Dade City Dog Places 1st In National Freestyle Flying Disc Competition

DADE CITY, FL — Ferris, an 8-year-old "baussie" (border collie/Aussie mix) trained by Jack Fahle of Dade City, has won first place in the Freestyle Flying Disc event in the 25th annual Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge National Finals in St. Louis, Missouri.

The national finals, which took place in October, were aired across the country on CBS on New Year's Day.

Part gymnastics and part Ultimate Frisbee for dogs, freestyle flying disc is a toss-and-fetch event where handler and dog perform choreographed routines that require technical skill and a healthy dose of showmanship.

In addition to the flying disc competition, the national finals included small, medium and large dog agility contests, Diving Dog, Surf Dog, Fetch It and 30 Weave Up and Back competitions.

But the Freestyle Flying Disc is by far the crowd favorite, said Stephanie Lish of Purina.

This high-flying, high-energy dog event features aerial maneuvers and jaw-dropping tricks. It requires creativity, top-notch skills and teamwork as each dog and handler complete a 2 1/2-minute routine set to music including tossing, catching, stunts and tricks.

The dogs are judged on creativity and style. Dog and handler teams also have the chance to earn bonus points by performing long jumps in which the owner stands on one end of the field, throwing toward a designated square 96 feet away. The dog must catch the long-thrown flying disc within the designated square to be awarded the point.

At the Incredible Dog Challenge, a panel of three judges award the dog/handler team points based on their skills during their performances. One judge focuses on the handler’s skills and one on the dog’s skills. The third judge records the catch ratio. If there is a tie, the judges reference the catch ratio during the teams’ performances and name the team with the highest ratio the winner.

"Between the first-class treatment by Purina and Carson Entertainment and the comradery of some of my favorite and most talented disc dog teams, it was an amazing experience," Fahle said. "To top it all off, all the teams got to play with Hero Disc USA SuperStar discs that made playing in the wind almost a non-factor."

Fahle said he and Ferris perform to the Beastie Boys' "Fight for Your Right to Party."

"Although I am now second-guessing my goofy hat worn sideways, I think it captures the mood and the amount of fun I was having on the field with Ferris," he said.

The competition was friendly but fierce, Fahle said.

"It was a super tight competition amidst a highly competitive field of teams," he said.

Bonnie Scott and Kiddo of Climax, New York, finished in second place and Christopher Cruz and Poison of Albany, New York, placed third.

"Competing with my disc dog friends was amazing," Fahle said. "Everyone genuinely cheered for each other and wanted each team to have their best round. I could hear the yelling from the players' tent during my round and it definitely helped keep my head in the game. This sport and community is the best."

Jack and Kat Fahle have been training dogs and competing in disc competitions for more than 15 years. Their current dog team of Ferris, Remix, Ziggy and Spice, ranging in age from 2 to 12, are all freestyle disc champions.

In addition to the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge, last year, Fahle and his dogs competed in the American Kennel Club's UpDog Challenge on Nov. 11 at the Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis, North Carolina, which was aired on ESPN2; the Skyhoundz World Championships in September at Chattanooga, Tennessee's Coolidge Park where Ferris tied for fourth place and Remix finished in third place for their freestyle performances; and the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge April 22-23 in Atlanta, Georgia.