Rockford hosts national Belgian Tervuren event, drawing hundreds to compete

A Belgian Tervuren flattening into a sprint for FastCAT, then turning right back into the work ring, captured the point of Rockford’s first national specialty for the breed: these dogs are built to do more than stand pretty. The American Belgian Tervuren Club National Specialty brought more than 350 attendees to the Greater Rockford area, with competitors ranging from 15 to 85 years old and a schedule that stretched across multiple venues and multiple dog sports.

The nine-day event ran from May 1 through May 9, 2026, and spread out across Mercyhealth Sportscore Two, Deer Run Forest Preserve, the Forest City Dog Training Club, Wooden Ewe Ranch in Woodstock and Taylor Farm in Rockford. Herding, scent work, FastCAT, obedience, rally and conformation all had a place on the schedule, giving spectators a look at the breed in motion as well as in the ring. An awards banquet was set for Thursday night, May 7, at the Hoffman House inside the Holiday Inn in Rockford.

For local dog people, that mix mattered. The show was not limited to elite handlers chasing a ribbon in the breed ring; it was a full-spectrum performance week that let visitors see what an intelligent, high-drive herding dog can do when given real jobs. The American Belgian Tervuren Club says the breed was selected for intelligence and working ability, and its history pages trace the dog back to Tervuren, Belgium, in the late 19th century. The American Kennel Club places the Belgian Tervuren in the Herding Group and describes the breed as alert, intelligent and courageous, while Westminster calls it loyal and versatile.

The club itself dates to 1960, and the 2026 specialty fit into a long-running national circuit preserved in ABTC archives of past winners and past locations. Carla Wolter chaired the Rockford specialty, which also carried a clear travel footprint for the city. ABTC listed multiple host hotels in the Rockford area, and the estimated economic impact reached about $158,000, based on roughly 455 hotel room nights and steady visitor traffic.

GoRockford has pointed to the specialty as evidence that Rockford is becoming a destination for national competitions, and that may be the story with the broadest local reach. Many of the events were free and open to the public, giving residents a chance to watch elite Belgian Tervuren dogs work sheep, race the clock and navigate the demands of the sport. For anyone trying to find a real outlet for a dog that runs hot, the specialty put the answer on display: herding, agility-style speed, scent work and precision obedience are not side attractions here. They are the breed’s reason for being.