Skyhoundz brings you…

Skyhoundz️ 3 weeks ago

🏆 2026 Skyhoundz Club Cup 🏆 We introduced the Skyhoundz Club Cup in 2004 and presented it through 2017. MAD Dogs won every year but one, when IDDC took it home in 2006. I'm not sure why we stopped recognizing clubs after that. Probably because we got tired of MAD Dogs winning it. 😄 This year, with our new connection to Mark Vitullo's K9 Toss & Fetch League, we talked about bringing the Cup back to the WC, since he has something similar in his league. We discussed several options, but we didn't settle on a final format in time to announce it before this year's WC. On the last day of the WC, I realized we hadn't done anything about it and rushed to start collecting club sign-ups for the Sport Division. When we got home, I asked Mark if we could use his existing club listings to fill in everyone's club affiliation, and he said he could. I emailed anyone we couldn't place, so we should have a complete list. (Sorry, no Team Missouri or Team East Coast. 😄) The WC has grown from one series (SC) in 2004 to three (DD, SC, and XD) in 2026, so we wanted the Cup to include all three series and all of their individual games. Pairs events were not included. Thanks to Mark's efforts, we had all the club results to review. The next question was how many members' scores to count for each club. Our clubs ranged from 1 to 15 members, and the results changed depending on where we drew the cut. So we shared the blind results with a number of clubs and staff members and asked what they felt was fair. The majority felt 8 was the right number. Clubs with more than 8 members had their lowest scores dropped, and clubs with fewer received zeros for their empty spots. HOW THE SCORING WAS CALCULATED For each event, we took the total number of competitors and removed duplicates, so each handler was counted only once. First place received that number of points, and each place after that received one point less, down to 1 point for last place. For example, if Open MicroDog had 50 entries and six competitors entered twice, first place received 44 points. Yes, this means events with fewer competitors were weighted less. But larger events also tend to be more competitive, so we felt that was a fair tradeoff. Only each club member's single best score counted, even if they competed in multiple events or with multiple dogs. We then added up the top 8 scores for each club. A club with only 7 members received a zero for its eighth spot, a club with 6 members received two zeros, and so on. Based on all of the scoring, we're pleased to announce the 2026 Skyhoundz Club Cup results: 🥇 1st: Dacula Brightside 🥈 2nd: St. Louis Disc Dog Club 🥉 3rd: Mid-Atlantic Disc Dogs (MAD Dogs) 4th: Southern California 5th: Team Korea Congratulations to all the clubs! 🎉 To make this easier going forward, we plan to add a club affiliation field to the 2027 WC registration form. #Skyhoundz #ClubCup #DiscDog #DiscDogs #WCDC #Hyperflite

Skyhoundz️ 3 weeks ago

2027 Rule Change: MicroDog Division Selection Why We're Making This Change This idea came from competitors, volunteers, and staff, and was first raised as a way to reduce the number of runs at the World Championship. When we reviewed the 2026 World Championship registrations, there were 32 cases where the same team was entered in both the "Open" (Non-MicroDog) and MicroDog version of a game. The analysis also brought a fairness issue into focus. Under the current rules, a MicroDog team can enter both divisions of the same game. That gives them two chances to place in Qualifiers, and potentially two World titles, with the same dog and thrower, while every other team gets one. Requiring a choice of one division gives every team one opportunity per game and lets each division's title stand on its own. No One Is Forced Into a Division This rule doesn't require any small dog to compete as a MicroDog. If you have a dog under 17 inches and would rather compete in the Open division against the bigger dogs in some or all games, you're welcome to do so. The MicroDog divisions remain an option, not a requirement. The only change is that each team picks one division for each game and sticks with it for the season. What About the Size Disadvantage? Some competitors have pointed out that a small dog in the Open division is competing at a size disadvantage. While true, the issue isn't an edge within either division. It's that these teams currently get two entries in the same game when everyone else gets one. The MicroDog divisions were created so small dogs can compete on a level field against dogs their own size. A team that believes its dog can hold its own against larger dogs is free to choose the Open division. The rule simply means choosing one, rather than keeping a second entry as a fallback. Effective October 1, 2026, for the 2026–2027 Skyhoundz season (Qualifiers through the 2027 World Championship) The Rule Beginning October 1, 2026, a team with a MicroDog may compete in either the MicroDog or the Open (Non-MicroDog) version of a game during the season, but not both. A team is one thrower and one dog (in Pairs D/A, two throwers and one dog). This applies to all three Skyhoundz series: DiscDogathon: Bullseye (MD) or Open Bullseye, Freestyle (MD) or Open Freestyle, Pairs D/A (MD) or Open Pairs D/A, Spot Landing (MD) or Open Spot Landing, and TimeTrial (MD) or Open TimeTrial Skyhoundz Classic: Open (MD) or Open, and Sport (MD) or Open Sport (Pairs Freestyle is open to all dogs with no distinction) Xtreme Distance: MicroDog or Light Plastic (Classic Plastic and Unlimited Plastic classes are open to all dogs with no distinction) Once a MicroDog team competes in a game in either the MicroDog division or the Open division on or after October 1, 2026, it must stay in that division for that game through the 2027 World Championship. The choice is made separately for each game. For example, a team may compete in Bullseye (MD) and Open Spot Landing (separate games), but not in both Bullseye (MD) and Open Bullseye (same game). A dog competing with a different thrower is considered a separate team, and each team makes its own division choice. For example, a dog may compete in Open Bullseye with one thrower and Bullseye (MD) with another. In Pairs D/A, a change of either thrower also makes it a separate team. Results and qualifying spots from Qualifiers held before October 1, 2026, will not be changed. However, a team that competed in both the Open and MicroDog divisions of a game must choose which division to move forward with, and that will be the division it competes in at the World Championship. Auditing: See How You Stack Up MicroDog teams that want to see how they measure up against the bigger dogs can audit the alternate division at all Qualifiers (DD, SC, and XD). Audit entries are placed like any other team and are eligible for world records. They can't earn a World Championship qualifying spot, and an audit entry doesn't count as the team's division choice for that game. Why the Choice Is Made at Qualifiers Requiring the decision at the Qualifier level makes the rule clear from the start of the season. It also ensures that no team qualifies in both divisions only to give up a World Championship spot that could have gone to another team. We understand newer MicroDog teams may want to try both divisions before committing. Auditing at Qualifiers gives them a way to do that.

Skyhoundz️ 4 weeks ago

Congratulations to all of our 2026 Skyhoundz World Canine Disc Champions! 🏆🐕 The Skyhoundz Cups have been updated with this year's winners' names, and they're ready and waiting for you. Stop by and see them in person on your next visit to Hyperflite/Skyhoundz in Jasper, Georgia. 🥏 #Skyhoundz #Hyperflite #DiscDog #DiscDogs #SkyhoundzWorlds #WorldChampions #DogSports #CanineDisc