In the agility community we have a tradition of celebrating special occasions by dousing people with water. This is great fun, but it can sometimes catch new competitors by surprise!
WhO Is at Risk of a Wetting?
These waterfights are held to celebrate the highest achievements in the agility world – making your dog up as a Champion or Grand Champion. To earn these titles, you need to collect high placings in the top grades (usually Senior or Jumpers A). People who are nearing these titles usually bring a change of clothes to every show, just in case.
For a Champion the wetting will usually involve just water. Grand Champions get the VIP experience, especially in the South Island, and may enjoy other treats such as flour or glitter.
If you are new to agility, don’t worry, you are not going to have water thrown at you any time soon. Just keep an eye out for large collections of buckets at prizegiving, and don’t sit in the path between the buckets and the prizewinners!
If you see THIS at prizegiving … sit well clear because it’s about to turn into THIS.
Is It Optional?
No. If you achieve a Champion or a Grand Champion title, you will get wet. You can postpone the deluge by leaving the show before prizegiving … but you’re going to get soaked multiple times at the next show instead. Just pack a change of clothes and suck it up.
Most recipients actually quite enjoy their soaking as a special way of celebrating with all of their friends. I was one of these, although the champagne that got in my eyes for my Grand Champion wetting really stung!
Agility is an equal opportunity sport, and the traditional wetting can be modified for recipients with medical conditions. If you’re nearing a title and you have a genuine reason why people shouldn’t throw buckets of freezing cold water at you, you just need to make this known and the agility community will improvise something for you. I have seen a shredded-paper “wetting”, and a wetting where warm water was used for an elderly Champion.
Why Waterfights?
The Agility Champion title was introduced in late 1998. There were a couple of lucky people who achieved it in early 1999 … and then winter came.
It was a very wet winter, and it became a running gag that you could only become a Champion if you got drenched with rain at a show. When summer came the rain dried up … and someone decided that it wasn’t fair for people to get their Champion title and stay dry. I remember seeing my first waterfight in early 2000, and since then every new title has been celebrated in style!