UKI US OPEN
The 2026 UKI US Open will take place from the
18th – 22nd November 2026 at Jacksonville Equestrian Center, Florida.
The event is open to all dogs and all handlers and there is no qualification necessary to enter.
Focusing solely on dog agility, The UKI US Open is the pinnacle of UKI shows each year.
Dogs will be showcasing their agility abilities in Agility, Jumping, Speedstakes and Games classes.
Future dates for your diary for shows to be held at Jacksonville Equestrian Centre.
2027 - The Open will run from 17th - 21st November.
2028 - The Open will run from 15th - 19th November.
US OPEN 2026 - 18th - 22nd November
The qualifying period is Sept 30th, 2025 - Sept 28th, 2026.
An overview of Byes and a US Open Tracker which helps you to to keep track of your Q’s and byes can be downloaded here.
If you are interested in sponsoring this event or are interested in vending, please enquire at katie.ukiusopen@gmail.com
Announcements and updates for all US Open information will be published on the US Open Facebook page. Please like this page to keep up to date.
CUPS, CLASSICS AND FESTIVALS INFORMATION
Find out all the Cups, Classics and Festivals information by clicking here.
Cups, Classics and Festivals give you the opportunity to gain byes and automatic spots at the US Open and West Coast Open.
ALL ABOUT THE UKI US OPEN VENUE
Jacksonville Equestrian Center is eighty acres of paradise in Jacksonville, Florida. This exceptional multi-purpose facility is conveniently located with access from major interstates I-10 & I-295.
The short drive to beautiful beaches, exciting downtown Jacksonville & historical St. Augustine, make Jacksonville Equestrian Center
An event location that is more like a vacation!
2026 UKI US OPEN
To view the judging assignments, click here .
2026 US OPEN JUDGES
ANGELA KOOP
I am Angela Koop from the Sunshine Coast, BC, Canada. I started agility in 2009 with my first dog Jake, an Australian Shepherd mix. Before Jake I completed imaginary obstacle courses around the playground with our family dogs in Saskatchewan. It was a real dream come true when I found this sport in my adult years. I now have a Labrador Retriever, Monarch, who is teaching me even more about how to be a better teammate while playing this game we love.
My judging career began 7 years ago. In the past few years, I have had the opportunity to travel throughout North America watching so many amazing teams. Highlights for me were judging the Canadian Open in 2023 and the Run IT West Coast Open in 2025.
Thank you to everyone who has invited me to judge for you, the trust you put in me is not taken for granted. You are making all my judging dreams a reality! I love witnessing the smiles on the handlers and dogs faces as they move through the courses. I enjoy creating courses that flow and have multiple ways to navigate them. I am always pushing myself as a judge to grow, with continued education and conversations with my peers.
I am so looking forward to seeing everyone at the 2026 US Open.
To view a sample of Angela’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 (now retired) 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 7 years, including multiple National events (US Open, West Coast Open and the 1-TDC Invitational).
In 2026 I am honored to have been invited to judge the World Agility Open. I enjoy designing flowing courses that blend speed with handling challenges. I am excited to be judging the 2026 US Open! I wish all competitors the best of luck as they prepare for the event!!
To view a sample of Ashley's courses, click here.
MCKENZIE MINTO
McKenzie Minto has been involved in dog agility for over 16 years and has represented the United States on the world stage 8 times. She and her border collie, Safari, competed in the Junior World Championships, where they won two silver medals, before transitioning into the adult field, earning spots on Team USA for the European Open and World Agility Open. Currently, she is enjoying the training journey with her young border collie, Oasis.
As a judge, McKenzie takes great pride in watching teams showcase their skills and teamwork on her courses. She has a deep appreciation for the bond forged between handler and dog, believing it to be the foundation for success in the sport. An international competitor herself, she remains in touch with global agility trends and strives to design courses that allow teams to exhibit the skills needed for today’s most prestigious events.
