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UKC Elite Awards, Presented by Bone Clone

Season 6 First Quarter Nominations

July 28, 2022

Source: Domenick Muoio
Email: dmuoio@ukcdogs.com

UKC Elite Awards are Presented by Bone Clone

Bone Clone

As we close out the first quarter of a new ESDS season we want to give recognition to the dogs, clubs, and individuals nominated for their success since the 2022 Shed Dog National. Congratulations to this quarters nominees but also to all competitors and clubs for your hard work over this past quarter. This quarter we have also seen clubs hosting their first events, the addition of some new clubs and the addition of new judges which continues to exemplify the growth within the sport.

Dog of the Year - Retriever Breeds Nominees:
Tie: this quarter we had a dead tie for most points so we would like to recognize both dogs and their effort!

  • ROM GRCHSD2 USJCH UROC HR IRONPAWS ALL SYSTEMS GO SPOT
    • Jetty is a 6-year-old black lab female owned by Jennifer Marenich. To say Jetty is well rounded would be an understatement. not only is she a 2x Grand Champion Shed Dog, but she is also a champion in Rally Obedience, a Senior Distance Jumping Champion, and titled as a Seasoned Hunting Retriever. Congratulations to Jennifer and Jetty for earning one of this quarters Dog of The Year nominations
  • ESD UNJCH SHR URO3 IRONPAWS LITTLE IRISH MIRACLE HOF
    • There must have been some friendly competition within the kennel this quarter because another Marenich owned dog, Rudy, a five-year-old male black lab is the other nominee this quarter. Rudy Holds both an Elite Shed Dog title as well as earning himself Hall of Fame for his work in the Elite Shed Dog Series. Rudy also holds titles in dock jumping, rally obedience, and in HRC. Congratulations to Rudy and Jennifer Marenich for earning the other nomination this quarter.

Dog of the Year - Non-Retriever Breed Nominee:

  • GRCHSD KING OF THE MOUNTAIN MONTE
    • Monte may be a familiar name to many. He was last years Non-retriever Breed Champion Dog of the Year. Kellie and Monte have been busy again this quarter, consistently earning passes and a few placements along the way. Congratulations to this pair for easily securing this quarters nomination for Non-retriever Breed Dog of the Year.

Working Class Dog of The Year Nominee:

  • RACEN WSD2 SV AP VPN NHD SC ALGRCH UWPCH A BLEU COLLAR TIKKA IS ON TARGET
    • Tikka is a Belgian Shepherd Dog owned by Jackie Stephenson. She was extremely active this quarter earning passes in clubs everywhere from Texas to northern Michigan and everywhere in between. Tikka is a 2x WSD but also holds titles in weight pull, nose work, and even confirmation. Her roots run deep when it comes to shed dog work as both of her parents were also WSD Belgian Shepherds. Congratulations to Tikka and Jackie.

Youth Handler of the Year Nominee:

  • Emma Selby
    • This young lady had a very successful first quarter attending 4 different clubs events for a total of 11 days running Thorn 40s Hustlin Hollyhock--call-name "Holly"--in all of those events. She continued to find success each weekend including the Prairie State Shed Dog event where there was a flight of 7 dogs competing in youth.

Club of the Year Nominee:

  • Buck Ridge Antler Dogs
    • Buck Ridge hosted a 3-day event in Carlisle Indiana at the end of April which had a fantastic turn out all 3 days. It takes immense effort by many to put on an event of any size that starts long before the first dog arrives on the grounds and continues long after the last shed is retrieved. These events get even more complex with larger turn outs. For this reason, we want to give Buck Ridge Antler Dogs some well-earned recognition.

Club Honorable mention:

  • Oh Deer Antler Dogs
    • "Oh Deer" hosted their first event this past quarter in Mendota, Illinois with a nice turn out not too far behind this quarters nominee. As many of you know, the first event for a club is not the easiest and they managed to host over 150 dogs over the course of their 3-day event. We hope this is indicative of the future of this new club. Congratulations to all who helped make that event so successful!

Judge of the year Nominees:

  • Jeff Rada
  • Ryan Melton
    • This quarter we had a tie between two judges and wanted to ensure we recognized both for volunteering their time for a week worth of events each. Judges log countless miles on courses that can be challenging for even the most conditioned 4-legged athlete. We thank both these men for their time and dedication to this sport, without judges we wouldnt be able to have events so be sure to always thank your judge of the year nominees Ryan Melton and Jeff Rada.

Ambassador of the Year Nominee:
The ambassador of the year is a unique award because there is no metric used to calculate who was the most involved or helpful over the past three months. If somehow, we did quantify this award, we would have a tie between countless people every quarter. This sport is driven forward by the welcoming and helpful nature of all the participants. We ask you all to submit your nominations and this quarter it was resounding the nominations this individual received so I am Happy to congratulate Jeff Rada for receiving this quarters nomination.

  • Jeff Rada
    • Jeff is a very well-known fixture in the shed dog community. He is quick to donate his time or knowledge to anyone who wants it, especially where it can help the sport grow. He is often found at new clubs helping them get started or offering guidance and suggestions in a patient and easy to understand way. Regardless of if he is at an event for a judging assignment or strictly as a competitor, he will often find a way to help someone in some way.

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.

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