FOCUS GROUP - BULLETIN 8
(published with permission)

Dear Breeders, Exhibitors and Working Discipline Enthusiasts,

In this Bulletin we'll be dealing with the announcement made in Cape Town about South Africa 's possibly hosting the Agility World Championships in 2012.

At the meeting of the Western Cape Provincial Council on 10 March 2008, Mr Laurence van der Merwe, Agility Enthusiast and former Federal Councillor, announced that South Africa was hopeful of hosting the 2012 FCI Agility World Championships (AWC), and that the FCI was "very excited" at the prospect.

According to Mr Van der Merwe, if South Africa were to be awarded the 2012 AWC, it would mean that, for the Agility Enthusiasts, Associated Membership of the FCI would not be an option, as an FCI World Event (of any discipline) may only be hosted by a Federated Member .  While not yet disputing this, the Focus Group has not been able to trace any verification in the FCI's Statutes, its Standing Orders, or its Agility Regulations, that the AWC must be hosted by a Federated Member.  The Agility Regulations simply make reference to the AWC being hosted by a “National Canine Organisation (NCO)”.  In accordance with Article 5 of the FCI's Statutes, a NCO is eligible to hold either Full, or Associate Membership, of the FCI.

Clarity was sought from KUSA on whether an Associate Member may host the AWC.  The President of KUSA was also unable to point to the Regulation which ruled Federated Membership a requirement for the hosting of the AWC and, in his most recent communication, advised that he would check with Belgium .  When received, the result of his enquiry will be reported in a future Bulletin. 

Even if Federated Membership were a requirement for hosting the AWC, due to South Africa 's isolation from Europe , and the distances and logistics involved, the Focus Group felt obliged to investigate the feasibility of such an undertaking.  The first port of call was the Department of Agriculture, which confirmed the following:

Dogs entering the country from certain South American, Asian and European countries would be subject to a minimum of fourteen days quarantine upon arrival in South Africa and, conversely, there would also be quarantine restrictions imposed upon dogs re-entering their country of origin from South Africa .  Dogs from Sweden , the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and Eire would have to undergo six months' quarantine upon their return.   

An examination of the entry list of participating countries in the 2007 AWC in Norway reveals that approximately 105 of the dogs in question would be subject to quarantine, either in South Africa , or upon their return to their country of origin.  This figure represents roughly one third of the total number of dogs entered in 2007.

Fitness considerations aside, it is doubtful whether competitors would permit their dogs to travel in advance and be confined for fourteen days at any of the quarantine stations in South Africa prior to the arrival of their owners.  It is also extremely doubtful whether competitors would be prepared to travel to South Africa to wait out the fourteen days before the commencement of the event which would then take up to a minimum of five days to complete.  The implication of this is that it's highly unlikely that some of the main Agility countries in the world would be present.

Given the fact that the British and the Swedes are two of the most prominent players in the world Agility arena, it begs the question whether a "World Championship" would be meaningful without their participation.  For instance, would one consider hosting the Olympics without the Americans and the Russians taking part?  It should also be obvious that, bec au se of the FCI Statutes' limiting competition dogs to purebred dogs, and entire males, many South African competitors would be precluded from competing in the event hosted in South Africa .  In any event, as our teams are not allowed to compete under the South African banner, but only as a KUSA team (ostensibly bec au se KUSA is currently unable to comply with the South African Sports Commission's BEE requirements), it might become quite embarrassing.

Having solicited opinion from various sources, it is conservatively estimated that the costs to be incurred by the remaining countries' competitors are likely to be in the region of US$5 000.00 (at today's currency exchange rates about R45 000,00) per person, per dog for flights, air freight and accommodation.  This cost would naturally rise if a competitor chose to bring out more than one dog, as a number of competitors enter at least two to three dogs, either as part of a team, or individually.  It is unlikely that the other countries' national bodies would be prepared to sponsor their teams to such an extent, which would further reduce the number of competing teams and dogs.  Additionally, the negative press South Africa has been receiving overseas bec au se of our horrifying crime statistics, and the appalling animal handling practices at O.R. Tambo and Cape Town International (as reported on News24), is also likely to impact on the number of competitors willing to risk the journey.

We have not taken into consideration the logistical nightmare of transporting and housing even the reduced numbers of competitors (many of whom do not speak English and are not streetwise regarding their safety in our country), and their dogs.  Nor have we taken into account KUSA's capital expenditure on items such as the correct non-slip carpeting, precision timing devices and the cost of the transport and accommodation of judges.

While we sympathise with the Agility Enthusiasts' desire to host the AWC, it would be disingenuous not to recognise the fact that a myriad of factors militate against the staging of such an event in South Africa .  If, despite the above, the FCI is indeed “very excited” about the idea, maybe Mr Van der Merwe would care to share some proof of the FCI's enthusiasm for the venture with the South African dog world.  

Yours sincerely,

Focus Group