OKC Fairgrounds Hosting One Of The Biggest Dog Shows In The Country

It’s the summer classic at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds, bringing breeders, handlers, and vendors from all over the country.

“This is a five-day cluster of dog shows, hosted by the Mid-Del Tinker Kennel Club, The Lawton Dog Fanciers Club, and the Bartlesville Kennel Club,” said Frank Young with the Mid-Del-Tinker Kennel Club.

The show started in the early 1960s and it attracts enthusiasts from all over the world.

“We have one judge that I know of that is coming in from Sylvania, one judge coming in from Finland” said Young.

Jennifer Redford traveled all the way from Puyallup Washington in an RV with her dog Ellie.

“This is grand champion Oakwoods, from here to eternity. We call her Miss Ellie,” said Redford.

Ellie is the number one female German pinscher in the country. 

There are even some first-time hopefuls like Quinn from Kansas.

“He was bred for this, so it was time to bring him out, start showing,” said Christine Perry from Kansas.

If it’s true that everything is bigger in Texas, meet 165 pound Leader from Springtown Texas, who is still growing.

“He’s in the top ten St. Bernards in the country, so he’s number six all breed and number nine in breed,” said Leader’s owner Elizabeth Crook.

But unlike most dog shows, this show is not just about the show dogs.

“We’re going to test their agility and athleticism with dock diving. We have disc dog where you throw a frisbee, and your dog has go to catch it before it hits the ground,” said Young.

There’s even agility course testing and a barn hunt.

“They have to tunnel, climb on a straw, and find the rat and alert to it, in no particular order and then yay, you won,” said Renee Morgan with the Mid-Del-Tinker Kennel Club.

The barn hunt event is becoming more and more popular around the country.

“We’re going to have about six hundred runs a day for three days,” said Morgan.

About 220 breeds all recognized by the American Kennel Club will be represented at the fairgrounds.

“Over the five-day span we’re just shy of 10,000 dogs that we’ll judge,” said Young.

With plenty of vendors, the five-day free to the public event is expected to bring about $2 million to the economy.

“This is one of the largest dog show venues west of the Mississippi. The west coast has a few shows larger than us, but we are one of the largest ones in the Midwest,” said Young.

The show runs through Sunday at the OKC fairgrounds, for specific breed show dates visit http://www.onofrio.com/execpgm/fndindex?show=JP2023061407AB#TINK1