The 2026 Championship Logo
2026 More Than Just a Logo
Championship logos have become an important tradition for Les and me whenever we build a Championship event. For us, it has never been just a logo. A logo usually identifies something: a company, a product, or a business. A Championship logo should do more than that.
It should become the heartbeat of the event because it sets the tone and creates a feeling before the first competitor arrives and before the first dog ever takes the field. It quietly tells people this is something different, because there are trials... and then there are Championships.
A Championship carries a different level of responsibility and respect. Competitors spend months, sometimes years, earning the opportunity to step onto that field. Helpers, judges, clubs, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters all invest pieces of themselves into making it happen, and we have always believed the event itself should feel worthy of that effort.
To us, the Championship logo becomes the first spark that starts the flame. People see it on the website, banners, shirts, catalogs, trophies, and keepsakes. Long before anyone arrives at the field, it has already started telling the story of the event.
Design Inspiration
A Texas Championship With Regional History
For the 2026 Championship we wanted to do something a little different. We could have gone with expected Texas imagery and called it done, but we wanted something that reached a little deeper into the history of the region itself.
The border and visual language draw inspiration from Southwestern Native American geometric artwork commonly seen in pottery, textiles, and decorative work. The design was never intended to recreate one tribe's sacred symbols. Instead, we wanted it to reflect the broader visual history and identity of the region itself.
The spiral sun symbol carries a more direct connection. It was inspired by Caddo imagery. The Caddo people historically lived throughout East Texas and surrounding areas including parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Since East Texas has become home for us, that influence felt appropriate and meaningful to include.
The Heart of the Sport
Dog and Handler Moving Together With Purpose
At the center of the design is the part that matters most anyway... the dog and handler moving together with purpose, inter-species communication, and respect for each other. That has always been the heart of our sport, whether we look back to the days of Schutzhund or forward to whatever the working dog test may be called in the future.
Our Last Championship
Leaving Our Mark Somewhere
This will be the last Championship Les and I build together. Because of that, this logo probably means more to us than most. We wanted to leave our mark somewhere, not by putting our names on things, but by creating something that becomes part of the memory people carry with them years from now when they think back on this event.
People may forget scores. Placements eventually blur together.
Trophies collect dust.
...But, hopefully, people will remember this championship.
We hope you'll join us.