Approve reimbursement in the amount of up to $4,000 each to Frank Phillips and Chris Bettin, who will be representing USCA on the 2026 FCI IGP World Championship team

EB #19-26

EB Motion #19-26 – Approve reimbursement in the amount of up to $4,000 each to Frank Phillips and Chris Bettin, who will be representing USCA on the 2026 FCI IGP World Championship team

Motion by Mike Diehl, DAL, and seconded by Ben Kools, NC RD, to approve reimbursement in the amount of up to $4,000 each to Frank Phillips and Chris Bettin, who will be representing USCA on the 2026 FCI IGP World Championship team.

Background:

Frank Phillips and Chris Bettin have been selected for the AWDF team for the FCI IGP World Championship being held in Tychy, Poland, September 6–13, 2026. In declaring for the team, competitors indicate their parent organization, and both are representing USCA.

The official championship runs eight days and includes the standard program: registration and veterinary check, official team training, team leader briefing and draw, opening ceremony, five days of competition, and the closing and award ceremony. Participation also requires roundtrip travel to Europe with a dog, bringing the total time commitment well beyond the published event schedule.

USCA’s route to the FCI IGP World Championship is through its membership in the AWDF, with team places earned at the AWDF Championship. This is a separate route from the WUSV World Championship, for which USCA fields its own team through the USCA-GSDCA Qualification Trial.

USCA has historically provided financial support to members competing at world-level events, including both WUSV and FCI teams. Prior to 2019, USCA members on various FCI teams commonly received $5,000 in reimbursement. In EB #26-24, the Executive Board approved increasing reimbursement to a total of $5,000 for a USCA member representing the organization on the 2024 FCI team, and in EB #20-22 the Board approved $5,000 to a USCA member representing USCA as an alternate on the WUSV team, describing that figure as the amount USCA members receive for representing USCA on the team.

Reimbursement would be capped at $4,000 per competitor and paid against receipts submitted to USCA within 60 days of the conclusion of the event, consistent with USCA’s standard reimbursement practice.

This motion is limited to the 2026 FCI IGP World Championship and reflects a case-by-case approach consistent with past USCA practice.

VOTE RESULTS

MOTION NOT CARRIED AUGUST 23, 2026