KENNEL CLUB BREEDERS' COMPETITION FOR 2009
For the latest information visit the Kennel Club website
To recognise and support the commitment and talent shown by UK breeders, the Kennel Club has created a new competition – The Kennel Club Breeders’ Competition. The competition creates a new arena where breeders can demonstrate their breeding skills and take pride in showing off their stock.
Kennel Club Chairman, Ronnie Irving, explained, “This is a very exciting innovation. This creates for the first time a genuine Best Breeder competition for every breed at every Championship Show. There has never before been a regular competition where a breeder can go home at the end of the day saying their stock allowed them to be judged as the breeder of the best breeder’s group at that show. Who in dogs would not wish to aspire to that? The Kennel Club believes in the quality of dogs bred in this country and this competition is the ideal way to showcase the pride we have in our pedigree dogs.”
The new competition will start in January 2009 with a Crufts Final in 2010 and the main features are:
- Competition scheduled at all Championship shows for every breed, with or without CCs (Breed Club, Sub Group, Group and General Championship Shows included)
- Entries can be made on the day of competition
- Breeders become eligible to enter by having bred four dogs being present and exhibited at that show in that breed
- Competition judged by the breed judge immediately after awarding Best of Breed and Best Puppy in Breed
- Best Breeder in Breed goes through to a Best Breeder in Group Award
- A cumulative points system will be applied to all wins
- 20 points available per calendar year (1 point for a breed win, 4 points for winning a Group, 3 points for coming second in Group, 2 points for third place in Group, 1 point for fourth place in Group)
- After achieving 20 points in a calendar year breeders withdraw from competition for rest of that year
- 20 points required to qualify for Semi Final or Final at Crufts in following year. (The total number of successful qualifiers may dictate that additional heats or qualifications may be necessary to secure a place in the Final.)
FAQs for Exhibitors and Breeders
FAQs for Show Organisers
OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF BREEDERS' COMPETITION
Manchester Dog Show Society will play host at its Championship Show next year to the official launch of the Kennel Club Breeders’ Competition.
The Kennel Club Roadshow will be on hand to handle any queries exhibitors and breeders may have in entering the competition and a special presentation will be made to the first winners of the Best Breeder Groups by Kennel Club Chairman Ronnie Irving.
The Kennel Club has received many positive reactions to the announcement of the new competition with many breeders delighted to be offered the opportunity to compete for an award that recognises their skill.
In response to the great interest in the competition that has been expressed, a further set of Q & As have been prepared to clarify various aspects of the competition.
Breeders' Competition: Further Q & A
HOW TO ENTER THE BREEDER'S COMPETITION
You must obtain your Breeders Competition Record Book. These are available via the Kennel Club Online Shop by contacting the Publications Department at the Kennel Club 0870 606 6750 ext. 278 or by obtaining one from the Kennel Club Roadshow stand which attends many shows throughout the year. Full instructions on how to enter the competition, and what information needs to be completed, are detailed in the Record Book. It is the breeder’s responsibility to keep up the Record Book up to date and accurate.
BREEDERS' COMPETITION FAQS FOR EXHIBITORS AND BREEDERS (12-AUG-08)
Q. Is it only the breeder who can enter?
A. Yes, although owners of dogs can certainly approach their breeder at the show and suggest entering.
Q. Who exactly counts as ‘the breeder’?
A. The breeder is the breeder of record with the Kennel Club. If three dogs have been bred by Mrs X and a fourth dog has been bred by Mrs X and Mrs Y then the fourth dog does not have the same breeder and therefore cannot take part in the competition.
Q. If the dogs have all been bred and registered by the same partnership can only one of the partners enter the competition on the day?
A. As with all entries, if the partners have written authority to enter dogs for shows on behalf of each other they can do so. If they don’t have permission then they cannot.
Q. Can breeders who live overseas take part?
A. This competition is for UK resident breeders only.
Q. How many dogs to a team?
A. Four
Q. Can I enter more than one team per show?
A. Yes.
Q. How do I get my fellow exhibitors to take part?
A. You cannot force exhibitors to take part, but it is hoped that all dog exhibitors will enjoy the chance to compete in such a prestigious competition with the opportunity of getting to the Finals at Crufts.
Q. Do they have to be the same four dogs at every show?
A. No.
Q. Can the team include dogs and bitches?
A. Yes.
Q. Do I have to pay to enter?
A. No.
Q. If I’m beaten in the Best Breeder in Breed Award does it affect my dog’s eligibility to compete for other awards at the show?
A. No.
Q. What’s in it for the breeder?
A. An opportunity to showcase their stock in front of their peers.
Q. What’s in it for the rest of the team?
A. There are no specific awards for individual dogs or owners of dogs in the team – just the pleasure in taking part and knowing that the dog they own may be of the best overall breeding in that breed.
Q. Can I compete for this award at every show?
A. This award is offered for all separately classified breeds at Championship shows and a breeder may enter as many times as they wish provided they have dogs eligible to do so.
Q. Do we have to wear matching outfits?
A. No. The dress of handlers will not be taken into account by judges who are required to judge the dogs solely on their merit.
