The Leigh Carter Sportsmanship Award

The American Belgian Tervuren Club’s Leigh Carter Sportsmanship Award is presented annually in memory of long-time ABTC Board member, exhibitor, volunteer and enthusiast B. Leigh Carter (1963-2008)

Established in 2008 by Leigh’s family, the award is intended to recognize an ABTC MEMBER who shows outstanding sportsmanship in conformation, obedience, herding, agility, and/or tracking activities each year year. An individual may receive this award only once.  This annual award recognizes an ABTC regular member who has demonstrated an extraordinary level of involvement in these conformation and/or performance events with their Tervuren as an OWNER/HANDLER, and whose participation in those events is characterized by an exemplary display of sportsmanship. The nominees are those who have made a difference in the sport of purebred dogs, embodied the ABTC Code of Ethics, and have been an active and valued member of the ABTC. The winner is chosen by the Leigh Carter Sportsmanship Awards Committee and announced during the National Specialty Awards ceremony.

The competitive categories selected reflect Leigh’s competitive career with her beloved dog Tag (Ch. Jamaica Catch Me If You Can CDX TD NA PT) who had earned titles in every AKC venue available to Belgian Tervuren: conformation, obedience, tracking, agility and herding.

The title of the award is “sportsmanship” which reflects upon the person who can take loss or defeat without complaint, or victory without gloating, and who treats his opponents with fairness, generosity, and courtesy. In making the determination, emphasis must be placed upon those qualities an honoree possesses that live up to Leigh Carter’s example.