All’s Well That Ends Well

How many times do we assume we know a rule but find out that we don’t? At a recent show this past weekend a dog that was believed to have completed his AKC championship was entered in the Best of Breed class and went on to win Best In Show that day. After the fact it was discovered that the dog was shy the necessary number of points. As you would expect the assumptions were many as to what would be the verdict when this was confirmed with the AKC. Would this be the first time a Reserve Best In Show winner was awarded a Best In Show?

The decision to all matters regarding dog shows can be found in the AKC’s “Rules Applying to Dog Shows”.  The ruling for the Best in Show in question is well covered by Chapter 3, Section 13, Paragraph 4-

Dogs which according to their owners’ records have completed the requirements for a championship but whose championships are unconfirmed. The showing of dogs whose championships are unconfirmed is limited to a period of 90 days from the date of show where a dog completed the requirements for a championship according to the owners’ records.

Therefore, the above example of the dog going Best In Show that is shy points from completing its championship will keep all the awards won, including the Best In Show.  There has yet to have been an AKC Reserve Best In Show winner awarded a Best In Show.

All of the AKC Rules and Regulations can be found online at http://www.akc.org/rules/index.cfm. It’s probably a good idea to carry a copy of the “Rules Applying to Dog Shows” with you to all shows in case you ever have an unusual situation that needs interpretation. The AKC has done a good job in making the rules concise and accessible that govern the sport of showing dogs

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Posted by Geoff on Apr 15 2013. Filed under Breaking News, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.