Q. Do the dogs have to be the same breed?
A. Yes. The purpose of the competition is to award the Best Breeder Group in Breed and teams of mixed breeds of dog cannot therefore form part of this competition.
Q. Does the breeder have to be present at the show?
A. Yes - though he or she need not necessarily be exhibiting at the show in question.
Q. OK I’m interested – what do I do now?
A. The first thing you must do is obtain your Breeders Competition Record Book. These are available via the Kennel Club Online Shop by contacting the Publications Department at the Kennel Club 0870 606 6750 ext. 278 or by obtaining one from the Kennel Club Roadshow stand which attends many shows throughout the year. Full instructions on how to enter the competition, and what information needs to be completed, are detailed in the Record Book. It is the breeder’s responsibility to keep up the Record Book up to date and accurate.
Q. What do I do on the day of the show?
A. As soon as you know that you have a properly eligible team, complete the details in your record book and then go to see the show secretary, or other designated official of the show, and ‘book-in’ for the class. This is much the same procedure as is adopted at many Companion Dog Shows.
Q. What if I have forgotten my Record Book on the day of the show?
A. You can get another Record Book at the show from the secretary’s office. It is acceptable to have your entries in the competition recorded in several Record Books – the important point being that a verifiable record can be produced.
Q. Who will be judging my Team?
A. The breed judge will judge the Best Breeder in Breed Award after Best of Breed and Best Puppy In Breed. Where sexes are split the dog and bitch judge will make a joint decision. When a joint decision cannot be reached the Referee will be called upon to decide. The Best Breeder in Group may be judged by the Best in Group Judge, the Best in Show Judge, or another judge suitably qualified to judge that Group or Best in Show, as preferred by the show society.
Q. Are the dogs being judged on their uniformity of type, or on their overall quality?
A. Uniformity of type may be one factor the judge takes into consideration, but overall merit remains the overriding consideration.
Q. Is there a Best Breeder in Show award?
A. No.
Q. What awards are on offer?
- Best Breeder in Breed
- Best Breeder in Group 1
- Best Breeder in Group 2
- Best Breeder in Group 3
- Best Breeder in Group 4
A. Breeders amass points throughout the calendar year based on how well their teams have performed. Points are awarded as follows:
- 1 for Best Breeder in Breed
- 4 for Best Breeder in Group
- 3 for 2nd place in Best Breeder in Group
- 2 for 3rd place in Best Breeder in Group
- 1 for 4th place in Best Breeder in Group
Q. Do the four dogs which appear in the Crufts Final/Semi Final have to have competed in any of the heats?
A. No – all four dogs can be new to the competition.
Q. What happens if you have 19 points before the show, then win Best Breeder in Breed and get your twentieth? Are you still allowed to go on to the Group competition that day?
A. Yes. Points won at one show can be considered as separate and distinct to points gained over two shows therefore a team can continue through to the Group competition.
Q. If I don’t get the necessary 20 points in one year can I carry them over to the next year?
A. No. Everyone will start each year with zero points.
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BREEDERS' COMPETITION FAQS FOR SHOW ORGANISERS (12-AUG-08)
Q. Are all Championship Shows expected to schedule this competition?
A. Yes.
Q. What do I need to do before my show?
A. Simply list the award for every separately classified breed (both CC and non-CC) in your schedule and process any entries that are received. Remember that the competition takes place immediately after the breed judging has taken place and should be listed in the schedule and catalogue accordingly. Given the difficulty most breeders will have in trying to coordinate the required number of dogs of their breeding to be at a particular show it is unlikely that you will receive many entries in advance and most entries will be made on the day of the show.
Q. Do I need to order any award cards for this competition?
A. Fosse Data (or other supplier) will supply the correct number of award cards for the number of breeds you have scheduled.
Q. What arrangements do I need to make to handle the breeders and exhibitors who wish to enter the competition on the day of the show?
A. You will have to designate someone to handle the booking in process. The more breeds your show has scheduled the more administrative help you may need. It is open to you to delegate this process to responsible ring stewards if you wish.
Q. What paperwork has to be completed in order to accept an entry on the day?
A. There is no need to complete an entry form for this competition as all the relevant details should be listed by the breeder in their own Record Book. On arrival at a show the breeder should check the catalogue and establish whether there are sufficient dogs of their breeding to enter the competition. The breeder should list the details of the dogs present at the show that will be competing for the award in the Record Book and present it to the Show Secretary, or other designated official, for verification. If a breeder wishes to enter and does not have a Record Book with them then you cannot accept the entry. There is, however, nothing to prevent a breeder from purchasing a new Record Book at the show in order to make an entry – the important point is that there must be a proper verifiable record of the entry made in a Record Book.
Q. What checks must I make to verify that the entry has been properly made?
A. All the dogs must be bred by exactly the same person or partnership. All must be present and entered in a breed class at the show and are expected to compete in that class.
