What are the requirements in your country for a Championship Title

[Peter Hennig]

I am interested to know what is your requirement to gain a champion title for showing in the country where you live

and what is the break down of your age groups/classes

In Australia you need 100 points

if you are the only entry and the judge thinks your up to standard you win the challenge and get 6 points

for every other dog entered you get 1 point per dog eg: 10 dogs= 10points + 6 = total 16points

If you win Best of breed add the total entry + 6   maximum 25 points in total    

If you win Best in group  25points , that is also the maximum points you can win per show

baby puppies under 6 months can't win points and are not included in challenge line up

baby puppy 3-6 months

minor puppy 6-9 months

puppy 9-12 months

junior 12-18months

intermediate 18-36months 

open  36 months and over

veteran 7 years

 

[eva ciechonska]

To follow on from Sue can I just expand on the Crufts qualification from championship shows.  The first three in minor puppy, puppy, junior, yearling, postgraduate, limit, open all qualify.  Yearling is included.  Dogs can also qualify from "Premier" Open Shows.  I believe groups winners etc.

Irish Setters routinely have upwards of approx 140 dogs/bitches entered at general championship shows, which normally schedule a minimum of 9 classes for each sex and upwards of 200 dogs/bitches entered at breed club championship shows, which normally schedule a minimum of 13 classes ( maiden, novice undergraduate graduate, mid limit including the above and various permutations thereof etc).  The best 5 exhibits in the judge's opinion are placed 1st - 5th in each class (not in reverse order as on the continent).  4th placing is called 'reserve', 5th is called 'vhc' (very highly commended)......don't ask me why!!!!!  Infact  a member recently asked on a blog  "WHAT TITLE WAS VHC".  No title, just a 5th place in a class.

As Sue says the winners of EVERY scheduled class for each sex can compete for the cc.  A puppy can win a cc but if it wins three from the puppy class it has to win an additional one from Junior upwards to become a champion.  If the judge thinks a youngster is of such outstanding merit to win the cc it will get it.  I have both awarded and won cc's from the yearling class.

After the cc is awarded the dog/bitch placed 2nd to the cc winner can come in to challenge for the reserve cc (rcc) against the other unbeaten exhibits.  This is not mandatory but at the judges discretion.

The winning dog and bitch then compete against each other for Best of Breed (BOB).  All the BOB winners for each group then compete for the  Best in Group and all the Group winners compete for Best in Show (BIS).

Each breed is in it's designated group so ALL the gundogs qualify for the Gundog Group.  There are 6 other groups, namely Hound, Working, Pastoral (shepherding breeds), Utility, Toy and Terrier.

Only the Gundogs are given the title of Show Champion (originally bench champion).  Only ShChs who have successfuly run a field trial (FT) qualifier can be called Champions.

The only competition won on a point system is among youngsters between 6-18 months.  This is the Junior Warrant (JW).  An exhibit has to win 25 points in total (3 points each class win at champ shows, 1 point at open shows).  Ths is added to the dog's registered name and comes with entry into the KC stud book (automatic Crufts qualification for life etc)

Pheeeewwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!

[Melinda Auld]

Can breeds which aren't yet awarded CCs compete for BIG/BIS?

 

I always feel a bit sorry for those breeds in the UK which aren't yet awarded CCs.  It would be a bit of a bummer to win BOB, but not get any points, or a title!

[eva ciechonska]

All breeds which are seperately classified and scheduled are entitled to compete within their respective groups regardless whether cc's are awarded or not.  As is the best ajudged exhibit from the Any Vatiety Not Seperately Classified (AVNSC) classes in that group.  It is the KC who decide which breeds are eligible for cc's and at which shows they can be awarded.  We are lucky in IS because we have cc's for every show but many breeds don't.  Winning 3 cc's under three different judges is the ONLY way a dog can become a champion/show champion in the UK.  As champions are not excluded from cc competition it makes it that much more difficult to get a dog made up but, hey it is the best on the day and if that is a champion then the champion gets it.  There are arguments for and against this system.   I personally believe that it seems far too easy to make up a dog in many countries, especially in Europe, and if you have enough money you can go pot hunting to accumulate titles, very often in entries of half a dozen exhibits in each sex. 

Sue,  there was a time when yearling certainly didn't qualify and I can honestly say that I could not tell you when the change occured.

I think it must be harder for a dog to become a champion in the UK.  Partly because of the greater entries we get so the competition would be stiffer and partly because champions/show champions can compete for cc's   Also judges are allowed to withold awarding cc's from exhibits which, in their opinion, are inferior even though they might have won their respective classes.  The award is not automatic.  I have seen it done many times over the years but, luckily, never in IS.   

