Cheering on your hometown team is a true American tradition.
So, what better way for the American Kennel Club to celebrate America’s 250th birthday than with the introduction of an agility event featuring teams that represent major US cities.
The six teams faced off June 7 at an exciting competition held in the historic city of Philadelphia, which played a major role in the American Revolution. Dueling it out for the first ever AKC Team Challenge Champs were Boston, Chicago, Nashville, New York, Washington, DC, and the hometown favorite – Philadelphia. Spectators let the Phillie team know that they were behind them.
“When I learned I was going to be the captain of the home city, Philadelphia, I was immediately overwhelmed with excitement. I realized that we would have so many spectators cheering us on and rooting for the dogs based on being the ‘home team’ and that’s when the honor, and extra pressure, sunk in,” Team Philadelphia Captain Jennifer Crank, who is a multi-Agility World Team member and National Agility Champ. “It was thrilling to have so many extra fans cheering in the stands and gave us all a bit of extra adrenaline to run with.”
Each team was composed of six dogs – two small (jumping 8-inches); two medium (16-inches); and two tall (20-inches).
Team spirit abounded with members gathering ringside to cheer on their teammates. New York brought their own flag to wave, and Boston adorned dogs with green glitter to match their jerseys.
“The event was fabulous – what a fun new format for the sport of AKC Agility!,” said multi-National Agility Champion Amber McCune, who served as captain of Team Boston – the first-ever AKC Team Challenge Champion.
Class Structure
The unique classes required strategy on the part of the captains to make sure they best used the strengths of their team members.
Round 1: Distance Challenge: Three dogs from each team (half the team) ran the first round that included a distance challenge within the course. Captains selected which members were strongest in distance for this round.
Round 2:Choose Your Path:
The second half of each team ran the second round that featured a “choose your path” option. Handlers could take a flowing loop around the ring that had more yardage or opt for a shorter path that was much more technical.
For the first two rounds, dogs that earned first place in their jump height earned six points for their team; second place earned five points; and so on. Scoring was based on time plus faults, but not completing a course was scored as a zero.
“I like that the team event allows us to tap into each person’s strength. For example, some members on my team are confident with the distance challenge, and others may be more confident with course work, so it really helped to showcase the strength of the team as a whole,” said Han Yu, who ran on the winning Boston team and is a 2026 National Agility Champion.
Round 3: Head to Head Knock Outs
All dogs competed in the very exciting “Knock Out” that concluded the event. Dogs ran identical courses, placed side by side with a barrier between, in head-to-head racing that determined the final winners of the event. A drag racing light system let handlers know when to start their run. Any delay could cost your dog precious seconds against the opposition.
“The head-to-head racing created an exciting atmosphere that was just as fun for the spectators as it was for the competitors,” said Viveka Rosenberger, captain of Team New York.
Based on the cumulative results from the initial two rounds, a bracket was established that led to the final Shoot-Out round. The first and second place teams – Chicago and Washington, DC – advanced to the semi-finals, and the remaining teams battled it out in the quarterfinals.
The winner of each Knock Out round won one point for their team.
When the dust had settled from the fast Knock Out rounds, the third seed going into the Shoot-out, Boston, emerged as the winners with Chicago in second place. Philadelphia won third place, much to the delight of the hometown spectators.
Team Work
Agility is typically an individual sport with each handler trying to earn the best score with their dog. Achieving the same goal with a group required careful calculations on the part of the captains.
“Having to strategically decide which dogs to match up against the opposing team added a unique tactical element that made the competition even more engaging,” Rosenberger said.
While the Team Challenge is a new televised event for AKC, team agility is not new. AKC fields world teams annually, has a team competition at the annual ISC Championship, and offers a local agility league team program.
Rosenberger has been a member of AKC World Agility Teams and has volunteered as a captain in the AKC Agility League for four years. Those experiences aided her in leading the national team.
