Meet the Team! (March 2024)
Will and Rudi made the very long trip north over the Easter weekend for their final meet up and training session with Team Scotland before the World Agility Open. The venue was Katrina Hands’ agility centre at Finavon – many thanks to her for hosting a fantastic day and to Katrina and Alan Short for a super lunch!
The training consisted of three runs – agility, speedstakes and snooker – all courses designed and judged by the brilliant Natalie Grace who will also be a judge at the WAO in May.
After a long period with very little training or competition due to illness, Will and Rudi gathered themselves and performed accurately and steadily:
When the training was done, it was time to hand out the team kit:
It was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend that needs a few thank yous. As well as being very grateful to Kat for the great venue and Natalie for the fab courses, many thanks to Alan, Rachael and Eilidh for their organisation and to Skinners and Glendarcy for their generous sponsorship of Team Scotland.
Last, but definitely not least, a special mention for the two overnight venues used for the long weekend both in beautiful settings and with extremely friendly hosts! The Auclishie Bunkhouse and Pathhead Farm. Well worth a visit if you are staying in the Kirriemuir area!
Getting Shirty about WAO (Jan 2024)
Will got the first peek at the Scotland kit for The FitPaws World Agility Open Championships 2024! Thank you to Skinners for supporting Team Scotland again 
#fedonskinners #borntobeoutdoors #fieldandcountry
Will now has tough decision to make on hair colour 
Team Scotland Training – Cold and Beautiful! (Nov 23)
Will and all the RAW Agility dogs made the journey north to meet up with Will and Rudi’s Scotland team mates for a training and bonding session.
The trip was made all the more enjoyable by the choice of accommodation. Even on a freezing cold day, stunning views and beautiful walks right on the doorstep can make dogs and handlers happy!
Many thanks to Carmen for hosting the whole team in Sanquhar. You can see this stunning property by clicking here.
Will and Rudi were still slightly out of sync after a very long journey for Rudi and glandular fever still taking its toll on Will, but they gave it a go on courses inspired by WAO judge Bonnik Berthelsen:
As well as a couple of training courses, the team worked out their fundraising approach, put together their kit orders and had a great catch up!
Will & Rudi get first Senior GB tryout invite (Nov 23)
Following their success with Junior Team GB over the last two years, Will and Rudi were honoured to have been invited to the Agility Team GB tryout for the 2024 Senior Team:
As lovely as the invite is, it is uncertain whether Will and Rudi will go along. There is the possibility that Will will make the decision that the WAO in the Netherlands in May 2024 will be Rudi’s last international competition.
Rudi’s Scot talent –
Back in the team for WAO 2024! (Oct 23)
Will had to drag himself from his sick bed to compete for a place in the Scotland team. Due to a nasty case of glandular fever that had kept him out of action for nearly three weeks, his participation in the tryouts for the Scotland team for the World Agility Open 2024 was in doubt until the last moment.
After a 10 hour drive to the stunning scenery of Perth and Kinross, Will had Rudi, Brave and Bossy entered into the competition – the latter two very much for experience for future years.
With Will feeling pretty exhausted before the start, a total of 15 runs was always likely to be too many in a single day. So Brave was rested after 2 runs and Bossy after 4, meaning Will focussed on Rudi for the full 5 runs.
The first event was Snooker and, after surviving the trip hazard at the starting jump, Will and Rudi completed a steady run to put the pair in 3rd place:
After a costly error in the jumping (7th place) and a slow but steady Gamblers run (8th place), Will gathered himself after sleep and food for his agility run – a lovely challenging course from judge Steve Richardson. 5 faults for a refusal denied the RAW pairing 1st place but left them in a creditable 3rd place finish:
The final run needed to be good. The Speedstakes is essentially a jumping course with an A frame. Will and Rudi put in their quickest and best run of the day to go clear for a 4th place finish:
All credit to Will for getting through a very tough day. His illness and fatigue meant he couldn’t go at full pace and found it hard to focus but his super partnership and understanding with Rudi pulled them through to give an overall 3rd place finish. Credit too to Rudi who is such a reliable dog who got Will out of trouble on the course a couple of times too!
Will and Rudi finished as the top junior pairing at the 400mm height meaning they once again were selected to represent Scotland at the World Agility Open in the Netherlands!
A huge thank you to manager Alan Short, Laura, Dawn, Eilidh and the team for organising a long day and to judge Steve Richardson for five great courses and lasting the day!
A big thank you to the amazing Kate Prosser for trusting the RAW team with the amazing Bossy. Rudi is a big fan!
