The 2026 Cynosport World Games Presented by Purina Pro Plan promise to be a special event that dog agility enthusiasts won’t want to miss. The national championship hosted by the United States Dog Agility Association takes place November 11–15 at the spacious outdoor Kino Sports Complex in scenic Tucson, Arizona.
“Cynosport is a major premiere agility event,” says competitor Amber McCune,* of Bedford, New Hampshire, who won the 20-inch and 24-inch Grand Prix classes at Cynosport in 2025 with her Border Collies, Shelby-Cobra and Prove-It, respectively.
“The level of competition is really tough,” says the co-owner and manager of American K9 Country, a multisport training facility in Amherst, New Hampshire, where she teaches agility. “Competitors are all trying to qualify to go to this big event where you get to show off your dog’s skills that you’ve worked on all year.”
Along with exciting dog agility competition opportunities at Cynosport, this year’s rendition will celebrate the 40-year anniversary of the inaugural dog agility event hosted by USDAA in November 2026 in Houston. This year marks the 22nd Cynosport World Games (held annually, except in 2020 due to COVID), which is the championship for the USDAA Tournament Series sponsored by Purina Pro Plan.
Sydney Ryan,* of Newberg, Oregon, won the 16-inch Performance class in Grand Prix and Masters Challenge Biathlon at Cynosport in 2025 with her Border Collie, Ego. “Cynosport is a big event, especially given the qualifications and requirements,” she says.
To qualify for Cynosport in 2026, dogs had to earn four qualifying scores (Q’s) at local qualifying events or regional dog championship semifinals during the tournament series from September 3–7, 2026. Qualifying scores had to be earned in a minimum of two different tournament events.
With Ego retiring in 2026, Sydney plans to compete at Cynosport with his son, Entitled, and a female Border Collie, Exquisite. The younger dogs also competed at Cynosport in 2025, with Entitled making the podium with a second-place finish in the 24-inch class of Strategic Games, and Exquisite making Steeplechase finals after only 7 months of training. Sydney feeds her dogs Purina Pro Plan Sport Performance 30/20 Chicken & Rice and 30/20 Salmon & Rice formulas.
“Entitled is very different from his father in a lot of ways,” says Sydney, an agility trainer at Corral Creek Dog Sport Center in Newberg, Oregon. “It’s definitely been a journey as we have worked to develop our own unique relationship.
“Exquisite, who was rehomed to me, absolutely blew my expectations out of the water last year at Cynosport. Since then, we’ve been doing a lot of training and a lot of growing as a team. We’ve had a whole year to fine-tune and polish our performance. I am really excited to see what she does this year.”
Attending Cynosport is required for those hoping to make Team USA and compete at the 2027 International Federation of Cynological Sports (IFCS) World Agility Championship in Magnago, Italy. USDAA offers win-on spots for each IFCS height based on individual performances in Masters Challenge Biathlon, Strategic Games, and two specialty classes for competitors who complete a team application.
“This year, I was planning to fly to Tucson with Prove-It because I want to try out for IFCS with him,” Amber says. “However, I recently went to a regional championship with Shelby and Motive, where both dogs qualified. Now, I am planning to make the thirty-seven-hour drive with all my competition dogs.”
At Cynosport in 2025, held in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Amber competed with five dogs: Prove-It, Shelby-Cobra, Motive, Typo, and Howey. She made the podium with all five dogs. Amber feeds her dogs Purina Pro Plan Sport Performance 30/20 Chicken & Rice formula, except for Motive, who is fed Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice formula.
“It was a good showing,” Amber says.
As she looks forward to running Entitled and Exquisite at Cynosport 2026, Sydney says, “I try to remember it’s a game we enjoy playing together. I know I have some talented and really cool dogs, so I like to think we have the potential to do pretty well.
“I have a strong emotional attachment to Cynosport,” Sydney concedes. “The first time I went was in 2025. It was my first national agility competition. I placed second in Masters Challenge Biathlon with my mom’s Border Collie, Sly.”
Meanwhile, Amber, who will be competing for the seventh year at Cynosport, says she enjoys “the competitive atmosphere, the course, and running on the amazing surface at the Kino Sports Complex. It’s the most beautiful turf, and it is great to run in the Arizona sun with the mountains all around.”
Good luck, Amber and Sydney, and to all who will be competing at this year’s Cynosport World Games Presented by Purina Pro Plan!
*Contributors to this article may have received Purina Pro Plan dog food.
