Mississippi Gulf Coast Kennel Club to host annual Bark’n Good Time at Harrison County Fair Grounds
The Mississippi Gulf Coast Kennel Club will hold its annual Bark’N Good Time beginning Friday, April 5th thru Sunday, April 7th at the Harrison County Fair Grounds, 15321 County Farm Road (Exit 28 off I-10) in Gulfport.
Events will start at 8:30 AM each day for FastCAT and CABT trials and 9:00 AM for other events. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. Events will include two FastCAT (a 100-yard timed dash for your dog) trials each day, as well as a CABT (Coursing Ability Test) course. In addition, a Conformation “B” Match, AKC Trick Dog, Canine Good Citizen and Fetch title testing will take place on both Saturday and Sunday. CABT and FastCAT Events will be superintended by Running Dog Coursing of Mobile, Alabama. Judges will be Ms. Sandy Weaver from Marietta, Georgia, Mr. John Ramirez of Downey, California, and Mr. Tom Schonberger of Chugiak, Alaska.
This is one of four events that the club will hold this year. On Sunday, February 4th, the club held a “Meet the Breeds” event at the annual Krewe of Barkloxi Mardi Gras Pawrade. On Saturday, September 14th, we will celebrate AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day with Paws Under The Oaks at Centennial Plaza, and finally, the Annual Mississippi Gulf Coast Southern Harvest Cluster Dog Show, which will be held in conjunction with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Working Group Club on Friday, November 1st thru Sunday, November 3rd, at the Harrison County Fairgrounds. The AKC sanctions over 22,000 events nationwide each year (including over 170 in Mississippi), which include conformation shows, agility/obedience trials, specialty shows, and more.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
FRIDAY, APRIL 5
8:30 AM AND 1 PM FastCAT TRIALS
CABT TRIALS
SATURDAY, APRIL 6
8:30 AM AND 1 PM FastCAT TRIALS
CABT TRIALS
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM CONFORMATION “B” MATCH SIGN-UP
9:30 AM CANINE GOOD CITIZEN, AKC TRICK DOG AND FETCH TESTING
12 NOON CONFORMATION “B” MATCH
SUNDAY, APRIL 7
8:30 AM AND 1 PM FastCAT TRIALS
CABT TRIALS
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM CONFORMATION “B” MATCH SIGN-UP
9:30 AM CANINE GOOD CITIZEN, AKC TRICK DOG AND
FETCH TESTING
12 NOON CONFORMATION “B” MATCH
CABT AND FastCAT TRIALS WILL BE HELD NEAR THE DOG PARK. ALL OTHER EVENTS WILL BE HELD IN THE SHOW ARENA.
COURSING ABILITY TEST (CABT)
Want an easy, low-stress way to get involved in the world of dog sports? Start with a Coursing Ability Test (CABT) because it is designed specifically for newcomers.
The first thing to know about the CABT is that – as with all of our tests – dogs do not compete against each other (as opposed to Field Trials where winners are chosen). Each dog runs individually and chases after an artificial lure on either a 300 or 600-yard long course. Your dog must finish in less than 1 ½ minutes and 2 minutes, respectively. Because the course is for beginners, it is set up with safety in mind, as we recognize that many of the dogs are new to the sport and might not possess the agility of an experienced sighthound.
“The Coursing Ability Test can provide a wonderful community outreach opportunity, an enjoyable experience for dogs and owners and a way to expose a wider audience to the sport,” said AKC’s AVP of Performance Events Doug Ljungren. “Most dogs will chase a lure and have fun in the process.”
Don’t worry about being judged: Dogs only earn a pass/fail, and the maximum time is not meant to be difficult to achieve. But yes, your dog will need to run, not walk, to earn a passing grade. But even if he doesn’t do his best, don’t worry! Think of it as just a fun day out for both of you to meet other dogs and dog lovers.
Dogs that pass the CABT three times will earn a Coursing Ability (CA) title. Ten passes and a dog earns a Coursing Ability Advanced (CAA) title, and 25 passes results in a Coursing Ability Excellent (CAX) title.
- Eligibility —
To compete, your dog must:
- Be 12 months or older
- Have an AKC number via one of the following:
- AKC Registrationas one of the 200+ recognized breeds.
- AKC Canine Partners, which is for mixed-breed dogs and dogs ineligible for AKC registration.
- Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL) program, which is for purebred dogs that cannot be fully registered with the AKC to participate in AKC events.
- Foundation Stock Service® (FSS), which is for recorded breeds on the road to full AKC recognition.
In addition:
- Spayed females and neutered males are eligible to participate.
- Females in season are not eligible to participate.
- Get Started
There’s not much you need to do to prepare for your first CAT besides get your dog in shape! You can also play with him often by giving him things to chase in your yard like plastic bags on a windy day, or toys and balls to run after. Just get him used to seeing something and chasing after it. As with all Coursing Ability Tests, the goal is not to harm any living animals so make sure you don’t encourage him to chase after any squirrels or other creatures running through your yard.
Your local AKC Club is the best place to find a CAT event in your area, or you can search for them on the AKC website. To enter, you need to get an entry form from the club putting on the test, which is located in the premium list.
AKC Coursing Ability Tests do not require dogs to run as far as dogs in lure coursing trials. They also do not have to execute extreme turns, with no turn being more acute than 90 degrees.
Dogs under 12-inches at the withers have a course of approximately 300 yards. Dogs more than 12 inches at the withers race approximately 600 yards. The 600-yard course must be completed within 2 minutes and the 300-yard course within 1½ minutes. Lure coursing often requires no training. Many dogs see the lure move and immediately want to chase it.
“Some dogs need some practice and some coaxing, but eventually, with repetition, they will get it,” Corum said. “If your dog has already displayed a pretty strong prey drive by being attracted to squirrels or wild birds or other small animals, their chances of liking the lure are higher.”
