Ringside photos and candids from the Burlington Wisconsin Kennel Club dog show, which was held on July 31 – August 01, 2023, at the Walworth County Fairgrounds, in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.
The Burlington Wisconsin Kennel Club is a small club with members who, over the years, have enjoyed the many disciplines of dog sports: conformation, obedience, fast cat, rally, dock diving, retriever trials, hunting, and sled dog races. Some have also trained service dogs. Many dogs bred and owned by members posted titles on both ends of their names and many champions were nationally ranked with impressive wins.
Our shows at the Walworth County fairgrounds in Elkhorn. Wisconsin started out with a smaller entry which kept building over the years to a High Point of 2600+ entries pre-Covid. We have always done things our way. We may have followed the example of clubs around us, but our shows are distinctly different. Putting on a dog show is a lot of work, and all of our members contribute in a way they can do best. After a year of prepping and planning and doing all that is necessary for a great show our members want to have fun too! Because of our smaller membership, the only restriction we have placed is on ourselves. No member will show at our shows.
We do not reserve grooming spaces. There is an outdoor pavilion for grooming which has power, as well as a separate building for grooming and booths. If you want to groom indoors, but the thought of unloading and reloading your vehicle is just too much, we have that covered too. The Small Animal building is available for exhibitors to drive in and park.
We have never reserved parking or camping spots. We don’t need to. All our parking is on cool grass not asphalt or gravel. Hook- ups are scattered throughout the site and we can accommodate any size set up.
Do you have a 35 foot motorhome and a 20 foot trailer? Not a problem. The Fairgrounds has a wonderful campground shaded by 100 year old trees for which they charge a nominal fee. No extra charges for water or electric hook ups. No reservations are made or needed. There are no Restrictions on amount of room per set up. If you are camping, for the duration of the shows, showers are available in the restrooms. Our motto is Park with Wild Abandon.
As far as making the shows our own, we have done shows with themes. We have had a free raffle. If you bought a catalog you were in entered in the raffle. Many BWKC members would be in costume reflecting our themes. We have done things like free coffee and donuts for exhibitors in the morning. And, if the past few years, we have sliced watermelon and scooped ice cream for exhibitors. We are ever evolving, always trying to get better and let our exhibitors know we appreciate them.
We were doing so well and having so much fun and then Covid. It was necessary to cancel one of our shows. We were devastated but now we are rebuilding. Our first show post Covid was 600+ Last year, the entry was nearly 800. Far below what we can accommodate but growing.
We truly love our showgrounds. We have more than ample parking in camping space, grooming spaces, huge rings, and a food service in the log cabin that cannot be beat! Freshly made breakfast sandwiches, corn, brats and steak sandwiches are popular menu items.
Yes, BWKC is a small club of dedicated and knowledgeable exhibitors and breeders. A club that is always innovative, improving and looking to the future.
2023’s BWKC panel included Mr. Brian Meyer, Mrs. Cindy, Meyer, Mrs. Janie Bousek, Mr. Raymond V. Filburn, Jr., Mr. Timothy Catterson, and Dr. Judi M Roller.
Showsight Magazine–the world’s most influential purebred dog publication since 1992. Each issue reaches a global audience dedicated to preserving the history and health of purpose bred dogs. Filled with award-winning editorial focused on news and insights from the dog show community, top breeders, handlers, AKC Judges, and more!
