Twenty teams of dogs will compete in a Flyball Tournament on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center as part of the Westminster Kennel Club’s 150th Dog Show, a prestigious event that has roots dating back to its inception in 1877, making it one of the oldest continuously held sporting events in the United States.

The short, fast relay is scheduled to kick off Westminster Week and will be presented by Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements FortiFlora, while the overall show is presented by Purina Pro Plan. The Best in Show award ceremony is set for February 3 in New York City at Madison Square Garden.

Flyball is a high‑energy sport that combines speed, agility, and teamwork, and organizers say the event will bring a fast-paced, thrilling atmosphere to the Javits Center. The sport, which has evolved significantly since its origins in Southern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s, now boasts over 400 active clubs across North America. Teams will race over a course in successive heats with the goal of posting the quickest, cleanest runs to take home top prizes.

The Westminster Kennel Club is hosting the tournament as part of its milestone 150th Dog Show. The flyball competition is one element of the week’s schedule at the convention center, designed to showcase performance disciplines alongside the show’s traditional conformation events. With the first formal flyball tournament held in 1983, the sport has flourished and gained popularity, making its presence felt in major dog shows.

Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements FortiFlora is listed in event materials as the presenting sponsor of the Flyball Tournament, and Purina Pro Plan is identified as the presenting sponsor of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The pairing of performance events and the main conformation show aligns with the club’s broader program for Westminster Week.

Spectators can expect a concentrated burst of racing and team strategy: handlers and their dogs work in quick succession, trading places to keep a relay moving through the course’s hurdles and return lanes. For both dogs and their owners, regular participation in competitive sports like flyball can yield numerous health benefits, including improved cardiovascular fitness and heightened overall well-being. The format rewards not just raw speed but consistency and clean exchanges under pressure, producing the fast, spectator‑friendly action organizers describe.

Information about the sport’s rules and team composition can be found through organizations that govern flyball, including resources at Flyball. Event previews and announcements have also been carried in specialist outlets such as ShowSight Magazine, which reported on the tournament’s role in the week’s schedule.

For fans following the week, the flyball competition will be an early marquee attraction before conformation judging culminates with Best in Show at Madison Square Garden on February 3. The two events—performance and conformation—are presented under the Westminster Kennel Club banner and by their named sponsors.

The tournament is one component of a packed calendar at the Javits Center and across the city during Westminster Week. Attendees can expect concentrated sessions of racing and a procession of teams vying for placement in a condensed, spectator-oriented format.

The Westminster Kennel Club will host the event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on January 31, with Best in Show concluding the program at Madison Square Garden on February 3.

Source

Original reporting: view the original article.