On August 17th, UKI announced the suspension of the chute as an obstacle (it was optional in any case). The next day its parent organization UK Agility also announced the suspension of the chute.
Starting on August 29th, the you know what hit the fan! AKC, USDAA, TDAA, CPE, IFCS, AAC and the UK Kennel Club also announced the suspension of the chute. CPE also axed the tire and triple at the same time.
Bad Dog Agility did a podcast on August 31st discussing the events. They also have a timeline on the page. You can access it here: http://baddogagility.com/episode-142-dog-agility-world-shuns-the-chute/
The amazing thing is the speed in which these organizations reacted to the UKI/UKA announcements. Some of these organizations are not noted for being particularly agile. Were they afraid of UKI getting a few more trials? UKI has grown quickly. Here in Florida, it is in the top four with UKI and USDAA battling it out for third/fourth place. UKI had more trial weekends last year but USDAA had more trial days. Agility Trial Stats
I heard that UKC will continue to use the chute, stating that the angles of approach and departure will not cause problems. Indeed, speed is not really a issue in UKC.
I have not heard anything about ASCA but the chute is an optional obstacle.
I assume that most of you will stop training the chute. Would you attend a trial where you may encounter a chute? For this reason, I think that ASCA will eventually drop the chute. UKC on the other hand has a number of unique obstacles so what is one more?
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