[eva ciechonska]

Forgot to add that we have no 'champions class' in the UK as in other countries. Once an exhibit becomes a champion/show champion it automatically goes into the Open class (open to all) where it can compete for cc's indefinitely against all the other class winners, as long as it wins the class it is eligible.

[Melinda Auld]

We don't have a no champions class, here - or a champion's class, for that matter (thank god - because IMHO, it renders the whole point of showing...well, pointless!).

 

We do have restricted parades, at which champions cannot compete at all.  But there are also no points on offer at these shows.  They are good shows for babies and young dogs to learn a bit about ringcraft.

[Peter Hennig]

Hi Melinda slightly off topic what is IMHO?

[John B. Hughes/Absinthe]

US Requirements: AKC championship requirements 
An American championship is awarded once the dog has accumulated fifteen points, awarded by a minimum of three licensed judges. Of the fifteen points, six points must be awarded as "majors" where the dog is awarded a minimum of three points at a single show. Championship points are awarded for Winners Dog and Winners Bitch at a licensed or member dog show as approved by the American Kennel Club. The maximum number of points that can be awarded to a dog in a single show is five points. 
     Championship points are awarded according to the number of eligible dogs competing in the regular classes of each sex and according to the schedule of points. In counting the number of eligible dogs in competition, a dog that is disqualified, or is dismissed, excused or ordered from the ring by the judge, or from which awards are withheld, will not be included. The point schedule has twelve divisions and is updated each year in May. 
     If the dog awarded Winners Dog or Winners Bitch is also awarded Best of Breed, the dogs of both sexes that have been entered for Best of Breed competition, and that have been defeated in such competition, are counted in addition to the dogs that competed in the regular classes. 
     If the dog awarded Winners Dog or Winners Bitch is also awarded Best of Opposite Sex, the dogs of its own sex that have been entered for Best of Breed competition, and that have been defeated in such competition, are counted in addition to the dogs that competed in the regular classes. 
     The dog awarded Best of Winners is credited with the number of points calculated for Winners Dog or Winners Bitch, whichever is greater. 
     A class dog that is awarded Best of Breed and which also wins its Group, is awarded championship points figured at the highest point rating of any breed entered at the group level. 
     A class dog that is awarded Best in Show is awarded championship points figured at the highest point rating of any breed entered at the show.

[Peter Hennig]

Thank you all very much there are some similarities to the process seemingly with different names for the position but not all that dissimilar to what happens here.The major difference is the amount of dogs entered at a show ,Eva you say routinely there are 140 dogs/bitches entered at a general champ show, last year at the IS club of Victoria, (of which I'm a member)the total entry was 50 from puppy to open, well gone are the days of 100 or more IS.

I would love to go to a show with those numbers of entries

I hope someone from another country tells what their requirements are so far we have Aus UK and US

[Peter Hennig]

We also have a title Grand Champion  , you need 1000 points and one BIS or four BIG or four challenges of 25 points

[eva ciechonska]

Peter......thanks, I was just going to ask you about criteria for becoming a Grand Champion.  It follows, therefore, that your champions compete for the challenge like ours.  Yours accumulate points for a further accolade, whereas ours just accumulate challenge certificates.

You do not have the title of 'show' or 'bench' champion so can (or do) your show dogs compete for field trial qualifications?  Does that add a further title?  In many European countries (ie Sweden) in IS you have to qualify in the field before you can add  'champion' to your dog's name, regardless how many challenges it may win.  It seems harsh.  I hope, like you, that more members contribute to this discussion.

Incidentally, our entries are falling too.  Gone are the days where we had in excess of 400 dogs at the breed shows.  Crufts pulls in the biggest entry these days but many overseas dogs enter which adds to the magic.

Our registrations are also falling.  We are now behind Hungarian Viszlas and Weimeraners.

[John B. Hughes/Absinthe]

US Grand Champion:

Grand Championship points may be awarded to eligible dogs as follows:

• Best of Breed – All dogs of both sexes in the breed or variety exhibited in the regular classes and Best of Breed competition will be counted
• Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Breed – All dogs of the same sex in the breed or variety exhibited in the regular classes and Best of Breed competition will be counted
• Select Dog or Select Bitch – The total number of dogs of the same sex in the breed/variety defeated in the regular classes and BOB competition will be counted. (i.e. 2 dogs less than the total number of the same sex)

Completion of the title requires all of the following:

• Twenty five Grand Championship points
• Three "majors" (three or more points earned at a single show) won under three different judges
• At least one or more of these points won under a fourth judge
• Must have defeated at least one other AKC Champion of Record at three shows

[Peter Hennig]

Thanks John it looks like no easy task to get a US Grand Champ, our rules have only recently changed you needed just the 1000 points only, but it was discovered if you have a rare breed with virtually no competition you needed 166 challenges to get the Grand title, you could claim the title and never have beaten another dog. So it was changed to include wins against your own breed and against other breeds/groups