be of a standard size for that height category.

The semi-final will consist of one round of agility competition and one round of jumping competition; the top 8 dogs qualifying for Crufts will be those with the least combined faults in the fastest combined time calculated over the two rounds of the semi-final.  If there is equality of faults and time, the agility round will take precedence.

The final will consist of one round of jumping and one round of agility competition. The winning partnership will be those with the least combined faults in the fasted combined time calculated over the two rounds of the final. If there is equality of faults and time, the agility round will take precedence.

Qualifying

There will be 10 qualifying shows throughout the year.  The first 10 placed dogs in each heat will have the following points awarded:

1st place = 10 points, 2nd place = 9 points etc. down to 10th place = 1 point. Qualifying points will be awarded down to 10th even if the show does not award class places down to 10th

If a qualified handler or dog is unable/unfit to attend the final, reserves will be taken from dog/s with the highest number of points from the heats which have/has not qualified.

The top fifteen dogs, with the most points, will be invited to a semi-final at Discover Dogs 2024 which is being held alongside The London International Horse Show at London, ExCel in December. There will be a charge per dog. Car parking will not be provided by The Kennel Club.

The first eight highest placed dogs at the semi-final will be invited to compete in the finals to be

held at Crufts Dog Show, NEC Birmingham in March 2025. Please note that there will be an entry charge, and car parking won’t be provided by The Kennel Club.

Administration

NOTE TO SHOW SOCIETIES: In the event of awards at the show not going down to 10th place the Show Secretary must still record the top ten places (excluding eliminated dogs) and send the results to the Working Dog Activities Team at the Kennel Club within 14 days of the show by emailing here.

Crufts Novice Cup Dog Agility Stakes

This is a combined 3-5 class. Dogs should be eligible to enter a Grade 3, 4 or 5 class at the time of qualifying for the semi-final.  Any subsequent wins gained by the dog will not alter its eligibility to compete in the Semi-Final or Final.

There will be up to 14 separate heats for large, intermediate, medium and small height dogs at Kennel Club licensed shows throughout the country, plus an additional heat at the International Agility Festival.

Competitors may enter more than one dog in a heat.  Competitors may qualify more than one dog for the Semi-Final at the International Agility Festival, however only the competitor’s highest placed dog at the Semi-Final will qualify for the Crufts Grand Final.

Once a dog has qualified for the Semi-Final, further heats may be entered for competition although any placings in these heats will not affect the dog’s eligibility for the Semi-Final.

Qualifying

The first 2 previously unqualified dogs from each heat will go forward to the Semi-Final at the Kennel Club International Agility Festival. If the heat is split then 2 dogs will be taken from each part.   There will also be a Novice Cup heat at the Kennel Club International Agility Festival, where the first 5 previously unqualified placed dogs (from each part if the class is split) will also go forward to the Semi-Final.

If a competitor does not take up the invitation to compete in the semi-final, the invitation will be rolled down to the next applicable dog from the relevant heat. No reserves will be invited after the running orders for the semi-final have been generated.

The top 6 large dogs, 6 intermediate, 6 medium dogs and 6 small dogs from the Semi-Final round of the Kennel Club Novice Cup will be invited to compete in the Final at Crufts 2025. Please note that there will be an entry charge, and car parking won’t be provided by The Kennel Club.

Administration

NOTE TO SHOW SOCIETIES: Full results including the top 10 placed dogs need to be submitted to the Working Dog Activities Team at the Kennel Club within 14 days of the show by emailing here.