Meant to Be: Kayl McCann and Bee-Line’s Final International Adventure
July 09, 2026
When Team Canada arrives in Finland for the Agility World Championship this September, Kayl McCann will once again be among the country's top competitors.
It will mark her 24th appearance at a World Championship, but this year's event carries a significance unlike any before it. Over the course of her international career, she has earned 36 medals for Team Canada, but this year's event carries a significance unlike any before it.
It will also be the final international competition for her Border Collie, Bee-Line.
"My excitement actually grows with each World Championship, because I know exactly what to expect and I know the caliber of talent that will be there," says McCann. "There's an intensity and passion among the competitors that I share completely – it's incredible to be surrounded by people who want to be there just as much as I do."
After nearly a quarter-century of competing internationally, there is still one tradition she looks forward to every time.
"One moment that always sticks with me is opening ceremonies – it's one of the few times every competitor from every country is in the stadium at once. I like to take a second just to look out at that sea of jerseys and flags and realize we're all there for the same thing. There's no other competition that feels quite like the Agility World Championships."
That excitement has remained constant throughout McCann's career, but Bee-Line's journey to the world stage has been anything but straightforward.
Just as the pair were ready to begin competing internationally, the COVID-19 pandemic put those plans on hold. When competition resumed, another obstacle followed. Shortly after their first World Championship together in 2022, Bee-Line was diagnosed with Lyme disease.
In 2023, McCann achieved another milestone by earning her first invitation to the FCI Agility World Championship. But after arriving in the Czech Republic, Bee-Line measured over the event's height cut-off, leaving the pair unable to compete.
The setbacks didn't end there.
During the 2024 World Agility Open finals, Bee-Line broke a toe in an accident on the teeter, sending the pair to the emergency veterinary clinic instead of the podium. After recovering in time to compete at the Agility World Championship in Belgium, they finally enjoyed a drama-free championship the following year in Sweden, earning a clean round and finishing among the top five.
Through every disappointment and every triumph, one thing never changed.
"Bee-Line and I have always had a special connection. She picked me as her human at four weeks old, born right in my home – there was never a version of life where we weren't going to be together. She's a bit quirky, but I understand her and she understands me. Everything about our relationship has always been effortless. Her kennel name is 'Meant to Be,' and it couldn't be more true."
This September, that partnership will reach an emotional milestone.
Knowing Finland will mark Bee-Line's final international competition brings a mixture of emotions.
"If I think about it too much, it makes me emotional – sad, proud, grateful, all of it at once."
But after everything they have overcome together, McCann says she is approaching this championship differently.
"At this point, I feel like we don't have anything left to prove, so in a way we get to go into this with no pressure, just doing our best. That feels nice, honestly."
Rather than worrying about results, she is focused on soaking in every moment.
"My plan is to savour every moment of it, take lots of pictures and videos so I can look back on this trip for years to come, and try not to let my emotions get the best of me."
While this championship carries special meaning for McCann and Bee-Line, it is also another opportunity to represent Canada alongside some of the country's top agility competitors.
"This year's Canadian team has some excellent talent and a lot of experience, but we've also got some newcomers who I just know are going to have a bright future at the international level. I'm really looking forward to watching everyone compete. One of the things I love about being on Team Canada is that at these events, we're all on the same team instead of competing against each other – which is such a different feeling from the rest of the season."
Representing Canada on the world stage is something she never takes for granted.
"As a proud Canadian and a competitive person, I love having the opportunity to represent our country and prove that we deserve to be there. Our country may be big in size, but we have a very small population of handlers who compete at this level. Unlike many European countries, we don't get to train on courses like the ones we'll see at AWC on a regular basis – we work hard to set up and simulate that level of competition as best we can to prepare. Competing on the world stage as a Canadian is a real honour, and it's also genuinely challenging to do."
She also hopes people watching from home appreciate just how much dedication goes into competing at the sport's highest level.
"Agility at this level is NOT anything like what you see on TV or even at a local trial. It's so much more than 'running around with your dog.' ... The calibre of handler and dog competing at the World Championships is like comparing the NHL to a pickup game on someone's backyard pond. We spend almost the entire year thinking about, training for, and preparing for these events. It teeters on crazy, honestly!"
Canadian agility fans won't have to wait until September to cheer on Team Canada.
The Junior Open Agility World Championship and Senior Open Agility World Championship take place July 10 to 12 in Mannheim, Germany, where Canada's youngest and most experienced handlers will compete against the world's best. Later this month, Team Canada will also head to Fontainebleau, France, for the FCI European Open, taking place July 23 to 26.
While Canada's agility teams prepare for a busy summer of international competition, McCann is already looking beyond Finland.
"What's next is figuring out fun things Bee and I can do together that never require her to get on an airplane again – that's a promise I made to her!
She is also preparing for the next chapter alongside her other dog, 5-Alive.
"For me personally, the Agility World Championship goal continues with my young dog, 5-Alive. I've been training him for a few years now, and we're ready to rip off the Band-Aid and throw our name into the ring for 2027 Team Canada. Unfortunately, he won't be eligible for AWC itself since he's a mixed breed, but we'll focus on the other events that do accept him. He's absolutely incredible, and I can't wait to start his journey."
For now, though, the focus isn't on what's next. It's on one final trip to the world stage with the dog who has been beside her through every challenge and every triumph.
Not to prove anything. Simply to celebrate a partnership that, from the very beginning, was meant to be.
The opinions expressed by authors on the Canadian Kennel Club Blog and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of the Canadian Kennel Club or any of its employees.
Les opinions et les commentaires exprimés dans le blogue du Club Canin Canadien sont ceux des auteurs et ils ne reflètent pas les opinions du Club Canin Canadien ni de ses employés.