The Richmond County Cooners Club will hold a United Kennel Club-sanctioned bench show, treeing competition and water race open to all seven coonhound breeds on Aug. 1.
The non-profit club has been in existence since the 1960’s, and holds the annual event as its primary fundraiser.
Member Cynthia Grooms explained there will be accompanying festivities, including food, drinks and a veterinarian giving vaccinations and microchips.
“This is our fifth year doing this, and it’s gotten bigger and bigger every year,” Grooms said. “We had between 150 and 200 people there last year, and we had bad weather last year.”
She said the competition draws people from across the Southeast for a variety of reasons.
“Some people are really serious about the competition part of it, but most people just go to do it,” Grooms said. “I have a redbone at home, and I just take her because she likes to swim. I know she’ll never win anything. It’s just for fun. Some people go just to let their dogs swim and mingle. Some people don’t even have dogs, they just come to watch ...
“It’s just something fun to bring the kids and the family to, see some old friends and make some new ones.”
The water race will feature two winners, determined by a series of four dog heats. The first dog to swim to the finish line is considered the line winner, while the first dog to bark at the pole is considered the tree winner.
The water race and bench show competitions will feature a registered, Champion and Grand Champion portion.
The bench winner will take home “Best of Show” honors. Entries will be judged on breed standards while they are gaited, and on their bite, muscle tone, bone structure and other physical attributes.
Finally, the Treeing Contest will measure the number of times a hound barks at a coonhide at the top of a tree in 30 seconds. The winner will be the canine with the most barks.
The all-day raffle of a dog box will also be held at the event.
Admission is free, gates open at 10 a.m.
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