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The Wakefield Tykes Flyball Team

The Tykes are the oldest established team in the area, originating in the Agility section of the Wakefield Canine Training Club in the days before the formation of the British Flyball Association created the flyball scene we know today.

The Tykes team captain, Lois [Tony ] Hooper was the prime motivator, she had discovered Flyball when she went on a Roy Hunter training course, and brought a box and a set of mice back to the agility club for us to try [Yes - we used soft toy mice, not tennis balls to begin with]

She and Mary McKay built jumps and worked out ways to make the box easier to operate. In those days there were no standard boxes as we know them now, they were triggered by a small pedal sticking out of the box at the bottom, which was connected to a piece of bunjee cord and then to a cup. The cup ejected the mouse through a largish hole in the top of the box. Some dogs thought the fairies would send the mouse out if they barked loudly enough, others resorted to putting their heads down the hole and lifting the mouse out. Eventually we had enough dogs who could operate the box and complete the run correctly to enter competitions, which were usually held at Kennel Club Agility shows, and the team did in fact reach the finals on one occasion.

From those early beginnings, interest in Flyball snowballed, and eventually the British Flyball Association was formed, which took the sport into a completely new direction. The Kennel Club version continued, and the Kennel Club Flyball Finals are held each year at Crufts. Some Flyballers take part in both types of Flyball, but the BFA version is by far the most popular. The main differences that can be seen by the spectator are the style of box - the Kennel Club one causes the ball to fly out and be caught in the air by the dog, whereas with the BFA one the dog catches the ball as soon as it leaves the box - and the fact that all timing is done electronically, using lights and a timer controlled start gate in the BFA version. In the Kennel Club version timing is done manually, using a stop watch, which in turn means that crossovers are not as tight.

Initially most flyball was taking place in the South of England, but the Wakefield Tykes team went from strength to strength, with some members leaving to form new teams in their own localities, until now it is possible to compete in flyball most weekends without travelling more than 1 - 2 hours from home. New teams are still forming as flyballers break away from their parent team, and now there are at least 8 teams in the Wakefield / York / Doncaster triangle, with others in Leeds, Huddersfield, Halifax, Sheffield, Middlesbrough, and a whole host of them just across the Penines. Many of these can trace their roots back directly to the Wakefield Tykes.

Currently the team is undergoing a major re organisation, moving to a new home and looking to recruit new members. Details will be posted on this page as soon as they are finalised, together with a contact address for anyone who would like to be part of the next generation of the Wakefield Tykes.