Kids & Family

Tartan Senior Prepares for Dog Agility Competition in Austria

Brooke Knotek will compete with her dog, Lady, at the European Open Junior Championships this weekend.

Brooke Knotek doesn’t play your typical sport.

It’s not soccer. Or volleyball. Knotek, along with her blue merle border collie, Lady, competes in dog agility.

Dog agility is a sport where the handler (in this case, Knotek) directs the dog through an obstacle course and is judged on time and accuracy. The handler cannot touch the dog or offer food or toys as incentives during the competition. Obstacles in competitions include A-frames, dogwalks, teeter-totters, tunnels, hurdles, hoops and weave poles.

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“It’s not the normal thing like playing soccer or volleyball. A lot of people don’t know what dog agility is,” Knotek said. “It’s much harder because you’re not competing with your own body, you’re competing with an animal with a mind of its own.”

The pair has been competing in dog agility for seven years in competitions across the country. But now they have their sights set on the European Open Junior Championships in Pinkafeld, Austria. Knotek and Lady will embark for the competition on Monday and compete July 13-15.

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Knotek first heard about the European competition through an email sent to those who competed in a junior nationals competition in Florida in December. Knotek thought it sounded fun, but never thought she’d seriously get to go compete.

But she tried out to compete on the U.S.A. team — the team’s first year in the competition — and found out she was accepted in March.

“It was one of those things where part of you wishes you get in and the other half doesn’t because you’re scared,” Knotek said.

The trip would cost Knotek nearly $5,000, which covers travel expenses, Lady’s medical expenses and competition fees. Knotek has held fundraisers and also received generous donations from various kennel clubs she has worked with over the years, including St. Croix Valley Kennel Club and St. Paul Dog Training Club — where she currently trains.

Since Knotek raised funding she has spent the last few months training for the new competition at SPDTC . Though she and Lady have competed in several competitions, European regulations are vastly different than in the U.S., said Michael Teh, Knotek’s trainer at SPDTC.

“European style is much different from the U.S.,” Teh said. “It’s way harder.”

The courses are more difficult and the obstacles are also at a higher level than in the U.S.

As Knotek prepares to leave, she’s trying now to dwell on the difficult challenges ahead. Instead, she’s just going to focus on Lady.

“You go into this feeling of a bubble. When I’m running with Lady I don’t see anything else,” Knotek said. “It’s just a great, great feeling when you’re completely in sync with your dog. “


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