ADBA Top Dog Event: Inside the Beaver State APBT Club Fall Sporting Event (Bully Max Sports Ep. 2)
ADBA Top Dog is a three-event competition for dogs, sanctioned by the American Dog Breeders Association: a two-minute sprint on a slat mill, a wall climb, and either a lure course or a drag sled, with every dog judged on all three. In Episode 2 of Bully Max Sports, we visited the Beaver State American Pit Bull Terrier Club’s Fall Sporting Event in Oregon’s high desert to see how a Top Dog weekend really works, and what the people who run it want new owners to know.
Family-owned since 2009 · Made in USA · Every batch triple tested · Zero recalls · 50,000+ 5-star reviews · Dog Food Advisor 5/5
Top Dog rewards speed, drive and power in one weekend. Dogs that sprint, climb and chase need dense fuel, which is why we built PRO Series 31/25 for working and sport dogs.
FUEL YOUR SPORT DOG WITH PRO SERIES 31/25
High-calorie performance nutrition with 31% protein, 25% fat and 600 calories per cup for working and sport dogs.
Save 10% with autoship and get each bag delivered on a schedule.
Episode 2 at a glance
- Event: the Beaver State American Pit Bull Terrier Club’s Fall Sporting Event, sanctioned by the ADBA.
- Where: Pine Hollow Lakeside Resort in Oregon’s high desert.
- Program: two Top Dog events and two weight pull events over one weekend.
- Host: Stephanie Lamp, club president and Bully Max sponsored handler.
- Top Dog events: slat mill sprint, wall climb, and lure course (this club’s choice over the drag sled).
- Big theme: preserving the American Pit Bull Terrier through responsible ownership and club sport.
What Is an ADBA Top Dog Event?
Stephanie explains the format in the episode:
“So, Top Dog consists of three events. The slat mill—dogs run off for two minutes, and whoever gets the furthest distance wins. Then we have wall climb. The last thing is either lure or a drag sled. Here we're doing the lure course, though. So we judge dogs on all three events, and then they're placed accordingly into the top nine.”
— Stephanie Lamp, president, Beaver State American Pit Bull Terrier Club
| Top Dog event | What the dog does | How it’s won | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slat mill | Runs a self-powered mill for two minutes | Furthest distance | Slat mill racing explained |
| Wall climb | Climbs a vertical wall to pull down a tug | Highest successful climb | Wall climb training |
| Lure course or drag sled | Chases a lure, or sprints while pulling a sled | Fastest time | Flirt pole drive building |
Format as described by Stephanie Lamp in Bully Max Sports Ep. 2. Clubs choose between the lure course and the drag sled.
A Top Dog weekend at Beaver State also includes weight pull. If that’s your dog’s sport, our guide to training your dog to weight pull covers the basics.
Meet the Club: Stephanie Lamp and Beaver State
Stephanie has been around the American Pit Bull Terrier her whole life. “I grew up with them. My dad started with the breed in the ’70s,” she says. She first saw Top Dog at the Beaver State Club around 2016, when the sport had only started the year before. She had come looking for a puppy after her last dog passed away:
“I met some people here that had some really good Top Dogs, and they put me in touch with a breeder who I got a puppy from, and the very next year I was competing. That dog's name was Kimber.”
— Stephanie Lamp
Kimber went on to become the very first ADBA Triple Crown Dog in the United States. Today Stephanie runs the club, and she is honest about what that takes:
“There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes that most people aren't aware of with regard to organization, getting sponsorships, donations, equipment, judges—there's just a ton of that.”
— Stephanie Lamp
Her point is simple: clubs survive when members step up. “Without the help, these clubs are not going to continue.”
Who Competes at a Top Dog Weekend
Not everyone at an ADBA event runs an American Pit Bull Terrier. One competitor in the episode runs Rottweilers and a Boerboel. A friend invited them to try a club in Vancouver, Canada, and their Rottweiler Tano loved it: “We never looked back. We’ve been competing now for, I guess, this is our fourth year.”
Another longtime competitor has pulled dogs for about 30 years and has judged since 2001: “I have judged every registry and organization out there, but my home is with the American Dog Breeders Association. I am an American Pit Bull Terrier kind of guy.”
Keeping the American Pit Bull Terrier in good hands
The people in this episode care about the breed’s future. One handler explains that “pit bull” has become a blanket term for any blocky, muscular dog, and that the true American Pit Bull Terrier needs a responsible owner:
“The problem with the dogs is not the dogs themselves. The problem with the dogs is irresponsible ownership.”
— Handler, Bully Max Sports Ep. 2
Club sports like Top Dog give that drive a proper outlet. Our American Pit Bull Terrier breed guide covers the ADBA standard and the breed’s temperament in more depth.
Transcript Highlights
- 0:27 The Beaver State APBT Club’s Fall Sporting Event, sanctioned by the ADBA, at Pine Hollow Lakeside Resort.
- 0:53 Stephanie Lamp: two Top Dog and two weight pull events this weekend.
- 2:06 Kimber became the very first ADBA Triple Crown Dog in the United States.
