UKC Wishes Everyone Good Luck at the Coonhound World Championship and Zone Hunts!
September 15, 2017
Competitors in this annual competition start as part of a group of thousands of World Champion hopefuls, representing entries from all over the U.S. and Canada.
"The UKC World Coonhound Championship is without question the most sought-after title in the sport of coonhound competition hunting," UKC Senior Vice President Todd Kellam stated.
"Approximately 4,500 entries attempt to qualify annually for this event. Nearly 1,000 do so successfully, which is then narrowed to 100. At the World Championship Finals in Georgia, a dog must string together as many as five consecutive wins against other world-class hounds in an effort to secure the World Championship title. The accomplishment is nothing short of heroic in the world of sporting dogs," he concluded.
Regional Qualifying Events
The field of hopefuls is narrowed to the best-of-the-best coonhounds and handlers during the more than 100 Regional Qualifying Events (RQEs) that take place across the country throughout the year.
Zones, September 15-16
These qualified entries are again required to show their merit by competing in one of eight Semifinal Events, also known as Zones. The Semifinal, or Zone, hunts, also spread throughout the country, challenge the participants from each region to ensure only the top contenders make it to the World Championship Finals. View Zone updates (be sure to refresh throughout the weekend).
World Championship Finals, September 21-23
The UKC Coonhound World Championship is the final leg of the UKC Triple Crown Challenge, sponsored by Black Gold Dog Food. This event offers three days of world-class competition. Participants compete for prizes provided by the event sponsors, as well as prestige; the 2017 World Nite Hunt Champion and 2017 World Bench Show Champion will be crowned. In accordance with UKC Rules and Regulations, no game is taken and no firearms are allowed.
Coonhound enthusiasts are encouraged to attend the Elberton County Fairgrounds in Elberton, Georgia, where hundreds of the countrys best coonhounds will compete September 21-23 in the 2017 UKC Coonhound World Championship Finals.
United Kennel Club wishes to congratulate all competitors who made it to the Zones, as well as those who continue on to compete in the Finals on September 21-23!
A Kalamazoo, Michigan-based company founded in 1898, United Kennel Club is the largest all-breed performance-dog registry in the world, registering dogs from all 50 states and 25 foreign countries. Celebrating the unique Total Dog philosophy, UKC events highlight the instincts and heritage of dogs that look and perform equally well, as more than 60 percent of its annually licensed events are tests of hunting ability, training, and instinct. United Kennel Club prides itself on its family-oriented, friendly, educational events, welcoming both purebred dogs and dogs of unknown ancestry.