“Serving as a local League captain gave me the leadership skills I needed to captain the national team. The level was different, but the goal was the same: support teammates, communicate well, and help everyone succeed,” she said.
Kat Baumler has made it to the finals of multiple national agility competitions and agreed that her experience competing in the AKC Agility League was great preparation for the new team event. Baumler’s team, Greased Lightning at Golden Acres, won the largest class of Senior at the 2025 AKC Agility League Championship.
“I love being on a team. While it can offer an additional level of stress, knowing teammates are depending on you, it can also be nice to have their support,” Baumler, who competed on Team Nashville, said. “I enjoy team members’ insights and suggestions as we strategize our runs.”
AKC selected the teams and assigned them to the captains. They did not necessarily know their teammates, requiring long-distance preparation.
“To help build cohesion and prepare effectively, I created an online team communication group before the competition. This allowed us to discuss potential course designs, share ideas, and develop strategies how to best prepare for this historic first event,” Boston Captain McCune said. “…Every individual played an important role in Team Boston’s success.”
Philadelphia Captain Crank scheduled meetings to prepare an action plan for the event.
“Our team worked hard to understand the rules and develop a plan that showcased each member’s strengths,” Crank said. “There were so many highs and lows with the format and scoring that made things very exciting. In the end, we walked away with third place and based on our experiences, all of us hope to get the opportunity to do it again!”
The AKC Agility Team Challenge happened on the same weekend as the AKC Premier Cup and the AKC Dock Diving Team Challenge at the lovely Navy Yards in Philadelphia. Darryl Warren of New Jersey served as judge, and AKC Agility Field Representative Ronda Bermke assisted as the second judge for the Knock Out round. ESPN filmed all the events for future broadcasts.
“The event far surpassed my expectations. ESPN and the AKC did a wonderful job making the event fun, safe and exciting to watch,” McCune said. “I can’t wait for the next one. Look out: Team Boston is coming for you!”
Congratulations to all the handlers and dogs competing in this inaugural competition:
First Place: Boston
Captain: Amber McCune & Typo, Border Collie
Nick Carlton & Tuna, Border Collie
Michelle Kiernan & Ruthless, Rat Terrier
Mari Jo Reese & Raven, Border Collie
Miki Shannon & Zasu, Border Collie
Han Yu & Skye, Poodle
Second Place – Chicago
Captain – Abigail Beasley & SuperStar, Shetland Sheepdog
Carol Boggess & Iron Man, All American Dog
Sally Connell & Kit, Border Collie
Diane Patterson & Happy, Shetland Sheepdog
Inez Pennington & Kipsey, Manchester Terrier
Erin Stumler & Xcel, Working Kelpie
Third Place – Philadelphia
Captain – Jennifer Crank & Bee, Shetland Sheepdog
Beth Bond & Wizard, Shetland Sheepdog
Christine Brew & Boo, Pumi
Sam Chew & Cosmo, Vizsla
Ann Hills & Toqui, Border Collie
Jesse Westover & Finn, Papillon
Washington, DC
Captain – Cynthia Hornor & Nimble, All American Dog
Tammie Gigstad & Maui, Poodle
Brenda Kelly & James, Border Collie
Jenny Kroll & Fern, English Springer Spaniel
Daisy Peel & Dude, Border Collie
Lisa Suttner & Rigby, Poodle
New York
Captain – Viveka Rosenberger & Monty, Shetland Sheepdog
Jeri Frye & Rose, Miniature American Shepherd
Jennifer Masterson & Clover, All American Dog
Geoffrey Nieder & Kyber, Border Collie
Jeremy Schultz & Rose, Border Collie
Bridget Thomas & Betelgeuse, All American Dog
Nashville
Captain – Susan Bintliff & Minute, Shetland Sheepdog
Kat Baumler & Loki, Papillon
Bridget Kennedy & Nolan, Labrador Retriever
Antonia Rotelle & Dutch, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Jill Tice & Lit, Border Collie
Andy Winther & Zoom-Zoom, Border Collie
