Please see the Practice information tab for Practice locations.  We have members from all over central Carolina from Winston Salem to Wendell.  

About Blockade Runners
The Blockade Runners was founded in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1996 by Mike Randall. Mike was originally with the Front Runners Flyball team, which is based out of Michigan. Mike Randall wrote the first NAFA rulebook in 1985, and was also the first NAFA Executive Director. Additionally he is the only flyball participant to have two dogs in the NAFA hall of fame. Mike gradually retired from flyball between 2011 and 2012 and Tammy Bonas became team captain. In 2020 Tammy designated Pam Schwentner and Meg Arpe as team Co-Captains. Tammy remains an active member of the team. 

The first person to join the Blockade Runners Flyball team was Charlene Saunders with her border collie, Brodie, in 1996. Since that time, the team has gone through multiple changes, but has always based itself on fun and a love for playing with our dogs. Blockade Runners were region 9 champions in (Years anyone?).  

The Blockade Runners was the first team in North Carolina to host a North American Flyball Association (NAFA)Flyball Tournament. It was held in conjunction with the Mighty Match in Raleigh, NC which was held in January, 1997. It was a cold and icy weekend, but teams came from as far north as Maryland and as far south as Georgia. The Blockade Runners, in conjunction with the other North Carolina Flyball teams, hosted the second North Carolina Flyball tournament in Charlotte, NC on April 1-2, 2000.

Since that time Blockade Runners hosted multiple tournaments. 

March 2021- Blockade Runners successfully held 2 1 day tournaments sanctioned by United Flyball International (Ufli)  in South Boston Virginia.   Contestants came from Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Pennsylvania.  

Rules for the Blockade Runners Flyball Team
1. While participation at practice, demos and tournaments is not mandatory, having fun is! 
2. No drama.  
3. Positive dog training, have fun with your dog! 
4. Everyone has input into lineups and seed times, but once they are submitted, no whining! 

General Information
The Blockade Runners doesn't have a scheduled practice day and time. We practice in the Knightdale/ Wendell area in eastern Wake County, Cedar Grove area of Northern Orange County and Julian in Guilford County NC, however, we do occasionally practice in other locations. Contact us for location and time of next practice.  

Everyone is welcome to attend our practices! Regardless if you are new to the sport or if you are already playing flyball with another team, everyone’s welcome. All dog breeds and mixes are also welcome. We do not charge for our practices. Occasionally we utilize the Quicksilver Canine facility for practices. When we utilize this venue, we divide the cost between all the participants. This is the only practice that has a cost. We have many years of experience and can help you train your dog. We have chosen not to host classes that require a payment as we simply enjoy the sport and don’t want to get into charging for training.  

Blockade Runners participate in about 12-14 tournaments a year, but members can pick and choose the tournaments they wish to attend. Tournaments are typically two days (Sat and Sun). Currently there are two to three tournaments held locally per year (Raleigh, Cary area), the rest require some travel (mostly NC, SC and VA). 

If you would like to find out additional information on this team or would like to come out to one of our practices please contact the Team Captain @ Captain@blockaderunnersflyball.com