- 2:14 How Top Dog works: slat mill, wall climb, lure or drag sled, then the top nine.
- 5:59 Wall climb: “The dog has got to want to get that tug off the wall.”
- 6:20 Slat mill training: short sprints, not 30-minute sessions.
- 8:12 How to get involved: show up to a local club or sanctioned event and find a mentor.
How Champion Handlers Feed and Condition
Train the slat mill like a sprint
“The way I train my dogs for a slat mill is I put them on for short spurts at a time. I do sprint them. I mean, if you're training for a sprint, you don't want to put your dog on a treadmill for 30 minutes every day and then take it out and think that it's going to be fast. You have to train for what you're doing.”
— Handler, Bully Max Sports Ep. 2
Endurance work still has its place. The same handler says some people use treadmills “more for endurance and conditioning in that way, and that’s great,” just not as the main tool for a two-minute sprint. A slat mill only moves when the dog moves it. Our dog treadmill training guide explains how to build up safely.
Build drive for the wall and the lure
“For the Top Dog wall climb, the trait that you need in a dog is drive. They need to want that tug.”
— Handler, Bully Max Sports Ep. 2
Tug play, a flirt pole and a spring pole are the classic drive builders. For the lure, prey drive does most of the work: most American Pit Bull Terriers, one handler notes, are “going to chase a plastic bag just like they’re going to chase a rabbit or a squirrel.”
Be patient
“You got to have patience because everybody wants to win, win, win, and if you don't have patience, your dog ain't going to do nothing.”
— Handler, Bully Max Sports Ep. 2
Feed for the work
Sprinting, climbing and chasing in one weekend takes a lean, well-muscled dog. That starts with a food built on meat, with enough calories for the training you actually do. Bully Max has made high-performance, meat-based dog food since 2009. We are family-owned, our food is made in the USA, every batch is triple tested for safety, and we have zero recalls.
Three Bully Max formulas built for active and sport dogs:
| Bully Max formula | Protein | Fat | kcal/cup | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRO Series 31/25 High Calorie | 31% | 25% | 600 | Hard keepers, working and sport dogs |
| 30/20 High Protein Chicken | 30% | 20% | 535 | Active adults that need muscle and energy |
| 30/20 High Protein Beef | 30% | 20% | 530 | Active dogs that need a chicken-free food; all life stages |
Protein and fat are guaranteed-analysis minimums; calories per 8 oz cup. Figures from each product's label data on shop.bullymax.com.
Feed measured meals and adjust to body condition. For more, see the best dog food for working and sport dogs.
In our customers' words
“My dog has been eating this since he was 6 weeks old. He is now 4 years old and is solid, muscle definition in his legs.”
— Bully Max customer, post-purchase survey
“The ability to provide a protein rich diet to my pup, who is naturally muscular and athletic”
— Bully Max customer, post-purchase survey
Behind the Scenes
PREFER CHICKEN-FREE? TRY BULLY MAX 30/20 BEEF
Chicken-free, meat-based nutrition with 30% protein, 20% fat, and 530 calories per cup for strength and energy.
Save 10% with autoship and get each bag delivered on a schedule.
How to Get Started in ADBA Top Dog
Every voice in this episode gives the same advice: go see it in person. “The best thing to do is to show up to a local club show or sanctioned event in the area that you’re in. I suggest just finding a mentor,” one handler says. “Facebook’s a really good place to start. See who’s in your area.”
The Beaver State club opens membership every January 1st and is on Facebook as Beaver State APBT Club. The club’s invitation: “If you’re wondering what the American Pit Bull Terrier really is, come down and visit one of our events and just watch.” For more events and sports, see our dog sports coverage.
FAQ
What are the events in ADBA Top Dog?
Three events: a two-minute slat mill sprint for distance, a wall climb, and either a lure course or a drag sled. Dogs are judged on all three, then placed into the top nine.
What is the ADBA?
The American Dog Breeders Association, the registry that sanctions the Beaver State club’s Top Dog and weight pull events. Many American Pit Bull Terrier clubs compete under it.
What is an ADBA Triple Crown dog?
In Episode 5, a handler describes it as an unofficial title for a dog that is a champion in the show ring, a Top Dog and an ACE. Stephanie Lamp’s Kimber became the very first ADBA Triple Crown Dog in the United States.
How do you train a dog for a slat mill sprint?
Train for the event. One handler in the episode sprints dogs in short spurts rather than running them for 30 minutes a day, because a Top Dog mill run lasts two minutes.
Feed your Top Dog like a champion
PRO Series 31/25 delivers 31% protein, 25% fat and 600 calories per cup for sport dogs in hard training.
TRY BULLY MAX PRO SERIES 31/25
High-calorie performance nutrition with 31% protein, 25% fat and 600 calories per cup for working and sport dogs.
Save 10% with autoship and get each bag delivered on a schedule.
Family-owned since 2009 · Made in USA · Every batch triple tested · Zero recalls · 50,000+ 5-star reviews · Dog Food Advisor 5/5
More from Bully Max Sports
Every episode, written up: the event, the rules and what the handlers said.
