AKC ISC agility gains traction, entries rise 12.7 percent in 2025

AKC’s International Sweepstakes is moving out of the curiosity lane and into a real competitive path for fast, high-drive dogs. Entries climbed from 27,363 in 2024 to 30,850 in 2025, a 12.7 percent jump that pushed the two-year total to 58,213 ISC runs and gave the class a firmer place inside AKC agility.

That matters because ISC is built differently from standard classwork. The American Kennel Club describes it as international-style agility for U.S. exhibitors, with a format meant to showcase advanced handling and course design. It is treated as a non-regular class, yet it still carries a $3 recording fee per entry, a small but telling sign that ISC is no longer being handled like a novelty sidecar.

The structure is already looking like a finished circuit. ISC is divided into Small, Medium and Large categories, with the Large division covering dogs greater than 16 7/8 inches at the withers. The program runs through three levels of FCI-style courses and finishes with an annual International Sweepstakes Championship, which has already become a standing date on the calendar. The first championship was held in Raleigh, North Carolina, on October 12-13, 2024. The second followed in Franklin, Tennessee, on October 25-26, 2025, and the third is scheduled for In The Net in Palmyra, Pennsylvania, on October 10-11, 2026.

The numbers behind the class suggest a clear fit for bigger, faster dogs. Over 2024 and 2025, 20-inch and 24-inch dogs made up roughly half of all non-ISC agility entries, but they accounted for about 67 percent of ISC entries. That lines up with the wider obstacle spacing and international course style that ISC brings into the ring, the kind of layout that gives stride-out dogs room to run without losing the technical edge handlers want.

The progression inside the class is shifting too. Level 1 ISC participation fell from 9,009 entries in 2024 to 6,955 in 2025, while Level 2 climbed to 13,919 and Level 3 rose to 9,976. That pattern points to early adopters moving deeper into the system instead of treating ISC as a one-off experiment. It also fits the broader event picture: AKC’s championship pages show multi-round formats with team rounds and finals, and the winners are being recognized as ISC Champions 2025.

The sport’s reach is also widening through adjacent AKC work. John Deacon has designed ISC courses for the AKC Agility League’s Ph.D. Division since that league began in 2022, and AKC materials tie ISC to FCI guidelines and international judging resources. AKC’s international-results coverage adds another layer, noting Team USA’s first-ever European Open Team Finals gold medal at any height category in 2025 and the U.S. Senior Team’s five golds, one silver and three bronzes at the Senior Open Agility World Championship. For handlers of intense, explosive dogs, the message is hard to miss: ISC is becoming a serious lane, and the competitive map is changing with it.