Reserve Winners – Now More Than a Head Nod at Nationals

By Pilar Kuhn

You’ve probably already heard the news from a colleague or perhaps from the source itself, the AKC delegate body voted in favor of awarding a three-point major for Reserve Winners Dog and Reserve Winners Bitch at National Specialties when the total entry is at least double of what is required for a five point major. Upon hearing this news, I was ecstatic and slightly disappointed at the same time, but the disappointment was only for my own selfish reason. Our class Bouvier could have had a major last fall after going Reserve at the Bouvier National Specialty.

In fact, this exact topic was a conversation piece in our vehicle last fall. Our Bouvier “Danica” had not only won her Open class at our National Specialty held at Purina Farms in Grey Summit, Missouri, but she also went Reserve Winners Bitch and the total entry was 57 class bitches. If this rule had been in effect last year, it would have been Danica’s third major and she would have finished the very next weekend. My husband, Rod, and I were not concerned about finishing our girl in the following months, but we kept looking at the extremely large entry of class dogs and bitches and said, “It sure would be nice if, at national specialties when the entries are so big, Reserve and Winners both got majors.” I’m glad the AKC heard our case, and obviously we weren’t alone with those thoughts.

I had heard of the original Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club allowing majors for Reserve wins in the past. Friends with Cavaliers at this “Old Club” show had won a major for going Reserve. I recall a Facebook discussion explaining to those in other breeds why they had won a major. It was then that I thought, “All clubs at nationals should do this.”

Going Reserve at a normal all-breed show tends to draw more frustrated responses from exhibitors than being thankful that they got a ribbon. And many of us have experienced when one person’s supposed fortune that day became their misfortune and the points were awarded to the Reserve winner. Although it’s not that frequent, I personally believe the age differentiation and breakdown of the classes provides that small window for mistakes in entries. Over the last few months, a fellow exhibitor did a very polite action upon receiving word from the AKC that his major win would be negated and the points were awarded to the Reserve winners. He chose to call the other Reserve exhibitors to inform them that those dogs would receive points he thought his dog had won. In this situation, the reason for having a Reserve winner proved its point.

Exhibitors often talk about the differences in shows from division to division regarding the entries required for points and majors. And certain areas of the country are considered highly competitive for some breeds as compared to other areas. For example, a three-point major in a state in the Midwest may require half as many entries as the amount required for a three point major on the west coast. But we all know a major is a major just as we also know a Best In Show is a Best In Show, regardless of the total entry size.

And at National Specialties, when the “Best of the Best” struts their stuff displaying the wonderful array of breeding programs from around the world, a win in any class is noteworthy. Going Winners or Reserve deserves the points that speak volumes going into the aggregate for that new Champion title. Kudos to the exhibitors that asked for this change, to the AKC Delegates for championing this, and the AKC for supporting the efforts of breeding programs and exhibitors around the country. Next on the list? Perhaps points awarded for Reserve Best In Show?

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Posted by admin on Oct 2 2012. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.