Christ Yoder
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A major dog show is coming to Louisville and an Elizabethtown-based kennel club is responsible for a day of the show group.
The Kentuckiana Cluster of Dog Shows takes place Thursday through Sunday at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville. Organizer Debbie Hibberd said it was one of the biggest dog shows in the country. She spoke to people from as far away as Alaska and Thailand.
There are about 3,000 dogs a day at shows, she said.
“One of the reasons it’s popular is that we have a lot of different events,” she said.
The conformation event, what most people recognize as the dogs shown in the ring, is just one of the show’s events, she said. During the four-day race, rally, obedience, agility, dock diving and fast CAT competitions will also take place. There are also specialty national events that feature just one breed of dog, she said.
“We have a lot to offer people and they can come and do more than one event,” she said.
This is the first time the show has taken place since COVID. In 2020, they were in the middle of the show and had to shut it down as a precaution, she said.
The event is hosted by three different clubs, the Louisville Kennel Club, the Evansville Kennel Club, and the Mid-Kentucky Kennel Club. The show sponsored by the Mid-Kentucky Kennel Club will take place on Thursday.
Hibberd is the show’s president on Thursday and Friday and she said members of the Elizabethtown club will help and host on Thursday. She said members of this group organize and run the show and are exhibitors participating in many events.
In 2019, the last time the shows were rated, the Mid-Kentucky Kennel Club was the 10th largest show in the nation. The other days also ranked well.
Alongside the shows, there are vendors selling dog and people items, ranging from dog bowls to jewelry, she said.
The public may attend events, but dogs not competing must be left at home per competition and AKC rules. Visitors can not only watch the event, but also walk around the grooming areas to meet dogs and talk to their owners, she said.
If you don’t like crowds, Hibberd said Thursday or Friday are the best days to go. The dogs start showing up in the morning until they get to the best of the show, she said.
For more information, go to kentuckianaclusterofdogshows.org or find them on Facebook.
