Pictured above left is "Dash," owned by Melinda Sowash and part of her Power Pack "Reactor" team competing in a Flyball tournament in Arizona. "Hawk," owned by Marge Henderson of St. George, Utah, is the start dog for the Power Pack "Energizer" team. The Flyball tournament here starts 8 a.m., Saturday morning in Petrack Park behind the fire station. Advertisement

Another sport has gone to the dogs and Fido is ecstatic.

There is a growing popularity for the sport of Flyball.

For the uninitiated (don't feel bad), Flyball is a team sport for dogs -- and their people; a combination of fetch and drag racing in the form of a relay, an obstacle course and a ball.

Two four-dog teams race against each other in measured parallel lanes. Each dog jumps four hurdles and triggers a spring-loaded box which releases a ball. Fido must then catch the ball, carry it back over the hurdles to the starting line where his "teammate" is released and it starts again.

Speed is important but accuracy is imperative; any error and that dog has to run the course again, adding to the team's cumulative time.

It's more complicated than it sounds but suffice to say the first team of four to complete the track successfully is the winner.

This isn't just a sport for big dogs. It is open to canines of all sizes and the jump heights are determined by the smallest dog on the team.

The sport attracts dog lovers from all over the U.S. and 11 teams from Arizona, Utah, California and Nevada will be gathering in Pahrump for a Flyball Tournament on Saturday and Sunday.

Melinda Sowash, owner of the Power Pack team in Pahrump, will be there to compete.

Although this is only the third tournament held in Pahrump, Sowash has been competing since 1998. Her team, and the teams of other Pahrumpians, is registered with a Las Vegas chapter of the North American Flyball Association. Teams and their animals must be registered with the association in order to compete.

That's right; it's a national sport and has been featured on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno in an attempt to raise awareness.

Sowash said it takes a lot of work to get a team coordinated enough to compete. "It takes five people to run a team at one of these competitions," she said, "One as a handler for each dog and someone to load the "springbox."

Three members of Power Pack are local, one is in Las Vegas and the other comes from St. George, Utah. Sowash said, "The Utah member is 70. She's my inspiration. I just hope I'm in as good a shape as she is when I get to be that age."

Sowash said they do get a chance to practice. "We can train with only three people; two dogs to relay and someone to operate the "springbox" will accomplish a workout for the dogs."

There are a number of reasons to get involved in "Flyball.' It's a good way to meet people; it's good exercise for both people and animals; competitions aren't limited to breed of dog or size -- everyone is welcome and it's a good way to form a bond with man's best friend.

The tournament will take place starting at 8 a.m. Saturday morning in Petrack Park, behind the fire station. It will continue into Sunday.

Sowash will have brochures and information sheets for anyone interested in getting involved with the sport.

To get a feel for the rules governing competitions, go to the NAFA Web site www.flyball.org.

For more information call Sowash at 727-0367.