UKC Coonhound Weekly Bulletin, Edition 35
January 6, 2026
Source: Allen Gingerich, Director of Hunting Ops
Email: agingerich@ukcdogs.com
Past Events
What a weekend in Orangeburg. If the Grand American is any indication, we're in for another strong year of major events in 2026. The turnout of both spectators and competitors was great and noteworthy of this first event.
On behalf of the United Kennel Club and our Hunting Ops team, we extend our sincere appreciation to President David McKee and the entire crew for delivering another successful and enjoyable event. Their team is large, and naming everyone risks leaving someone out, but I do want to give a special shout out to Ashley Moss. She wore several capes throughout the weekend and seemingly handled every challenge, as she does, in full beast mode.
I had a great time working alongside Field Rep Philip Foster at our table in the headquarters building. We truly appreciate everyone who stopped by and the time spent connecting with so many fellow hound enthusiasts.
Thank you to everyone who entered a hound in the hunts or shows, and to all who came out simply to experience everything the Grand American has to offer. Congratulations to all who earned a win and had their photo taken.
Grand American Pro Slam Winners
The Walterboro CHA held another successful Pro Slam on the Thursday night of the Grand American weekend. Thanks to club member Mikey Covington for all his efforts providing matchups, results and photos. Congratulations to handler Duke Proulx and owner Ashley Dalton on winning the Pro Slam with 2025 World Championship Finalist Gun Smoke.
1ST PLACE $3,000
GRNITECH'PR'WILLY'S SMOKE SHOW 3M TW ASHLEY DALTON WV H: DUKE PROULX
2ND PLACE $1,750
GRNITECH'PR'JOHN WICK 6M TW WILLIAM COCHRAN RYAN EADDY GA H: ETHAN KING
3RD PLACE $1,250
NITECH'PR'WIPEOUT MIGHTY MAX 2M TW DAVID LEWIS VA H: JUSTIN ALLEN
4TH PLACE $1,000
CH NITECH'PR'ARNETT'S SYCAMORE SUPER FLEX 1M B&T ASHER ARNETT AL H: RUSTY ARNETT
Whats Happening
Here at the UKC office were gearing up for our next administered event, the Winter Classic. Advanced entry reservations are currently open, they close on Monday, January 26th. Winter Classic Information and Online Entries
Congratulations to the 2026 Top Ten quailifiers. Top Ten Final Standings Those eligible for the Top Ten Bench Show will enter on the arena floor on Friday. All others may reserve their entry for the hunts and shows by following the Winter Classic Information link above.
Tournament of Champions
Qualified for the Tournament of Champions and havent received your invitation or seen where to enter? Dont worry, invitations will be mailed to the first owner on record of each qualified coonhound around the first of February. Online entries will open on the first Monday in February and close on the first Monday in March. Remember to enter in February and you wont need to worry about any specific date.
World Championship
Currently, we have one more World Championship Zone location to finalize before we announce all those locations. However, we can let the cat out of the bag here and ask you to make plans for the finals to be back in Portland, Indiana on the first weekend in October. Same place as last year. Judges for the show have been selected and will be announced soon. RQEs are already starting up in January and will run through the end of August.
New Club Materials and Processes
All Corresponding Club Officers, listed as such on file at the UKC office, should have received an email with more details on the new event materials and processes now applicable for all clubs in 2026. If not, check your junk folders or contact Hunting Ops to make sure your email address on file is accurate and up to date. This will be imperative for corresponding purposes.
Those clubs with their first events starting in January should have already received their 2026 packet that includes scorecards and further instructions. Packets for those clubs with their first events being in February are scheduled to leave the UKC office this week. In other words, clubs should expect their annual packet to arrive approximately three weeks prior to their first event of the year.
For those who have not yet seen all the details and have questions, please be patient. UKC has recorded some tutorial videos that will be made available soon and eliminate a lot of questions and concerns. If you have an event coming up and have not seen the tutorials and have questions, our team in Hunting Ops is always willing to help. Call us at 269.343.9020 choose option 2 or Email Hunting Ops
Guided by the belief that dogs make a difference by being the best partner a human can have in the field, on the job, or in a competition event, UKC is a community for people and dogs to pursue excellence together. Founded in 1898, UKC has been dedicated to enhancing the lives of Dogs That Do More, and their owners, by providing essential resources to help owners and breeders make informed decisions. The dog-human bond is celebrated through family-friendly programs highlighting the instincts and heritage of purebred and mixed-breed dogs alike at over 18,000 licensed events annually.