Coachi backs rescue dog agility finals with 120 finalists expected

Coachi is putting its name behind one of agility’s most distinctive rescue pathways, with about 120 rescue dogs and their handlers expected at the Dog Agility Rescue League’s 2025/26 finals. For a sport built on speed, timing and nerve, the turnout underlines how far this rescue-first circuit has grown.

The finals are scheduled for Saturday, May 30, 2026, and will be hosted by The Edge Agility Show at Park Hall Farm, Hanbury, Redditch, Worcestershire, B96 6RD. Doc Docherty will judge the event, which sits inside a busy show schedule that runs across two May weekends, with a four-day Kennel Club show from May 22 to 25, a three-day break, then a three-day show from May 29 to 31.

DARL was created to celebrate the achievements of rescue and rehomed dogs competing in agility, and its rules open the league to dogs from rescue centers, pounds, stray dogs and rehomed homes. Agilitynet says the league was originally set up in 2006 to recognise those achievements, giving this finals stage nearly two decades of history behind it. The league’s structure includes grades, charity leagues, a re-homer league and a junior league, building a wide entry path for dogs and handlers at different levels.

That structure matters because DARL is not just a showcase for elite runs. Dogs earn points throughout the year at competitions, and the top performers are invited to the finals. Agilitynet’s finals coverage also says dogs placed up to 5th in each league receive rosettes and trophies, turning the event into both a competition and a formal recognition of progress. DARL registration is open for 2026, with a joining fee of £6 for the first dog, £4 for the second, and additional dogs from the same household free.

Coachi’s role gives that pipeline extra visibility. The brand says it was developed by Dr Roger Mugford and the Company of Animals Pet Centre team, which has been helping dogs since 1979. Its training approach is built around positive learning experiences and a strong bond between dog and owner, a natural fit for a league that depends on confidence, patience and repeatable training.

For the hyperenergetic dogs community, the message from these finals is clear: rescue dogs are not just adoptable, they are highly trainable performance partners. With around 120 finalists heading to Worcestershire, DARL is showing that intense drive can be channelled into precision, and Coachi is stepping in right at the point where second chances become podium runs.