Will & Rudi – World Champions again in 2023! (July 2023)
Wow, Wow, Wow again! The RAW Agility pairing of Will and Rudi have done it again!
Will and Rudi are once again World Champions as part of the medium team that won gold medals at the Junior Open Agility World Championships held this year in the UK!
To see more pictures and videos of their runs, click here.
To give you a flavour of this amazing event, we are again indebted to the brilliant Gavin Lyons for this superb musical montage of the GB team in action:
Will and Rudi with Team Scotland at World Agility Open 2023
The 2023 WAO, in Ermelo in the Netherlands, proved to be a roller coaster for Will and Rudi as well as the whole Scotland team. Some amazing runs, near misses, the most challenging courses Will has ever run and a fantastic atmosphere created by agility competitors and fans from around the world made for an incredible experience on and off the course.
To see videos of all the runs and lots of photos and stories from the event, visit the World Agility Open Championships 2023 page by clicking here.
WAO Preparations – Scotland kit revealed and Will’s Team Mates at the 400mm height:
Rudi & Will are back in Team GB – Tryout triumph! (March 23)
A really challenging weekend saw Will and Rudi in the final tryouts for a place in Team GB to compete at the Junior Open Agility World Championships and have the chance to defend their gold medal won last year.
The format was two runs each day – one jumping and one agility. The top two from the combined results each day would be guaranteed a win-on spot into the GB team with remaining places to be decided by the management team.
The first jumping course was incredibly challenging but the RAW Agility pair found a way:
This super clear put the pair in third place giving them everything to play for.
The Day 1 Agility course was also of true championship standard requiring a lot of expert handling:
This well handled run gave Will and Rudi a well deserved 1st place. The combined results meant the partnership were also in first place and had booked themselves a guaranteed spot in the 2023 Team GB!
Nia Rose & Farlie
Max Glover & Pink
Intermediate
Grace Watts & Orry
Medium
Will Bacchus & Rudi
Amelie Selby-bird & Dex
Small
Sophie Atkinson & Lulu
Blair Hands & Rapid
On Day 2 the pressure was certainly less in terms of securing a place on the team but Will & Rudi were determined to give their best. The jumping course opened the day:
This speedy run put the pair in 4th place – again really well placed for a top two spot in the combined results.
The final run of the weekend was a very tough agility course with a lot of traps and a very tough weave entry!:
Despite a super round (and a perfect dog walk)their only error of the entire weekend gave the pair 5 faults and cost them some time meaning their overall position on Day 2 was 4th. This would have challenged for a place on the team in its own right, but with the results from the first day, the pair were very satified with their performance and delighted to have the chance to represent Team GB again.
Crufts 2023 – Team GB Winners Parade
The Crufts main arena was the setting for a very special, unique event in front of over 7000 spectators. The Junior Team GB, who had performed so brilliantly in the Junior Open World Agility Championships in Finland in 2022 were recognised with a victory parade in front of the full house in the main arena. After a quick change of shirt from competing on the green carpet a few and donning his medal, Will and Rudi joined their team mates for the presentation:
Final training session with Team Scotland before WAO – March 2023
The long journey from Cornwall to Kinross was well worth the effort for Will and Rudi who had a great time with the Scotland squad in their final team meeting before the World Agility Open in the Netherlands in May.
First up was a new experience for the pair – a team relay. Three pairs run three courses in the same arena with baton exchanges. Will and Rudi were the middle pairing in a triple clear:
The team were then given a testing agility course to run in a huge space! The journey and the exertions on a draining surface may have started to show as Rudi looked a little tired as he went round with 5 faults:
The day also included the mega prize raffle draw, kit sizing and dog health checks. The pair were delighted that all was in order and they cannot wait to be back representing Scotland as part of the friendliest team at WAO!
Team GB Pre Selection Qualifier – Rudi nails it! – February 23
After some time away from competition, Rudi was back in action in the first of a run of weekends that are filled with important dates.
The first of these was a trip to Derby for the Team GB pre selection qualifiers where the target for Will and Rudi was to perform well enough to qualify for the final Team GB tryouts at the end of March.
The day consisted of two competitions, each consisting of one jumping and one agility round. The winners of each individual round and the top two when the results of the two runs were combined would get a guaranteed place in the final tryouts.
The RAW Agility pair started with a jumping round, knowing that the standard this year was higher than ever and that the courses were set at World Championship level.
