› FLYING-DISC DOG FINALS AT COOLIDGE PARK
AC/DC’s song, “Back in Black,” blasted in Coolidge Park Sunday as Karma, a dark, sleek Doberman pinscher, glided through the air to retrieve a flying disc.
“It’s like ice dancing for dogs except we’re using Frisbees and the mud is the ice,” said Lori Cheung of Toronto, Canada, who owns Karma with her husband, Gordon.
The three were among hundreds of high-energy hounds and humans attending the Hyperflite Skyhoundz World Canine Disc Championship, the largest disc dog competition series in the world, said director Peter Bloeme of Atlanta.
The competition started in 1974 and has been in Chattanooga for the past seven years. Bloeme has a contract to host the event in Coolidge Park for at least another two years and hopes to extend it.
The final day of the weeklong event Sunday coincided with the Ironman triathlon in downtown Chattanooga and drew competitors from around the world including Japan, China, Belgium, Colombia, Mexico and Italy.
There’s no monetary prize, just a huge trophy and bragging rights, said David Gosch, of Millersville, Md.
“Most people just root for everybody,” he said. “It’s about seeing the dog getting that great catch.”
His dog, a 7-year-old Australian shepherd, finished in the sports Top 20 this weekend.
Sports is a category that gives dogs points for distance accuracy. Another part of the competition is open freestyle, where spectators see owners and dogs display their connection with each other, showing off their athletic abilities and dance moves.
Kirby McIlveen, of Southern California, folded into a low back bend just before her dog, Muse, jumped across her torso.
Cosma Caxtlfamo, of Italy, lay in the mud on her back, feet
in the air, so her border collie could leap on her toes for leverage in pursuit of a high-flying disc.
Any breed or any mix can participate. Most competing dogs are like Karma, rescue dogs.
Most such dogs are turned in to shelters by owners who can’t tolerate hyperactive mutts. But high energy is the chief ingredient in making an excellent disc dog, said Gosch.
“A high drive is what we look for. Watching it is spectacular,” he said.
A leisurely, leashed walk may not be enough exercise for a high-energy dog, but just 20 minutes of running or fast play a day is usually enough to make a high-energy rescue dog suitable for a home, Cheung said.
Dogs have to compete through local dog clubs to qualify for the championship match, but once there everyone is considered equal, regardless whether they’re amateurs or professionals.
Dogs in Sunday’s showcase, rescue dogs and purebreds, turned flips, jumped and glided before catching their discs. Amateur and professional owners danced, turned cartwheels and wallowed in mud to create a show with their dogs.
“Just bring it,” said Gosch. “Once you get here, this is the Olympics.”
Contact staff writer Yolanda Putman at yputman@ timesfreepress.com or 757-6431.