2026 AKC National Agility Championship Crowns Its Champions at Galway Downs

Welly, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi handled by Peter Wirth of Longmont, Colorado, blazed through the course in 35.137 seconds to claim the Regular 8-inch national title at Galway Downs in Temecula, California, where the 29th AKC National Agility Championship wrapped up March 22. Dogs and handlers gathered from across the country for the three-day event, with champions crowned in both the Regular and Preferred classes.

Teams competed across the 8-, 12-, 16-, 20-, and 24-inch divisions in the Regular Class, and the 4-, 8-, 12-, 16-, and 20-inch divisions in the Preferred Class. Courses featured jumps, tunnels, weave poles, and contact obstacles like A-frames, with every dog-and-handler team racing against the clock. Welly's Regular class title was the only one from that division included in the official AKC results excerpt; the full Regular class results are posted on AKC's companion events page.

The Preferred class produced four confirmed champions. BET, a Shetland Sheepdog handled by Marco Giavoni of Midland, Michigan, took the 8-inch Preferred title in 35.396 seconds. In the 12-inch Preferred division, Australian Cattle Dog Dazzle, handled by Michele Smith of Norco, California, finished in 50.125 seconds. The 16-inch Preferred championship went to Border Collie Ego, owned and handled by Sydney Ryan of Troutdale, Oregon, with a 32.452-second run. Rounding out the Preferred results, Border Collie Howie, handled by Amber McCune for owner Celeste Maurer of Bedford, New Hampshire, won the 20-inch Preferred title in 35.834 seconds. Howie's registered name, GCH CH MACH8 PACH Lazydaze How'D Ewe Like My Darkside, reflects a title stack that signals years of elite-level competition.

The field brought out the full spread of agility-ready breeds, from Border Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs, and Australian Shepherds to smaller competitors like Papillons and Pembroke Welsh Corgis, alongside larger athletic dogs including Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Vizslas. AKC also highlighted Labrador Retrievers Gus and Luka and All-American dog Tully among the notable competitors across the weekend's rounds.

Live coverage of the championship ran on AKC.TV, and the full action is available to relive on the AKC.tv app. Complete results can be found on the AKC Companion Events page.

At Galway Downs in Temecula Wine Country, horse shows are the norm, but the 242-acre venue gave way to something faster this weekend. The 2027 championship is already on the calendar, scheduled for March 11-14 in Tulsa, giving competitors a full year to qualify and chase the title Welly just made look easy.