Bonham, Texas -- Flyball dog relay teams from all across the U.S. and Canada converged on the Multipurpose Complex in Bonham this weekend for a Flyball race sanctioned by United Flyball League International. In all, 23 teams comprised of four dogs and handlers are competing, including five of the fastest teams in North America.

Since 2008, this popular tournament has been bringing a large, devoted following to the Multipurpose Complex.  Bonham is home to one of the six major United Flyball League International tournaments held annually.

"We've got players from Alaska and players from Canada coming to Bonham, Texas," says Karen Erz, Top Dog Racers Tournament Director, "people that had never even been to Texas before. In fact, one of our judges here today is from Canada."

There is a beautiful, family-friendly atmosphere at any event featuring man's best friend, and that is certainly the case with Flyball. Just watching the communication between handlers and dogs can be as fascinating as watching the determined, four-legged athletes race along the obstacle course.

And these are the type of visitors that cities and towns compete so hard to attract -- this is more than good-natured competition, it is also a significant economic boost for a town the size of Bonham.

Erz estimates the group reserves 40 hotel rooms in Bonham and 4-5 local AirBnBs for the weekend-long competition. Other competitors lease slots at the Multipurpose Complex for RVs and campers during the event. In addition to purchasing gas and supplies at Walmart, Erz says that approximately 70 competitors go out to eat every night at local restaurants. On Friday evening, the group filled Roma Italian Restaurant for a memorable meal.

Although Flyball tournament organizers seem to think the Multipurpose Complex is a good fit for this event, they say now that the City of Bonham operates the facility, the cost of the lease has effectively doubled. On top of that, the city requires 50% of the lease to be paid when the contract is signed.

"If the city won’t negotiate more favorable terms, we’ll have to determine if we’ll be able to afford to keep holding our competitions in Bonham," Erz explained.

The roots of Flyball date back to the late 1960s in Southern California. One of the highlights of every competition is when a race starts because all 300 dogs in the facility suddenly become a cheering section.

All eyes are on a set of drag racing lights.

When the bottom light turns green, the relay team's first dog speeds down the lane and over a series of jumps to reach a box with a ball that the dog must return to its handler to allow the next dog in the relay race to take off. When all four dogs have successfully completed the course, the team with the fastest time wins the heat and the team that wins the most heats wins the race.