Sporting

See who were the honored winners of the 2017 - 2018 Purina Awards for the highly competitive all-age and shooting dog horseback stakes.

With her characteristic spot-on marking style, a 21-month-old female Labrador Retriever named “Mona” won the National Derby Retriever Championship (NDC) handled by owner Don English of Dallas.

Meet Jordan Horak and his English Cocker Spaniels, “Cato” and “Breeze,” the winners, respectively, of the 2018 National Open and National Amateur Cocker Championships.

Meet “Belle”, who won the 2018 German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America National Field Championship and her handler Diane Vater of Pennsylvania.

Learn about how a hound named “Chief” aced four 90-minute competition rounds over three days and became the 2018 UKC (United Kennel Club) Hunting Beagle World Champion.

An athletic 3-year-old white-and-orange male Pointer named “Mike” ruled the open all-age circuit to win the Purina Top Field Trial Bird Dog Award. Handled by pro Mark McLean of Moultrie, Georgia, Touch’s Mega Mike is owned by Eddie Sholar of Leesburg, Georgia, and Ted Dennard of Haddock, Georgia.

See how three Labrador Retrievers achieved status as a National Retriever Champions by winning their respective Derby, Amateur and Open championship stakes in 2018.

Rusty Boone never dreamt that a walk around the block with his dog would lead to “Nanuk” (MACH5 Boone’s Nanuk Of The North MXB2 MJS2 NJP XF T2B CGCA CGCU) becoming the No. 1 Master Agility Champion (MACH) Siberian Husky.

In her job as the Sporting Program Coordinator for the Purina Professional Engagement Team, Gail Inman meets owners, trainers and handlers of all kinds of sporting dogs.

Getting better and better with every Federation field trial, FCB Little Ease Pretty Boy Floyd pulled ahead of the competition to win the 45th annual Purina Outstanding Field Trial Brace Beagle Award.

Tracking to the front of the competition, a 13-inch tricolor female Beagle, FCB Bee Lick Bamboo, won the 13th annual Purina Brace Beagle Derby Award out of 372 hounds competing.

When it comes to keeping canine athletes healthy, happy and injury-free, professional retriever trainer Mike Lardy of Handjem Kennels in Montello, Wisconsin, believes prevention is the best medicine.