The Kentucky Derby is happening on Saturday, but here in Austin, a different kind of racing is drawing people from all over the country.

We’ve come to accept the dog’s fascination with squirrels, mice, and even birds.  But what is it about a tennis ball that triggers a terrier to run like a turkey on Thanksgiving Day?

You could call it retriever relay, even canine chaos, but Kathy Gmitter calls it a sport.

“The name of the sport is flyball!," she said.

On this sunny Saturday, hundreds of dog owners come from across the country and even Canada to test their teams’ speed at Triple Crown Kennels in Hutto.  And from the bark to the bite, these dogs are masters of their craft.

“The dog starts when those lights come down and they race the other team to see who can get all four dogs to get their balls, come back over the jumps, with the balls in their mouth and deliver them to their owner the fastest,” explained Gmitter.

Complicated?  Yes.  Impossible?  No.  Competitors study their performance like a science.

“The dog coming over the line with the ball in his mouth and the dog going to get the ball should meet at that line at exactly the same time,” said Gmitter.

And it’s clear the dogs love the sport as much as their owners.

Over and over again, they retrieve and run under the watchful eyes of the clock. 

KVUE

With one look at the fire in Fido’s eyes, it’s clear there is rivalry to this retriever’s race.  But at the end of the day, pets and people alike cross the finish line a winner.