Six hundred handler and dog partnerships will be invited to compete at the 1-TDC Invitational in Chicago, at the Canlan Sports facility in Barrington, IL, held from March 26th to 29th 2026.
Invitations to compete at the 1-TDC Invitational will be based upon results gained at UKI International Challenge Events (ICE), the US Open, Canadian Open or the West Coast Open.
The event is comprised of a WAO style Pentathlon, Biathlon and Games Challenge, culminating in a Blue Ribbon Final.
Byes will be awarded from the 1-TDC Invitational to the three UKI Opens for 2026 and 5 WAO spots will be awarded in the equivalent heights, allowing handlers to choose to represent their country or to run as a Wildcard in 2027.
The event will take place at the Canlan Sports facility on the following dates in the future;
25th - 28th March 2027
Qualification for the 1-TDC Invitational
The event will be open to 600 dogs.
- 110 partnerships will be invited from winning an Overall ICE.
- 390 partnerships will be invited due to their results at the
- Canadian Open
- West Coast Open
- US Open
- 80 dogs will be invited from a seeded random draw.
- 20 dogs will be invited from an international pool.
WAO Win on Spot.
In the 8”, 12”, 16”, 20” and 24” height categories there will be one win on spot to the 2027 World Agility Open for the partnership to compete in all 3 individual events.
The partnership may choose to run for their country at the WAO, thus gaining their country an extra dog in that height, or the partnership may choose to run at WAO under the Wildcard flag.
From the overall result in the Biathlon, the Games, the Pentathlon and the Blue Ribbon Final, using cumulative points, a points system will be used where first place equals 1 point, second place equals 2 points, third place equals 3 points, scoring down to last place.
The partnership with the lowest points total gains the Win on Spot.
Class Name | Summary of Class |
Biathlon | Jumping round and an Agility round with the results combined |
Games Challenge | Snooker round and Gamblers round with the results combined. |
Pentathlon | Two Jumping rounds, two Agility rounds and a Steeplechase round with the results combined. Faults are converted to seconds on a 1:1 ratio. |
Challenger Round | Agility class that is a one-off round for those that have not qualified for the North American Championship Final. The winner of this class gains a place in the 1-TDC Blue Ribbon Final. |
The 1-TDC Blue | Qualifying from the three events, Biathlon, Pentathlon and Games. The Final will be a one off agility class as a stand alone result. |
Byes to be Gained for Future Events from the 1-TDC Invitational 2026
Biathlon Overall Winner
Winner in each height gains the following byes.
- Automatic bye into the UKI Stakes final at the West Coast Open 2026
- Round 2 bye at the Canadian Open 2026
- Guaranteed run in the Biathlon Agility at the US Open 2026
Pentathlon Overall Winner
Winner in each height gains the following byes.
- Automatic bye into the Masters Final at the US Open 2026
- Automatic bye into the Masters Final at the Canadian Open 2026
- Guaranteed run in the Pentathlon Steeplechase at the West Coast Open 2026
Games Overall Winner
Winner in each height gains the following byes.
- Guaranteed run in the Gamblers at the Canadian Open 2026
- Guaranteed run in the Gamblers at the West Coast Open 2026
- Guaranteed run in the Gamblers at the US Open 2026
The 1-TDC Blue Ribbon Final Winner
Winner in each height gains the following byes.
- Automatic bye into the UKI Stakes final at the West Coast Open 2026
- Guaranteed run in the Pentathlon Steeplechase at the West Coast Open 2026
- Guaranteed run in the Gamblers at the West Coast Open 2026
- Automatic bye into the National Final at the US Open 2026
- Automatic bye into the Masters Final at the US Open 2026
- Automatic bye into the Speedstakes Final at the US Open 2026
- Automatic bye into the National Final at the Canadian Open 2026
- Automatic bye into the Masters Final at the Canadian Open 2026
- Guaranteed run in the Gamblers at the Canadian Open 2026
ABOUT THE 1-TDC INVITATIONAL VENUE
Canlan Sports Lake Barrington is the leading sports complex in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, featuring an olympic-sized turf, 4 regulation sized sport-floor courts, volleyball and basketball courts, a walking/running track, training center, event rooms and full service, licensed food and beverage. Canlan Sportsplex is located at 28156 West Northpointe Parkway, Barrington, IL 60010.
