Orlando is one of our greatest opportunities for public outreach. We need to continue to be mindful of such outreach if we are going to continue to grow our sport and encourage newcomers to join us. The efforts at the Meet the Breed booths were very impressive, and I was very happy to see seasoned exhibitors, breeders and professional handlers pitch in and help their breeds.
There’s another new addition creating buzz at the National Championship this year and not one person is competing for a prize. It’s called Regalia and it’s a Saturday night party to celebrate purebred dogs. The best part is it is held right outside the group ring at the show
I will be doing a live broadcast of Table Talk, which should be great fun – I would love to talk to you please find me at the show.
What’s the one thing that has been consistently disregarded in our version of purebred celebration and the biggest news this year…puppies!!!
By Amy Fernandez Seventeen years…it’s still hard to believe. Many of us didn’t quite know what to expect from that very first AKC National Championship that made its debut back in 2001. The big money, game show atmosphere – and especially AKC’s direct involvement – were just a few reasons why the whole thing rumbled [...]
Due to the negative impact on both clusters, the show committees were able to change the show calendar so the shows in Rosemont were held the weekend prior to the shows in Cleveland. Then the Orlando cluster and the AKC National Championship were added to the mix.
Question: Do lower entry fees encourage entries for puppy and bred-by-exhibitor classes?
The Puppy stakes at the AKC Championship have had an overwhelming response from the fancy. There are over 1200 entries that required seven additional judges to be hired to judge the event.
I have been hearing more and more complaints from judges who are put up in hotels with no restaurant and no transportation, or are expected to navigate difficult travel from the airport to the hotel. While I recognize that clubs are trying to save money, I don’t think judges’ hospitality is the place to conserve funds.
Those travelling to Leipzig, Germany for the World Dog Show include Martha Feltenstein, Allison Sunderman, Lois DeMers, Desi Murphy and Tim T
