Congratulations to our Big Winners at the 2024 Autumn Oaks

September 10, 2024

United Kennel Club wishes to congratulate our major winners at the 65th Annual Autumn Oaks, held August 29 September 1, in Richmond, Indiana!

We had another huge turnout this year, at the event which has been a Labor Day tradition dating back to its inception in 1960, and which has been a fixture in Richmond since the early 90's. It all started with the Warm-Up Slam series Tuesday through Thursday, presented by Bad Habit Hunting Supply, which saw record or near record turnout each night, including 132 entries on Wednesday, and 149 on Thursday.

National Dual Championship

On Thursday and Friday, we held the National Dual Championship, which is open to dogs who have earned a Bench Show Champion title and a Nite Champion title. This year's effort saw 82 dogs head into the woods on Thursday. After the hunt concluded, 21 dogs had earned plus-point cast wins and moved on to the show portion on Friday.

After the show was all said and done, we had the first ever English Coonhound to win the National Dual Championship, CH GRNITECH 'PR' Blackjack's Hardtime Nova, owned by Colten and Gunner Hein, of Ohio. Congratulations!

Congratulations to Colten and Gunner Hein, with National Dual Championship winner, CH GRNITECH 'PR' Blackjack's Hardtime Nova.

Bench Show

In the Bench Show on Saturday, we had 136 early entries, along with a number of walk-up entries, which headed into the ring to crown a National Grand Show Champion. While Treeing Walker Coonhounds have dominated the Nite Hunt, the Bench Show has continued to be wide open, with six of the seven recognized breeds winning at least once in the last ten years, including a Redbone Coonhound that took home top honors last year. This year, the Black & Tans found their way back to the top spot as Kelly Myers handled WSHOWCH GRCH 'PR' Gilman's Good Time Blues, a Black & Tan male she co-owns with Dave Myers. This win was the first by a Black & Tan at Autumn Oaks since 2018. Congratulations to Kelly and Dave on the big win! Opposite Sex honors went to WCH GRCH 'PR' Midnight Brindled Gena, a Plott female owned by Connie Hogan.

Congratulations to Kelly Myers, with National Grand Bench Show Champion WSHOWCH GRCH 'PR' Gilman's Good Time Blues.

Nite Hunt

After Friday night's hunt, we were able to narrow down to our Grand 16--our sixteen highest scoring double cast winners or highest scoring single cast winners--who would go on to compete Saturday night for the National Grand Nite Championship. A strong group of hounds hit the woods Saturday evening, consisting of nine Treeing Walkers, three Black & Tans, two Blueticks, and two English. In the end, it was three Walker and a Black & Tan that made it to the final cast, and they all deserve recognition:

• GRNITECH(3) 'PR' The Dixie Chic, a Walker female owned by Ashley Dalton, and handled by Phillip King
• GRCH GRNITECH(2) 'PR' Patricks Black River Tex, a Black & Tan male owned and handled by Ed Hillenbrand
• GRNITECH 'PR' She's A Bit Shady, a Walker female owned by Derek Mills and Dennis Goodman, and handled by Cody Sipe, and
• GRNITECH 'PR' Stylish Strike Out, a Walker female owned by Nichole Caudill and Bryan Williams, and handled by Joe Caudill.

The Treeing Walker breed's streak of National Grand Nite Champions extended to eight, as with a score of 150+ in the final cast, it was Cody Sipe with GRNITECH 'PR' She's A Bit Shady who came out with the victory. Congratulations to owners, handler, and dog on this major accomplishment!

Congratulations to Cody Sipe and Dennis Goodman with National Grand Nite Champion GRNITECH 'PR' She's A Bit Shady.

In total, hundreds of dogs went into the woods or into the show ring--or in some cases both--over the course of the weekend. United Kennel Club is thankful to the judges, field reps, clubs and club personnel, staffers, and local officials which were able to make this event possible.

We also want to take a moment to thank our partners, Eukanuba, the Official Performance Dog Nutrition Partner of UKC, as well as Dogtra, the Official GPS Collar Partner of UKC.

Likewise, we want to thank our prize sponsors who donated lights, leads, collars, dog boxes, vests, and more to the winners at this year's event. Make sure to check them out, and support those who support the sport of competitive coon hunting.

Thank you to everyone who came out, congratulations to the winners, and we'll see you next year!

You can also listen to a recap of the weekend as well as interviews with our major winners by listening to this week's edition of the UKC Hunting Ops Podcast!

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.