McKenzie is passionate about fostering the next generation of agility handlers and works to create opportunities for them as Co-Director of Boundless Junior Agility Company.
Outside of agility, she works as a public accountant in San Francisco and is pursuing her CPA license.
To view a sample of McKenzie's courses, click here.
PAU SERRANO
My name is Pau Serrano — I am an international Agility judge and competitor, with more than 20 years of experience designing courses and 5 years judging events around the world.
I am passionate about creating flowing, technical and exciting courses that truly bring out the best in every dog–handler team, where handlers must decide which movements and lines are the best option for each type of dog.
I had the opportunity to compete at the US Open in 2024 and to enjoy this amazing event from the inside, as an athlete. Now, I am extremely excited to come back… but this time from the other side: as a judge in 2026. I’m looking forward to it with a lot of energy, motivation and excitement — let’s enjoy this great event together!
To view a sample of Pau’s courses, click here.
SHANE MILLER
Shane has been involved with agility since 2009 when he started with his first dog, a
Rottweiler named Kalil. In 2011 he got his first Belgian Malinois, Luna, with a desire
to be morecompetitive in agility. That desire was quickly realized as at 3 years old
Luna was selected to be on the 2014 European Open team. They were on the EO
team for 5 straight years (2014-2018). They also attended, as part of Team USA, the
2016 World Agility Championship, the 2018 Agility World Championship, the 2019
World Agility Open, and the 2019 FMBB (Belgian world championships). On top of
their wealth of international experience, Shane and Luna have also stood on many
podiums nationally for Regionals, Classics, Cups, and Nationals.
In 2018, Shane took the next step in his agility journey by becoming a UKI judge. He
quickly became a popular judge due to his great course designs focusing on spacing,
challenges, and flow. He was asked to be a US Open reserve judge in 2021 and a
main judge for the 2022 US Open. He also designed courses for the 2020 Canadian
virtual Open and the 2021 Canadian Open, the 2023 West Coast Open and the
inaugural 2024 1-TDC UKI Invitational. Additionally, he is one of the handful of UKI
judges trusted to be a course reviewer for UKI starting in 2022.
Additionally, Shane also teaches agility where he focuses on getting teams to believe
in their skills and training by showing what is possible, even on the hardest
challenges, by focusing on foundation fundamentals and the communication
between human anddog.
Outside of the world of agility, Shane works as a Unified Communications engineer.
He and his wife live in Illinois and are the proud owners of 5 Belgian Malinois
To view a sample of Shane's courses, click here.
TANER DOGAN
Taner Dogan discovered agility with his first border collie, Safir, in 2014. His passion and dedication for agility brought him up to a competitive level very quickly.
Some of his agility achievements are:
CODE, 24” winner of UKI West Coast Cup in 2019.
CODE, member of the 2022 WAO Team USA
CODE, Biathlon Bronze Medalist at the 2022 WAO in Holland
ICE, member of the 2022 EO Team USA
ICE, member of the 2023 EO Team USA.
ICE, 24” Reserve Champion of the 2023 Norwegian Open Agility Championship
Taner is a UKI judge and has designed courses for UKI Home Agility, UKI trials including several cups and classics, workshops and custom-based training courses.
He judged at the US Open 2023 and the Run IT West Coast Open in 2025
Taner is also an agility instructor. He is currently teaching foundation and master international handling at Half Moon Bay Dog Sports in California and often holds workshops. He always follows the new trends and methods around the world to keep himself and his students up to date.
Taner loves to travel with his dogs in Europe and attend some big agility events such as BCC, Slovenian Agility Open, Polish Open, Norwegian Open etc…
Apart from dog agility, he is a molecular and cellular biologist teaching multiple online biology classes at international universities. He obtained my BS and PhD in Germany, and he has worked as a scientist/senior scientist in biotechnology in the Bay Area for 10 years.
To view a sample of Taner’s courses, click here.
