Greyhound Fritz Repeats as 2026 AKC Fast CAT Pure Speed Champion
Greyhound 'Fritz' won the HC 1 Pure Speed title for the second consecutive year at the 2026 AKC Fast CAT Invitational, setting a top speed of 36.04 mph.
Greyhound 'Fritz' is the 2026 AKC Fast CAT Invitational Pure Speed Champion for the second year running. The dog, officially named Fritsch FCAT7 and owned by David Nevius and Chris Kronick, clinched the HC 1 Pure Speed title with a blistering time of 5.675 seconds, translating to a speed of 36.04 mph.
The event was held at Sycamore Creek Family Ranch in Branson, Missouri from September 18-21. Over three days of preliminary runs, each of the 682 invited dogs competed twice in one of two divisions: Pure Speed or Speed of the Breed. The competitors represented 48 U.S. States, two Canadian provinces, and 197 individual breeds, including 16 mixed-breed dogs entered through the AKC Canine Partners program.
Top finishers in Pure Speed HCP 1
Fritz led a field of elite sprinters in the top tier. Whippet 'Newt' (TCS Mr. Scamander CAA FCAT), owned by Kimberly Salem, secured second place. Greyhound 'Pippin' (Danny’S Moll FCAT), owned by Elizabeth and Dave Williams, took third. In a notable showing for a mixed-breed, 'Mighty' (Mc’s Dyn-O-Mite FCAT), owned by Carrie Vosburg and Justin Daniel, captured fourth place.
The top four results in the HC 1 Pure Speed division were:
| Dog Name | Breed | Time (seconds) | Speed (mph) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fritz | Greyhound | 5.675 | 36.04 |
| Newt | Whippet | 5.745 | 35.60 |
| Pippin | Greyhound | 5.763 | 35.49 |
| Mighty | Mixed-breed | 6.284 | 32.55 |
HC 1.5 Pure Speed highlights mixed-breed success
Mixed-breed dogs dominated the HC 1.5 Pure Speed category. 'Summit' (Sincity’S Social Climber FDC CA FCAT2), owned by Gordon Kane and Lori Lagasse, won the championship. Another mixed-breed, 'Bestie' (Sincity’S My Bff FCAT2) owned by Pamela Martin, placed second. A Miniature American Shepherd named 'Dottie' (Dugger Mtn’s Red Dot Ace MX MXB MXJ MJB XF T2B CA FCAT2), owned by Jennifer Young, finished fourth.
Event scale and breed representation
The seventh annual Invitational showed the breadth of canine athleticism. The 10 fastest dogs from each breed, based on AKC Fast Coursing Ability Test rankings, received invitations. This led to diverse competitions within the Speed of the Breed division, which honored the top 10 dogs that most exceeded their breed's average speed.
In that division, a Pomeranian named 'Rocky' (Rocky Point BCAT STR FITB) placed second. A Chihuahua called 'Beetle' (MACH2 Dancing To A Different BeetBox MXS MJG MFB TQX T2B3 FCAT5 SWA SCE SEE SBE TKI) took third, and a Mastiff named 'Grace' (CH Rocking Oaks Admiral Hopper RI FCAT2 CGC TKN ATT VHMP FITS) finished fourth.
Other notable competitors included four Greyhounds in HCP 1, ten Belgian Malinois including one named Kat owned by Ashley Brezina, and seven Australian Cattle Dogs including one named Rose owned by Heather Santella. Fritz's owner, David Nevius, provided his champion's exact figures. "Fritz’s fastest time was 5.675 seconds with a speed of 36.04 mph," Nevius said.
Fritz’s back-to-back Pure Speed Championship wins position him as a top contender for future AKC Fast CAT events.
