Eukanuba is pleased to announce the Eukanuba World Challenge 2012. This globally recognised, prestigious event is to be hosted at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship on 15th & 16th December at the Orange County Convention Centre in Orlando, Florida. Courtesy of Eukanuba, 43 of the world’s top winning dogs will be afforded the opportunity to travel to Florida and compete for the highly coveted title “Eukanuba World Challenge Champion 2012” along with the prize money of $10,000. The runner up and first runner up will each receive $3,000 and $2,000 respectively and the winning country’s Kennel Club will receive a $5,000 participation prize.

The ever evolving, innovative and unique Eukanuba World Challenge once again raises the level of competition; this year adds an additional new dimension. Dogs who have won Best In Show at the world’s most prestigious shows will be invited to participate as additional country representatives. Every year the AKC / Eukanuba National Championships Best In Show winner represents the USA, and this year Eukanuba is honoured to have the Best In Show winners of other globally recognised, prestigious shows compete in the World Challenge.

Building excitement around the world

The UK will be represented by Margaret Anderson and her Lhasa Apso “Ch Zentarr Elizabeth” who were already participating 2011 after their win at the Eukanuba UK Championship Stakes. Margaret says of her experience in Orlando, “What a privilege it was to be so highly placed in such a prestigious event and that Elizabeth and I will do our best again this year. We were treated very very well by Mike Bloxsome and all the Eukanuba team. It is a great honour to be asked to represent the UK for a second time. I feel that the EWC is such a special and unique event it is very important that Elizabeth participates. I would not miss it for the world. My advice to anyone who wins this year’s Eukanuba UK Champion Stakes and going to Orlando is simply enjoy it all, it’s a once in a life time experience.”

Hans Muller, FCI President "The FCI enjoys a great working relationship with Eukanuba, the American Kennel Club and FCI National Organisations and Partners all of whom are robust supporters of the Eukanuba World Challenge. The FCI is particularly pleased that an invitation is being extended to the FCI World Dog Show Best In Show winner. This will add a pleasing new additional dimension to the Eukanuba World Challenge 2012. It will bring the Eukanuba World Challenge to a new high level of competition by including such an extraordinary quality dog to compete alongside all other top winners from around the world, thus enriching the competition overall".

The Best In Show winners of all three FCI Section Shows - FCI Americas and the Caribbean Section Show, FCI Asia and the Pacific Section Show, FCI European Section Show - win the opportunity to participate in one of the sections in Orlando. Rafael De Santiago, FCI Vice President and President of the Federacion Canofila de Puerto Rico already judged a section in the Eukanuba World Challenge and is very confident that the dogs representing the FCI section shows will be outstanding. “There are few show rings in the world where the ratio of quality is equal to quantity. I am certain that this year there will be the same high caliber of participating dogs, such as we have come to expect of the World Challenge representatives”.

The Eukanuba World Challenge Judges for The Finals

The four section judges for the final in December in Orlando are: Mrs Keke Khan (Florida, USA), Mr Cristian Stefanescu (Romania), Mr Ramon Podesta (Chile), Mr Guy Spagnolo (Australia). The 12 finalist dogs (3 winners from each of the 4 sections) will be judged by Mr Luis Miguel Pinto Teixeria from Portugal. Luis says “I had the great pleasure of judging a section at the inaugural event in 2007. The Eukanuba World Challenge is very much like judging the best of the best of dogs from around the world. I am looking forward to judging the final and I anticipate that I will have exceptional dogs presented to me”.