A clear round put the pair in second place, so all to play for with a top two finish in the combined competition a real possibility. Will and Rudi needed a fast clear in the agility round:
A third consecutive clear round showed how consistent the pair are, even on the most challenging courses. Again they sat in 2nd place at the end of the jumping round.
The final run of the day was a really challenging, flowing agility course designed by Lee Gibson. The pressure was off in terms of qualifying, but the determination to win was not diminished as they stood on the start line:
The elimination was Will & Rudi’s only mistake of the entire day and despite being slightly frustrated at just missing out on another win, the pair can be highly satisfied with their day.
Congratulations to all those who qualified in all heights across the day, especially Taylor and Max who were two of Will’s team mates in the GB team last year that won gold medals in Finland.
Lots of thanks too to all the Team GB management team, the helpers and Ian Patz for judging superbly all day.
Will & Rudi selected for Scotland – WAO 2023!
Now it’s official! Following the tryouts mentioned below, Will & Rudi have the great honour of being selected to represent Agility Team Scotland at World Agility Open Championships in the Netherlands in May 2023.
The team have been selected for the Junior spot in the 400 Height category meaning they will run in all three events – pentathlon, biathlon and games.
Team Scotland tryouts (November 2022)
After having the great honour of representing team Scotland at the World Agility Open earlier this year, the team travelled 515 miles north to try their best to get into the team again for the championships in 2023.
All the dogs travelled and spent some time site seeing before the competition:
Rudi, as is so often the case, was the dog who performed most reliably. The tryouts consisted of 5 runs – Gamblers, Snooker, Agility, Jumping and Speedstakes. Here are some of the highlights:
Many thanks to Alan Short and all the volunteers for a lovely friendly, well organised day at Kinross Polo Club and to Steve Richardson for some absolutely super courses. You can hear how much Rudi is enjoying himself in the videos!
Will & Rudi – World Champions! (July 2022)
Wow, wow, wow! Will and Rudi are part of the medium team that won gold medals at the Junior Open Agility World Championships in Finland!
For the full story on how Will and Rudi became world champions, click here for details, pictures and videos of the runs.
Will and Rudi show off the new Team GB kit (June 2022)
Not long now until the Junior Open Agility World Championships in Finland. This was made even clearer with the welcome arrival of the smart new Team GB kit.
This photo was taken 5 years to the day since Will showed off his first ever Team GB kit with Aston!
WAO Championships – Netherlands (May 2022)
Will and Rudi had the great honour of representing Scotland at the World Agility Open Championships in Ermelo in the Netherlands. From the opening ceremony, through seven runs, shirt swaps and the closing ceremony, it was an exciting, unforgettable experience.
To see all the runs and lots more stories and photos visit the World Agility Open 2022 page by clicking here.
Will & Rudi selected for Team GB!!
The month ended with another exciting challenge for Will and Rudi. The final tryout to qualify for a place in Agility Team GB to represent their country at the Junior Open Agility World Championships to be held in Finland in July.
The qualifying criteria were, not surprisingly, tough. On day 1, each pairing would run a jumping course and an agility course. The overall winner would we guaranteed a place in the team and the team in overall second place could gain a spot if their combined runs did not yield more than 10 faults. This process, with the same conditions, was repeated on Day 2.
Will and Rudi ran a lovely jumping course, spoiled only by Rudi taking down the very first pole. So tight was the competition, this took the pair from 3rd place down to 9th.
So, the pressure was on for the agility run which was held over a very challenging course. Will and Rudi put in a very skilled, technical quick run that was blighted only by a missed dog walk contact one from home. Such was the difficulty of the course (and the pressure on all competing to run it well) that this was still good enough for first place!
The overall results put Will and Rudi in 2nd place with a total of 10 faults meaning they were guaranteed a place in the GB Team! Congratulations to Taylor Lyons and her spaniel Elliott who got the win on spot on Day 1:
This meant that, to some extent, the pressure was off on Day 2, but Will and Rudi both have a steely determination to do well in any circumstance! The jumping run was a lovely quick clear but the level of competition was again shown as Will and Rudi finished in 4th place.
The agility round was another challenging, speedy course. The team again performed really well under pressure and, again, finished with just 5 faults. This was good enough for another 4th place.
The combined results showed the rewards to be gained for consistency in getting round multiple courses without being eliminated. Will and Rudi again finished in overall 2nd place meaning they had gained win on spots two days running! Congratulations to Mariann Bayliss who guided her super speedy Coral with great skill around both courses to win onto the team:
Many thanks to the judges Natalie Webb and Jason Bartram, the super ring party and everyone in the management team for a really well organised event!
