Mesquite, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/04/2006 --Imagine a dog championship event for which no fancy pedigree is required! Dogs from across the United States will converge in Mesquite, TX, November 11th and 12th to vie for the coveted title of “Flyball Champion 2006.” This Championship Tournament is sanctioned by the United Flyball League, International (U-FLI).

Flyball is a fast paced, four dog relay race team competition. This exciting sport can be played by any size and breed of dog. Each dog on the team must take a turn hurdling over four jumps, retrieve a ball from a flyball box and then return over all of the jumps bringing the ball back to its handler. Teams are pitted against teams of similar speed, typically in a round-robin racing format.

With two racing lanes setup side by side the dogs actually do “check-out” the competition as they race to and from their flyball box. Says U-FLI spokesperson Terri May, “It’s amazing to see some of the dogs really kicking in the extra effort to beat the dog running in the other lane. The current U-FLI record is 15.34 seconds – that’s a team total time for all four dogs each racing a 102 foot course! And, it won’t surprise us if we don’t see a new world record emerge from the Championship event.”

The Big Town Exhibit Hall in the Dallas suburb of Mesquite, TX is the site for the first ever U-FLI National Championship Flyball Tournament. This invitational event is the culmination of three regional Qualifier events from across the United States.

Says May, “We’re very excited about this event. This is the first time that a National Championship has been offered to flyball participants in multiple divisions. We’re striving to recognize the speed and agility of the dogs at every level of competition.” In order to participate in this event, the flyball team must have placed first or second in their division at one of three Qualifier events offered in different regions of the country.

U-FLI, founded in 2005, now boasts nearly 1800 registered dogs that represent 105 different breeds, with over 400 mixed-breed dogs participating. For more information contact: Terri May, Marketing Director (559) 298-8148.