Mustard & Pepper Winter 2022

Hugo’s Invitational

three fastest of their breed. In 2021, Hugo was the very first purebred Dandie Dinmont Terrier ever recorded as participating in FastCats. In 2021, he earned enough qualifying points to receive his BCAT title. He truly en- joys each and every one of his runs, and is very enter- taining to watch, as the wind blows through his topknot.

by Mary Downs CH King's Mtn. Fortune Favors The Brave FDC JE BCAT THDX CGCA CGCU TKN was the first Dandie Dinmont Terrier in history to receive an official invita- tion to the AKC FastCat Invitational. The event was held in Orlando, Florida from December 13 to 17, 2022.

He has many fans who love to cheer him on, and many of the lure operators on the East Coast know him by name. His effu- sive, gregarious character has made him a fan favorite and after breaking the glass ceiling he sparked a new generation of Dandies to begin competing in FastCats. There are now several purebred Dandies competing in the sport and at least one PAL or Purebred Alternative Listing dog. We couldn ’ t be more first time in history and to do it well. Hugo did not disappoint. In Orlando, he represented the breed spectacularly, earning two qualifying rosettes (one of which he did about an hour after conformation where he won a major and Best of Breed and finished his conformation cham- pionship) and the historic and beautiful AKC Invitational Best of Breed rosette in the event!

FastCat is an AKC performance event in which dogs are timed while running after a mechani- cal lure for a straight 100 yard distance. Dogs run in events throughout the year and earn points for qualifying runs. Ti- tles are earned once a certain number of points are achieved. The following titles can be earned by any Dandie, regard- less of whether they are spayed or neutered or intact. Bitches in

season aren ’ t allowed to run while in season, but are welcome all other times. A BCAT requires 150 points; DCAT requires 500 points; FCAT requires 1000 points. If your dog really enjoys the sport, he or she can earn and FCAT2 for an additional 500 points and for each additional 500 points another FCAT title is awarded. There is a handicap formula in place that levels the playing field for dogs of different heights. For dogs that are 12” at the withers (which would include almost all Dandies), they receive a handi- cap of 2.0. Taller dogs from 12” to 18” receive a handicap of 1.5 and dogs over 18” are at a 1.0. The actual miles per hour are calculated and are then multiplied by the dog ’ s handicap to arrive at the number of points earned. Like many performance events, physical and mental ma- turity are required and in order to compete in FastCat, a dog must be at least one year old. At the event, the dogs are measured initially to record their correct height, and then prior to every run are trotted out to ensure they are sound and fit to run. If a dog is off, lame or in distress, it will not be permitted to run. In order to receive an invitation to the AKC Invitational event, a dog must earn three qualifying runs in the year prior, in Hugo ’ s case, that was 2021, and be among the

thrilled to see other Dandies try their paw at the sport and look forward to seeing the numbers grow over time. At an Invitational or Finals event, it ’ s a different level of pressure and the running conditions are not as relaxed. As a team, our goal was to go represent the breed for the

There were many dogs in numerous breeds who didn ’ t have any qualifying runs or who fell short and didn ’ t do as well as expected. It was a great experience to participate in the Invitation- al, and have so many people take interest and inquire about the breed. I would encourage any Dandie owner to give it a try and if you have any questions or need some pointers on how to get started, please don ’ t hesitate to contact me at mbd2149@columbia.edu or 607 - 725 - 6200. 

Mustard & Pepper

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Winter 2022