The European Open, Junior Open Agility World Championship and Border Collie Classics 2021 will not take place in Portugal

It should have been the big Agility year for Portugal. With the Junior Open Agility World Championship, the European Open and the Border Collie Classics, three of the biggest events of the year should have taken place in the Portuguese city of Abrantes. Now the disillusionment on the side of the organizers follows today. All three events cannot be held due to the Covid-19 pandemic. At least not in Portugal. Curiously, the organizers have not informed the FCI, the head organization behind the European Open and the Junior Open Agility World Championship of the cancellation in advance. In Portugal they are now hoping for the upcoming year and the postponement of the European Open 2022, which is actually planned in Belgium already. Similar to what the organizers of the Agility World Championship 2020 and the FCI did with the agreement of the organizers of the subsequent World Championships in Russia and the Czech Republic.

The question has been already for a long time in the room, whether the implementation of the three events in Abrantes is really realistic according to the current situation. The organizers were still confident in mid-December. At that time, specialists in virology and statistics were consulted who saw a possibility. A definitive decision should have been made at the end of April at that time. Since then, however, the situation in Portugal and in large parts of Europe has noticeably deteriorated and forecasts see little potential for improvement until the end of summer. Especially with regard to the size of the European Open and the Junior Open Agility World Championship. Two of the biggest Agility Events in the world. In Portugal, after a renewed consultation with the experts, the sponsors, the helpers and the localities, they agreed not to take any unnecessary risk and to cancel all three events in 2021. Just without informing the FCI and the responsible for the Border Collie Classics beforehand. These were only contacted today, a few hours before the general publication.

The communication refers to the reasons mentioned above, which are understandable given the current situation. At the same time, it is expected that all three events will be held in the coming year. To this end, a proposal that has already been approved by the Portuguese Association has been addressed to the FCI in the communication. The organizers in Portugal still dream and do everything in their power to make Abrantes to the Agility capital of the year. Instead of 2021, it should now just happen in 2022. The 2020 World Championship in Estonia is used as a precedent. At that time the event was also postponed by a year. Just after many discussions between the Estonian Association, the FCI, as well as the two organizers of the already planned World Championship 2021 in Russia and the World Championship 2022 in the Czech Republic (Editor’s note: All World Championships are postponed by one year). At the time, they showed themselves to be understanding and well-meaning.

So whether the European Open 2022 will take place in Portugal or in Belgium is not known. In fact, the European Open and the Junior Open Agility World Championship 2021 have not been canceled finally as this is not the responsibility of the organizer. However, the current situation in most countries does not allow tournaments of this size. Setting up an alternative within a few months is also not really realistic. Only the FCI itself can give a definitive answer.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/agilityabrantes2021/posts/244588373773398 / https://www.facebook.com/groups/383870845005713/permalink/3747500078642756/