ABEST Is Here To Help!

All-Breed Sports Event Support Team

May 26, 2021

Local clubs are the lifeblood of any kind of organization like United Kennel Club. While registration activities might make up the framework for our existence, local clubs and events are what truly animates and gives life to the UKC mission of spotlighting Dogs That Do More. From hosting events, to helping integrate new members and dog owners into hunting activities or performance sports, to being a resource for new dog owners, a significant part of what we do to embody our Total Dog philosophy would not be possible without the tireless efforts of local clubs and their leadership.

But we also recognize that putting on those events can be A LOT of work. There's paperwork to deal with, theres rule and policy questions that you may or may not know, theres day-of-show entries that you must process, in addition to making sure earlier entries are taken care of. Wouldn't it be nice to have a few extra people to help pull it off?

In our quest to give back to the clubs who help us out in so many ways, UKC has created the All-Breed Event Support Team (ABEST), to help with some of those very problems.

Each year, UKC will select six events (outside of our yearly Classic events or the UKC Premier Nationals), based on past attendance, club experience, and other related factors, for ABEST attendance.

Team members are then on the ground to help club leadership by offering support at these UKC Licensed events. It can be as simple as answering questions or processing entries, or it can be a little more complex, like event paperwork, or any number of other things. We're not there to observe - quite the opposite. We're there to help however we can, as fellow lovers of dog and sport alike.

Given the UKC's recognition of hundreds of clubs across the country, and licensing of thousands of events, it becomes impossible to have a presence at all of them, no matter how much we would like to do so. Wed spend all our time traveling! Despite those limitations, UKC wants to give back to the clubs that help popularize and maintain dog sports, and the ABEST program is a way to do that.

"One of the biggest benefits of the ABEST program is being able to show that UKC reps are coming to events, which is helping to develop a stronger presence and build personal relationships," said UKC Director of All-Breed Sports, Hannah Tsui.

The team was announced in October of 2020, and attended their first event in April of 2021, at a show put on by the Carolina All-Breed Association, in King, North Carolina.

UKC has also sent an ABEST representative to an event with the Utah Nosework Club, in Farmington, Utah.

Most recently, the UKC All-Breed Event Support Team (ABEST) was in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin May 8-9, for an event hosted by the Dodge City Canine Club, with support from the Working Dog Club of Central Wisconsin, and the United Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog (LCLD) Club.

The event served as a Regional Qualifying Event for the Total Dog Invitational, which will be held October 21-23 in Shreveport, Louisiana.

ABEST representatives will also be at an event held by Twister City Kennel Club, in Hutchinson, Kansas, in the end of May, and we currently have two dates yet to be announced.

If you're interested in your club having an ABEST representative attend your event, email us.

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 15,000 licensed events annually.

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