So now the preparations begin for two international events in the coming months. Will and Rudi will be heading to the Netherlands in May to represent Scotland at the World Agility Organisation Championships in May. They will then head out to Finland to represent Great Britain at the JOAWC in July. Exciting times!!
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Agility Team GB Pre Selection Qualifiers (Feb 2022)
Will and Rudi paired up to try for a place in the final selection round for this year’s Junior Team GB. To get to the final selection round, the team had to compete in the Pre-Selection Qualifiers at the Pure Agility venue in Tamworth.
Qualification for the next stage was complicated! There were two competitions each consisting of a jumping round and an agility round. Any handler who won a round would qualify. Each of the two competitions would also give overall results with the top four pairs in each overall competition progressing, providing they had not been eliminated in either run.
In the first competition, Will and Rudi picked up faults in both rounds and finished in overall sixth place meaning the pressure was really on if they were going to qualify.
Their second jumping Round was a very accomplished run with a stunning clear round:
This meant that a decent agility round without elimination gave Will and Rudi a great chance of progressing:
Another lovely, quick round with just a missed contact on the dog walk meant the results table showed:
The pair have qualified for the final selection round at the end of March. Those who make the final team will represent Team GB and the Junior World Agility Championships in Finland in July – still everything to play for!
Thanks for a great day with some very high quality agility to all involved in Team GB and to the team sponsors Natural Instinct, Galican and Pure Agility.
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🏴 WORLD AGILITY OPEN 2022 🏴
Will and Rudi attended the tryouts for the 2022 Scotland team in late October 2021.
Each national team for the championships, to be held in the Netherlands in May, is made up of four dogs at each height plus one junior handler and their dog at each height who compete in a junior competition.
Will and Rudi had four courses to run at the tryouts – agility, gamblers, speedstakes and jumping with juniors and seniors running the same courses – as will be the case at the WAO event next year.
When the results were announced by combining the results of all four runs, Will and Rudi were announced in first place, giving them an automatic spot in the Scotland senior team. As the top handler overall on the day, Will had the lovely option and honour of choosing a place in the senior Scotland team or to take the only junior spot at this height.
After careful thought, Will is going to take the junior spot in the Scotland team at the WAO in 2022.
WORLD AGILITY OPEN 2020
The World Agility Open is predominantly a Senior event but each country can select one junior at each height.
Will and Rudi had the great honour of being selected to represent Scotland at the 2020 event with Will and Aston reserve pairing.
45 Countries were due to take take part in the event in the Netherlands in October 2020. This was cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic, as was the 2021 event when Will, Rudi and Aston had retained their place in the Scotland team. They will give their all at the tryouts for 2022!
TEAM GB SELECTION 2020
The 2020 YKC tryouts were held to choose a team To represent Team GB at the World Junior Open Agility Championships in Finland in July.
Two selection weekends were due to take place in February and March. After the first weekend Will and Aston were in overall 2nd place and Will and Rudi were in 1st place.
With fingers crossed for weekend 2, the desperately disappointing, but completely understandable decision to postpone, and then cancel the second weekend due to coronavirus restrictions was announced.
Shortly after this came the news that the Championships themselves had been cancelled. Will can take heart from his performances at the tryouts (see below) and the lovely decision taken by the team management to award squad members with their team GB shirts.
Sadly, the 2021 Championships also had to be cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic.
2020 YKC TEAM GB TRYOUTS HARTPURY COLLEGE – WILL AND ASTON JUMPING
2020 YKC TEAM GB TRYOUTS HARTPURY COLLEGE – WILL AND ASTON
AGILITY ROUND – 2nd Place
2020 YKC TEAM GB TRYOUTS HARTPURY COLLEGE – WILL AND RUDI
AGILITY ROUND WINNERS
Will and Aston represent Team GB – 2017
In 2017 Will, at the age of 11, had the great honour of being the youngest handler selected to represent Team GB at the European Junior Open Championships in Luxembourg.
It was a fantastic experience for the pair and they managed two clear rounds out the four they ran. To meet and watch competitors from all over the world definitely helped Will to become a better handler and inspired him to want to represent his country again.
Will helped his team to an overall 9th place in the Under 18 category and finished in a creditable 11th place in the Under 15 individual event.
The achievement of being, at the time, the youngest Team GB handler led to a couple of TV appearances for Will and Aston which are shown on the ‘Will and the dogs on TV’ page.
willbacchus.com 