Click here to visit the venue website
2026 1-TDC INVITATIONAL JUDGES
ASHLEY ANDERSON
I have been competing in dog agility since I was a child in the 90s. I've primarily owned and trained border collies, earning several championship titles in multiple venues. I currently compete in UKI with two young border collies and have two retired at home.
I began judging in 2013 and highlights so far include judging at the UKI US Open, twice. I enjoy seeing different teams showcasing their skills on course and love the adrenaline rush of a great run!
To view a sample of Ashley’s courses, click here.
ASHLEY DEACON
I have had a lifelong love of dogs, which started as a child in the North of England with the family pet, Patch, a Jack Russell Terrier. In 2002, I decided the time was right to own a dog. Just before Thanksgiving 2002, Luka - a Pyrenean shepherd - arrived on a Continental flight from Cleveland to San Francisco. This dog changed my life forever... Together Luka and I competed for 9+ years and during that time we won numerous national championships. In 2011, Luka celebrated her 9th birthday by winning the individual gold medal competing at the FCI World Championships in Liévin, France. Luka is no longer with us, but I have competed more recently with my 2nd Pyrenean shepherd, Dash and currently have a young border collie, Neve, in training.
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my wife, Stacey and two children. I have been coaching agility since 2010 and am a co-owner of Golden Gate Dog Sports in San Francisco.
I have been judging UKI events for the last 5 years, including several National events (US Open, West Coast Open and the 1-TDC Invitational). I am also honored to have been invited to judge the World Agility Open in 2026. I enjoy designing flowing courses that blend speed with handling challenges. I am excited to be judging the 2026 1-TDC Invitational! I wish all competitors the best of luck as they prepare for the event!!
To view a sample of Ashley’s courses, click here.
STEFANIE SEMKAT
My name is Stefanie Semkat, I started agility in 1996 and I have been an agility judge since 2003. Since then I have judged in most European countries and many times in Asia, but also South America and the USA.
I run an agility hall in Finland together with my partner Seppo Savikko and I work there as an agility trainer. When I have free time, I love to do agility with my Border Collie, in the past I was also running with Brittany Spaniels, Mudi and Papillon.
To view samples of Stefanie's courses, click here.
TAMAS TRAJ
My name is Tamás Tráj. It’s an honor to be part of this incredible event, and I’m thrilled to serve as your judge. I’ve been involved in the sport of agility since 2001. Over the past two decades, I’ve been fortunate to experience agility from multiple perspectives—as a competitor, trainer, course designer, and international judge.
As a competitor, I’ve represented my country in more than 20 countries, earning multiple titles and international podiums with my dogs. These experiences have shaped my deep understanding of agility from the handler’s side—something I always carry with me into my judging.
Since 2013, I’ve judged in 39 countries worldwide, including prestigious events such as the FCI Agility World Championship, European Open, Nordic Championship, and the American and Caribbean Championships. I’ve also had the honor to judge at the UKI US Open, as well as some of the biggest Open events around the world like the Norwegian Open, GuldAgility, Moravia Open, and Polish Open. In addition, I’ve judged at numerous National Championships and Team Tryouts across Europe, North America.
My course design philosophy is all about balance—combining speed, technical challenges, and natural lines to create flowing and fair courses that push teams to show their best while enjoying every second on the field. For me, course design is not just a science—it’s an art.
It’s a pleasure to see so many skilled teams here at the 1-TDC Invitational 2026. I know how much dedication and hard work it takes to compete at this level, and I’m excited to see your passion and teamwork shine.
I wish you all fast, clean runs, and unforgettable moments with your dogs.
Good luck to all, and let’s get started!
To view a sample of Tamas’s courses, click here.
