Levittown resident, Karen Lechner and her labrador retrievers, Grady and Pepsi will be among the contenders among the swiftest, most agile dogs in the nation vying for the top spot at the prestigious American Kennel Club (AKC) National Agility Championship.
Lechner will compete against the top dog and handler teams in the country through the weekend, beginning on Friday, April 1 at the Lexington Horse Park in Lexington, Virginia.
During the event, Lechner and her labs will run the timed agility course, off-leash, striving for a perfect score of 100. Any missed obstacles or other mistakes result in penalty faults, which are deducted from the score.
Agility – the AKC’s fastest growing sport – demonstrates a dog’s willingness to work with its handler in a variety of situations. This exciting, athletic event requires top conditioning, concentration, training and, most importantly, teamwork as the agile dogs negotiate a tricky obstacle course, including weaving through poles, bounding over jumps, and balancing on boards.
For more information visit http://www. akc.org/events/agility/
