The Greater Western All Breeds Obedience and Agility Club will hold its annual agility trial over Saturday and Sunday and its vice-president Geoff Griffin says it’s set to be a big one.

“This one promises to be the largest and most successful so far, with 770 entries representing about 300 dogs and their handlers,” he said.

“There will also be the top 25 agility dogs in NSW competing to qualify for the Australian National Championships.”

Four events will be run over three levels - novice, excellent and masters – involving obstacles such as tunnels, jumps, boardwalks, see-saws and A-frames (where the dog scrambles to the top and slides down).

Mr Griffin said agility trials highlight the bond between the handler and their animal. 

“These runs are usually quite complex,” he said. “The dog has to be able to watch and be aware of exactly where the handler wants them to go.

“There can be quite difficult sections where they [the dogs] think it's straight, but it's not.”

The handler’s direction, he said, shows the dog where to go and what to do and, as such, timing is everything.

The agility trials can be surprisingly fatiguing for even a very fit dog like a border collie that does plenty of yard work at home, he said.

“That’s because there's so much mental work for the dog and they have got to do it quite quickly,” he said.

There might be 20 obstacles in one run in masters, he said, and the dog might have to speed through those obstacles in as little as 40 seconds.

The agility trial will be held at the CBD end of the Bathurst Showground from 8.30am to 5.30pm this Saturday and Sunday. 

Mr Griffin said three rings will be operating and food and coffee vans will be on-site.

He said the Bathurst Correctional Centre inmates who are involved in training companion dogs for returned servicemen will be acting as stewards on Saturday morning.​