UKC Elite Awards Presented By Bone Clone
SEASON 5 FIRST QUARTER NOMINATIONS
July 22, 2021
Source: Todd Kellam
Email: tkellam@ukcdogs.com
UKC Elite Awards are Presented By Bone Clone
The Elite Award Committee has reviewed data pertinent to each category for the annual Elite Awards sponsored by Bone Clone and is ready to make first quarter nominations.
The UKC slogan of "Honor To Whom, Honor Is Due" seems most appropriate as these dogs and individuals are great representatives of the UKC Elite Shed Dog Series. The UKC Elite Shed Dog Series would not be where it is today without the effort and support stemming from each of these categories.
Dog Of The Year Retriever Breeds Nominee
- NCHSD ESD Black Ice's Indian Princess, Zoey Rada / Jeff Rada, WI
Not one to rest on her National Championship success, Cree hits the ground running in Season 5. Her podium percentage was fantastic this quarter and she was able to put some distance between herself and the next closest finishers which include Link, Rage and Tundra in that order.
Dog Of The Year Non-Retriever Breeds Nominee
- GRCHSD Hickory Ridge Carmella Cammy, Johanna Lentz, MI
A familiar name from Season 4 nominees the Belgium Shepherd female along with owner / handler Johanna are off to another good start. The next closest players in this category include another Belgium Shepherd Dog, Von Der King For Heavens Sake owned by Michael Spayde and the GSP female of John Beyers, Elites Little Annie Oakley.
Working Class Dog Of The Year Nominee
- WSD3 Nova Of Gobblers Knob, Trenton Rilea, IL
A young Labrador Retriever is stacking up working passes for the Rilea family. Her closest competition in this class are Gobblers Knob Remi, Gobblers Knob Rosie, and Okie Shed Dogs Yellow Aspen.
Youth Handler Of The Year Nominee
- Trinity Rilea, IL
Trinity Rilea (15) takes an early lead in the Youth Division but the Lewis brothers are not far behind. A total of 22 kids earned passes last quarter including our youngest successful handlers Emery Bianchin (7) and Stella Drevanle (7). Great job kids!
Judge Of The Year Nominee
- Darcy Greiger, IN
It gives me great pleasure to recognize Judge Darcy this quarter. She worked so hard last year and always just missed a nomination. Thank you very much for your 6 judging assignments in the first quarter!
Club Of The Year Nominee
- Fox Valley Retriever Club, WI
Congrats to Brian Schlomann, Andy Daniels, Billy Crass and the rest of the crew at Fox Valley Retriever Club. They had the highest average entry this quarter at 45 dogs per event. This club has been with us since early on and we are happy to recognize them for the outstanding job they always do.
Ambassador Of The Year Nominee
- Will Heckert, IA
Will Heckert receives a nomination from his peers in the shed dog family. This category is for those that go above and beyond to advance the sport of shed dogs. Here are some of the things the sport would like to thank you for Will:
Will is always very encouraging to everyone at events. Making sure he finds the time to congratulate people on their runs.
He is also very welcoming of new people. I have personally saw him to make it a point to introduce himself to someone new at event and let them know if they have any questions he is more than happy to help and he is always willing to help clubs in any way he can.
In short he is a very kind, thoughtful and encouraging person.
Anytime there is a new person at an event he always goes out of his way to make them feel welcomed. He encourages everyone.
He makes sure everyone knows the rules and is not lost when it is their first time running. Will is just a good sport overall.
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.