Join us August 4-6 for the 2023 UKC Western Classic
July 28, 2023
Department: All-Breed Sports
Email: allbreedsports@ukcdogs.com
United Kennel Club (UKC) once again welcomes exhibitors to celebrate their Dogs That Do More™ at the Cowlitz County Fairgrounds, in Longview, Washington August 4-6, 2023, as they host the 2023 UKC Western Classic.
The first UKC Western Classic was known as the Washington Classic at its inception in 2003, and featured Conformation and just one UKC-licensed performance sport: Obedience. The event was hosted at the Argus Ranch Facility for Dogs, in Auburn, Washington, about 100 miles north of the event's current location. The event took on the name Western Classic starting in 2022.
Over the years, UKC has added a number of licensed peformance sports to the docket, as now 20 years later, the event also features five more sports: Agility, Precision Coursing, Rally Obedience, Nosework, and Weight Pull. Additionally, the Western Classic is now held over three days instead of two. Some of those sports were not licensed by UKC when this event was first held. Weight Pull was brand new at the time of the first event, Rally Obedience would not be added until 2008, Nosework would not be added until 2015, and Precision Coursing would not be officially licensed until 2020.
In addition to performance sports, UKC will host its conformation shows over the course of the weekend, as highly qualified judges from across the country will judge each dogs conformation and adherence to its written breed standard. The Breed Standard outlines the ideal example of each breed, and judges strive to identify the dogs which conform most closely to those examples. We encourage spectators to be on-hand to cheer on their favorite breeds--or favorite handlers!
Those who attend this event, either as a spectator or as an exhibitor, will see countless fantastic examples of the UKC Total Dog concept. The philosophy of the Total Dog, embraced by UKC since its founding in 1898, celebrates dogs who are not only sterling examples of their breed standard, but also capable of doing the jobs for which they were bred and exceling in performance sports which utilize those skills and characteristics. UKC Total Dogs display equal parts Function, Temperament, and Structure.
UKC celebrates these dogs by awarding the Total Dog award at licensed events around the country, during which dogs are able to both earn a qualifying score in a performance event and win an award in Conformation. More details are available in the Premium List for the specific event. By winning a Total Dog award at a UKC classic event--like the Western Classic--a dog also becomes eligible for participation in the UKC Total Dog Invitational, held annually, where dogs and handlers compete for a $10,000 first prize.
So come join us in Longview, Washington as the UKC All-Breed Sports team heads to the west coast to celebrate Dogs That Do More™!