A History of Good Sportsmanship
The BTCA Good Sportsmanship Award in Memory of Mira Jilbert
and The AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship Award
Good sportsmanship is something that every exhibitor should strive for, and is clearly valued by the BTCA, as evidenced by two awards given each year acknowledging outstanding sportsmanship among its membership: The BTCA Good Sportsmanship Award in Memory of Mira Jilbert and The AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship Award.
First awarded in 1996, The BTCA Good Sportsmanship Award in Memory of Mira Jilbert is awarded to a BTCA member who has not only exhibited good sportsmanship, but who has contributed to the betterment of the Boston Terrier through their breeding program, work with local Clubs, mentoring of new Boston Terrier enthusiasts, general work for the breed and work for the BTCA. The recipient must be alive and must not be a past recipient of the award. They must also be a member in good standing of the BTCA.
Mira Jilbert was a past President of the Boston Terrier Club of Detroit. She was also active in the Midwest Boston Terrier Regional and was one of the members who lobbied to have the location of the BTCA National Specialty Show rotate around the country. She was also a BTCA Board Member. Mira was active in Obedience and brought Obedience Trials to the BTCA National Specialty.
Winners of The BTCA Good Sportsmanship Award are chosen by a committee of the 3 last winners of the award. To be chosen as a winner of this coveted prize is certainly both an honor and a privilege. The surprise announcement is made each year at the Awards Banquet at the BTCA National Specialty. Past winners are included on the Perpetual Trophy in place on the Trophy Table at each National.
The AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship Award was begun in 2006. The program was established by the AKC to provide each AKC member club, of which the BTCA is one, with an AKC Medallion to award to one of its own on a yearly basis.
 This award honors those individuals who deserve special recognition for having made a difference in the sport of purebred dogs, embodied the AKC Code of Sportsmanship, and have been an active and valued member of the BTCA. Medallions are awarded solely at the club's discretion.
The BTCA solicits nominations from its membership for those deserving of the award. A committee of 5, headed by Terry Pratt and including the 4 previous years' recipients, reads through the nominations received and makes their choice from among them. Like the BTCA award, the AKC award is also presented to the surprised recipient at the BTCA Awards Banquet, held the last night of Nationals week. Past recipients are listed on the AKC web site
http://www.akc.org/news/outstanding_sportsmanship/index.cfm
Nominations can be made year round for The AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship award, and a nomination form is available within the Coast to Coast as well as on the BTCA web site. Begin thinking about those fellow exhibitors and breeder who have made a difference to you; who have brought a smile to your face when you've hit a low point; who have celebrated those big wins with you; who has been there in the middle of the night to help you through those first few rough days of your first litter; who have welcomed you, encouraged you, and made you feel a part of the Boston Terrier family.
And let us all strive to be a good sportsman who our peers respect and value enough to be nominated for this special honor! Nominations are accepted through the end of February each year.
Past winners:
The BTCA Good Sportsmanship Award in Memory of Mira Jilbert
| 1996 |
Kathleen "Marby" Kelly |
| 1997 |
Donald Van Avery |
| 1998 |
Ellen Dresselhuis |
| 1999 |
Hazel Steele |
| 2000 |
Patricia Stone |
| 2001 |
Charles Stevenson |
| 2002 |
Alice Ochiai |
| 2003 |
Deana Jones |
| 2004 |
Joan Oja |
|
Kate McGlone |
| 2005 |
Curt & Pat McCann |
| 2006 |
Dorothy Truman |
| 2007 |
Ruth M. Leiberg |
| 2008 |
Jennifer Radcliffe |
| 2009 |
Gloria Shaver |
| 2010 |
Carl E. Gomes |
| 2011 |
Beverly & Michael Staley |
| 2012 |
Kathryn T. Graves |
| 2013 |
Linda & James Alexander |
| 2014 |
Suzanne "Maxine" Uzoff |
| 2015 |
Susan Krouse |
| 2016 |
Connie McCord |
| 2017 |
Patricia Wietrick |
| 2018 |
Janet Harner RETIRED |
The AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship Award
| 2007 |
Kathleen "Marby" Kelly |
| 2008 |
Dan & Julie Haddy |
| 2009 |
Kelly Misegadis |
| 2010 |
Peggy Jackson |
| 2011 |
Terry Pratt |
| 2012 |
Margaret Noble |
| 2013 |
Susan Herber |
| 2014 |
Sonya Baird |
| 2015 |
Carl E. Gomes |
| 2016 |
Pat McCann |
| 2017 |
Peggy Golden |
| 2018 |
Clarice Dean |
| 2019 |
Maureen Blackwood |
| 2020 |
Betsy King DVM |
| 2021 |
Shirley Sanders |
| 2022 |
Lorri Sheets |
.
AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship of the Year Award Nomination Form
Deadline for nominations for the AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship of the Year Award
is the last day of February each year.
– NO EXCEPTIONS – One nomination per member
Email your submission to the Sportsmanship Award Committee Chair, Terry Pratt, at:
barnonebostons@gmail.com
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