Competitors will vie for four World Championship titles at the WAO, three individual and one team:
Individual Competition
Pentathlon Championship
The Pentathlon consists of 2 rounds of Agility, 2 rounds of Jumping, and 1 round of Speedstakes. The combined results from the 5 classes determine the Individual Pentathlon World Champion. One world champion will be declared in each jump height. Scoring is cumulative; faults are added to time, and the lowest score wins in all aspects of the Pentathlon. Each country can enter 3 dogs per jump height.
Biathlon Championship
The Biathlon consists of 1 round of Jumping followed by 1 round of Agility. The combined results of the two classes determine the Biathlon World Champion. One world champion will be declared in each jump height. Scoring is cumulative; least faults wins with time as tie breaker only, in all aspects of the Biathlon. Each country can enter 3 dogs per jump height.
Games Championship
The Games Championships consists of 1 round of Snooker followed by 1 round of Gamblers. The combined results of the two classes determine the Games World Champion. One world champion will be declared in each jump height. Scoring is cumulative; highest number of points wins with time as tie breaker only, in all aspects of the Games Championship. Each country can enter 3 dogs per jump height.
Team Competition
The Team competition consists of 2 rounds of Agility, 2 rounds of Jumping, and a Team Relay. The combined results from the 5 classes determine the WAO Team World Champions.
Each country will be eligible to enter 1 team. Each team will be comprised of a minimum of 5 dogs, 1 dog from each jump height. A country must have at least 1 dog in each of the 5 height divisions in order to be eligible to enter the Team Championship. Teams may use different dogs in each round so potentially could use 25 dogs throughout the Team Championship
Each country will enter 5 dogs in each round, 1 dog from each jump height.
In the first 4 rounds, the 2 Agility rounds and the 2 Jumping rounds, only 4 scores per round will count with the lowest score in the team being dropped.
The fifth round of the event is the Team Relay class. Each country will enter 3 dogs. The course will be designed so that each dog will jump its own course during the relay. The jump heights will be 250, 400 and 500. A 250 or 300 dog can jump the 250 height. A 400 or 500 dog will jump at the 400 height. A 500 or 600 dog will jump at the 500 height. All three scores from this round will count.
Scoring is cumulative; faults are added to time, and the lowest score wins. The top eight teams after the first four events will be invited to compete in the Team Relay.
Overview of classes
Agility
The object of this class is to negotiate a full course of agility equipment. There are a minimum of 19 obstacles and a maximum of 22
Jumping
The object of this class is to negotiate a course without contact equipment. There are a minimum of 19 obstacles and a maximum of 22.
Speedstakes
The object of this class is to negotiate a Jumping course that also includes an A-frame. There are a minimum of 19 obstacles and a maximum of 22.
Team Relay
The object of this class is for 3 dogs and 3 handlers to work together to perform a relay course as a team. There are 3 jump heights in this class. Each dog on the team will perform a minimum of 12 obstacles and a maximum of 16 obstacles with a baton change between each run.
Gamblers
The goal of Gamblers is to accumulate as many points as possible within the time allotted by the judge, and then to make a strategic decision to perform one of the two short “gamble” sequences within a specified time period to earn bonus points.
Snooker
The object of the game is to earn as many points as possible within the course time set by the judge. Scoring is similar to the billiards game of Snooker; however, the judge may place the obstacles in the ring in any position.