Wednesday June 3rd 2026
PW Border Union Dog Show (image: Phil Wilkinson)
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Hundreds of dogs from across the UK, Ireland and Europe are to converge on the Borders this month seeking paw-fect scores.
Following on from the successful golden anniversary event last year, almost 4,600 dogs are to take part in the Border Union Championship Dog Show at Springwood Park in Kelso on Saturday, June 13th and Sunday, June 14th .
An excellent entry of nearly 1,100 Gundogs, over 500 Terriers, and just under 1,000 working and pastoral dogs, together with almost any breed you can imagine will be competing over two days for the chance to win the top award of Best in Show.
‘Border’ Breeds are well represented with 54 Border collies to be judged on Saturday, and 132 Border Terriers and 38 Dandie Dinmont Terriers competing on Sunday.
During the two days, over one hundred different breeds of dog will be competing starting at 9am on Saturday morning with dogs representing the working, pastoral, utility and toy groups.
Judging of the Gundogs, Hounds and Terrier Groups takes place on Sunday from 9am, with the Grand Finale of Best in Show being staged around 5pm on Sunday afternoon.
Visitors are able to bring along their own dogs over four months old to attend the show.
All the owner needs to do is to confirm the pet has been vaccinated and the entry cost is £5 per dog.
Also on display will be a large number of trade stands with a wide range of dog foods, dog coats, dog-grooming products, special dog baths and even herbal remedies for dogs.
Spectators are well catered for, with a wide range of food and drink available throughout the day.
PW Border Union Dog Show (image: Phil Wilkinson)
General adult admission is only £5 and with free car parking and with children under 16 getting in free it’s a great day out.
Volunteers are again being sought to help make it another fantastic show for all.
Some of the roles include assisting exhibitors to find their rings and advising on the location of facilities and other points of interest around the showground.
If you can spare a few hours on either the Saturday or Sunday morning (or both), please contact the office for further details.
And if you have ever thought “I fancy having a go at that!”, Border Union Agricultural Society’s Championship Dog Show is hosting the Kennel Club’s ‘Have a Go’ experience for a third year.
The ‘Have a Go’ sessions aim to give pedigree dog owners the opportunity to see what it is like to compete in a show ring and offers the chance to earn a place at Crufts, held at the NEC in Birmingham.
Previous winners have gone on to achieve some great results following their success at Border Union.
Owners interested in showing their canine friends can take part in the training session and competition being held on the Sunday afternoon at 2.30pm.
Parking is free, and all participants will receive a rosette and goody bag.
There are 15 places available and the cost is £10 per dog and handler. For more information or an entry form, please contact: Christina Chapman on Facebook or email: christinachapman.bukris@gmail.com
A specially-made video for owners interested in getting started in dog showing can be found at thekennelclub.org.uk/newtodogshowing
Tickets and further information: https://borderunion.co.uk/border-union-dog-show/visitors/
Tweet Share on Facebook
