How it all
started...
 It may have been John Varley's
idea to do a dog jumping competition to fill the spare time in the Crufts
Main Arena between the Obedience Championship and the Group Breed judging, but
it was left to Peter Meanwell to organise the demonstration. He turned to his
long-time friend Trevor Jones of the Yorkshire Working Trials Club to provide a team of
four dogs. Before his death, Trevor wrote this brief account exclusively for Agilitynet about the first
time he heard of Agility.
My first memory of Agility was on a rainy
day on a Lincolnshire farm. I was at the ASPADs Tracking Dog of the Year
competition with Peter Meanwell. We'd both been invited to take part as we each
had a dog that had won an ASPADs tracking competition that year.
As we were walking across a wet grassy field
towards a pub where the competition was based, I remember Peter pulling a piece
of grubby paper from his pocket. This must have been the first
ever idea for an agility course.
Then he asked f I could get some dogs from
Yorkshire Working Trials to go round.
At the time I don’t think I was too
enthusiastic. It could have been because it was mucky weather and I wanted us to
get back to the pub to get warm and dry. However, he persisted and persuaded me
as we were both top dog handlers with WT.Ch. (Working Trials Champion) dogs at
the time.
 By the time we'd reached the pub, it had
been agreed. I would put a Yorkshire team together.
I know a number of books have been written
about the start of agility, but believe me, I was there. It was only Peter
Meanwell and me in that field on that cold wet day.
And that's how it all started.
I have many more memories that I recall and
one day I will write them all down.
Maybe now is the time.
Author credit...
Sadly Trevor Jones passed away before he could write down all his memories.
First published 2022
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