Ice cream means fun. That is exactly what the team at the Canine Sports Zone in Middleton, Wisconsin, had in mind when they chose ice cream as the theme for the North Central Regional Championship they are hosting for the United States Dog Agility Association®.
“We are scooping up ice cream-theme prizes and prepping a playlist of music to dish out for our theme,” says Shawna Richgels, co-owner and director of Canine Sports Zone. “We welcome creativity if people want to make costumes for themselves and their dogs as their favorite nut, fruit or other ice cream topping.”
The North Central Regional Championship will be held August 8 to 10, 2025. It is one of 10 USDAA regional championships and the next-to-last one before the year’s grand finale, the Cynosport® World Games Presented by Purina Pro Plan October 15 to 19 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Besides ice cream-theme prizes, music and costumes, there will be an ice cream sundae bar, ice cream event T-shirt for early registrants, colorful ice cream decorations and photo backdrops to create memories and laughs, Shawna says.
“In January, we picked our theme,” she says. “We are having fun with this.”
“We love it when host facilities adopt a theme, whether it is a regional cultural theme or something whimsical, as it adds to the festivities,” says Ken Tatsch, founder of USDAA. “Regionals are a destination event, with people often coming from several states away.”
In its fourth year of hosting the North Central Regional Championship, Canine Sports Zone is a well-oiled machine. As of mid-March, 17 supporters and instructors had signed up to work the event. Their jobs include kitchen duty preparing breakfast, lunch and snacks, facility maintenance, decorating, ordering prizes, RV reservations, hospitality, answering questions and scorekeeping.
“Our team knows the job,” Shawna says. “With our crew, we are fortunate to put on an event this large and keep it moving. We love having the regional here.”
“The regional championships are like the playoffs,” says Ken, who brought dog agility to the U.S. in the 1980s. “You can earn a bye into semi-finals at Cynosport, and if you win at regionals, you can earn a spot in finals for the Grand Prix of Dog Agility®.
“Regionals have three key elements of top-level competition -- stiffer competition, greater scrutiny and endurance over a series of days. It’s good preparation for Cynosport, where there is only one shot at winning.”
Nearly 1,100 agility runs are expected over the three-day event that will take place in one competition ring. The spacious 132-foot-wide-by-80-foot-long ring will be decked out in brand new turf installed in November 2024 that will delight competitors and their canine partners.
Shawna and co-owner Deb Schulman researched turf surfaces over one and a half years before choosing a spongy, cushioned surface with rubber infill made specifically for the sport of agility. A special rubber grip layer under the turf secures the surface and keeps it from sliding and slipping.
“We wanted dogs to be protected as they come off the dog walk or land from a jump,” Shawna says. “We wanted the best physically for dogs, and we wanted to protect their joints. That was our goal.”
Oohs and aahs have come from all who have run dogs on the new turf.
“The turf has phenomenal footing that lets you really dig in, and there’s no worry about slipping,” says Carrie Knutson, of Madison, Wisconsin, an instructor and competitor, who trains her 2 1/2-year-old Border Collie, “Rayna” (Hob Nob Royal Red TKN), at Canine Sports Zone.
“The spongy impact for dogs is great,” says Allison Osting of Verona, Wisconsin, who teaches advanced beginners and trains her Border Collies, “Skittles” (Kickstart’s Little Bag Of Skittles OA AXJ), 8 years old, and “Stig” (Scaandia’s Some Say OA NAJ), 9 years old.
“We are lucky in this area to have Canine Sports Zone,” Allison says. “Shawna is a gift. She has a passion for dogs and gives her whole life to creating a place where people feel safe and have fun. This is a wonderful place to celebrate dog sports.”
Shawna founded Canine Sports Zone in 2014 after nearly 20 years in the sport and after a 23-year career as a designer of active wear and swimwear for a clothing catalog company.
“It was a leap of faith,” she says.
“When our first location was sold for apartments, we moved into our current building about 500 feet away,” Shawna says. “It gave us the opportunity to see if our business plan would work – whether there was interest from the community -- and it did.”
The 30,000-square-foot Canine Sports Zone is best known for its agility program, though nose work, flyball, tracking, obedience and rally also are offered. In addition to the large competition ring, there are two training rooms with turf and a room with mats.
Among the best things about Canine Sports Zone, Carrie says, “is the culture of people who are positive and cheer for one another. Everyone is so supportive. “
“Our students range from those who aspire to build the best possible relationship with their dog to those who have competed on world teams,” Shawna says. “A lot of people in the community don’t have any expectation of doing competition agility, but they want to do something with their dogs to build confidence or burn off energy.”
Nearly 30 years ago, that is how Shawna began in the sport.
“I was looking for something active to do with our rescued Boxers,” she says.
She transitioned to Border Collies about 10 years later.
Her working rapport with her first Border Collie, a male named “Crush” (MACH2 PACH Hob Nob Steam Roller CD RN MXS MJG MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX OF TKN MPD PTM-Bronze RM ADC JM TM-Bronze ADCH RATN), led to a devout group of enthusiasts who asked Shawna to help them train. They gathered once a week for class on a grassy field at her home.
“People saw the relationship I had with Crush and how I made sure we had a good time,” she says. “He was a multi-finalist and champion at Cynosport.
“I think it is a real honor to train dogs. I get just as much enjoyment watching a dog that didn’t have confidence go over the A-frame with gusto as watching a team get on the podium.”
Now, 11 years since opening, Canine Sports Zone is hosting the 2025 North Central Regional Championship, an event sure to test one’s composure under fire.
“The regionals put the pressure on, and people will need to give it their best to come out on top,” Ken says.
Amid the excitement of preparing for the event, there is also the thrill of getting personal dogs ready to compete.
Shawna plans to compete at Cynosport with her 4-year-old female Border Collie, “Pato” (Hob Nob Putting My Ducks In a Row NA OAJ CGC TKN AG AAD ASA AD IND SSN).
“Pato is one of the easiest dogs I’ve ever trained,” she says.
Carrie plans to run young Rayna, her first Border Collie.
“I am excited to work with her and run her here,” Carrie says. “She is starting to put things together.”
Allison, who plans to run Skittles and Stig, says, “I am looking forward to seeing the USDAA community come together at the regional and the new dogs and dogs that have advanced.”
The bottom line, Shawna says, “is to create a welcoming atmosphere for all dogs and all humans. We want those attending to find a supportive and friendly environment to test their team’s skills and to enjoy their canine partner and friends.”
Seems like there is a song that expresses the sentiment planned for the North Central Regional Championship. It goes like this, “I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream.”