Q. What do I do to indicate that the entry has been verified?
A. Sign the appropriate place in the Record Book to indicate that approval to compete has been issued.
Q. What else do I need to do?
A. You need to be able to alert the ring steward that an entry has been made. The easiest way to accomplish this is to advise the breeder to show the ring steward the completed and signed Record Book as proof of entry. You will also need to make a note of the number of teams taking part in the competition for each breed as the Kennel Club requires this information to be submitted after the show on a Competition Feedback Form along with the catalogue.
Q. What qualifications does a judge need to judge the Best Breeder Group in Group?
A. A judge must have judged the particular Group concerned at Championship level, or have judged Best in Show at Championship level. It is open to show organisers to ask their Group or Best in Show judges to judge the Best Breeder Group in Group, or to invite a separate suitably qualified judge.
Q. What does the judge need to do?
A. The judge should sign and date the Record Book and update it with the number of points won by that team, as follows:
- 1 for Best Breeder in Breed
- 4 for Best Breeder in Group
- 3 for 2nd place in Best Breeder in Group
- 2 for 3rd place in Best Breeder in Group
- 1 for 4th place in Best Breeder in Group
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BREEDERS’ COMPETITION: FURTHER FAQS 13-AUG-08
Q. How do I prepare the schedule for my 2009 Championship show to incorporate the Breeders’ Competition?
A. Updated Specimen Schedules are now available to download from the Kennel Club website, www.thekennelclub.org.uk under the Activities and Events/ Exhibiting (Showing) section. Copies are also available by contacting Rowcheil Plunkett of the Breeds Shows Team of the Canine Activities Department at the Kennel Club tel: 0870 606 6750 ext 303.
Q. Does a club need to schedule an additional class(es) in order to hold this competition?
A. No. This is a common misperception. The Best Breeder in Breed Award is an award like the Challenge Certificate or Best Puppy and not a breed class like Open or Novice, nor a stakes or variety class. Just as a Challenge Certificate can be awarded to a dog from any of the breed classes, the Best Breeder in Breed Award can be awarded to any properly eligible team as long as each of the four dogs has entered in a breed or variety class at that show.
Q. My 2009 championship show is scheduled before Manchester where the official launch is being held. Should I schedule the competition?
A. No. For 2009 a few clubs will miss out on the opportunity of getting involved in the competition, but obviously this applies to 2009 only.
Q. Entries are accepted on the day for the Breeders’ Competition, but can Societies announce that entries will only be accepted up to a certain time?
A. Yes. Large General & Group Societies may particularly need to limit the time in which entries can be made for logistical reasons. In such cases an announcement to this effect must be placed in the schedule and catalogue and it would also be helpful to make regular announcements at the show to that effect.
Q. Dogs have to be entered at the show and are expected to be shown in order to be eligible to compete in the Breeders’ Competition. What happens if a dog misses its class through no fault of its owner?
A. In such cases, entered dogs can still compete in the Breeders’ Competition.
Q. Can dogs entered in classes such as Veteran and Champion, or variety classes, which do not necessarily form part of the main breed competition, take part in the competition?
A. Yes.
Q. How and where should winners be listed in the judges book/slips?
A. After Best of Breed and Best Puppy have been awarded the full name of the winning Breeder needs to be added to the end of the judging book. Remember it’s the name of the breeder you are recording and it is not necessary to record the names or exhibit numbers of the dogs in the team. It is up to the Breeder to make sure that that sort of information is properly recorded in their Record Book. If your Judging Books have not been pre-printed with Best Breeder and a space to record the name it is acceptable to write Best Breeder and the winning breeder’s name after the spaces for the CCs.
At Group level the top 4 breeders’ names will need to be recorded in a similar fashion.
Q. How much time should be allowed at the end of breed judging for this award?
A. With entries being accepted on the day this will always be tricky to gauge particularly until it is established whether some breeds customarily generate more teams than others. A competition similar to this runs very successfully in Scandinavia where the judging of Best Breeder takes only five to ten minutes per breed.
Q. Does the judge have to go over every dog?
A. No. Even if the judge officiated in the other sex and has not been over all of the dogs in the breed competition, there is no need to make a detailed examination of every dog. Time constraints may not allow this.
Q. Can the judge withhold the award if they believe that the dogs do not show sufficient merit?
A. Yes. This competition is similar to other KC competitions and the same principles of custom and practiceapply.
Q. Does the judge have to write a critique?
A. As the Best Breeder in Breed and the Best Breeder Group in Group awards form part of the breed competition the writing of critiques is to be encouraged.
Q. The last press release said that exhibitors could buy their Record Books from the Show Secretary on the day of the show. How does a club get hold of a stock of Record Books?
A. Anyone interested in this competition is encouraged to buy their record books as soon as possible from the Kennel Club or the Kennel Club Road show. General & Group Championship Show Societies will be provided with a limited stock of Record Books, but breeders should not rely on this if they are to be guaranteed to take part in the competition. An announcement will be made as soon as Record Books are available to purchase.
Q. What happens if dogs required by the breeder for the competition, have to be in the group ring or are in the variety class at the other side of the show ground?
A. This scenario already occurs frequently at shows- a dog may be entered in a breed class or variety or stakes classes and it can just happen that both classes end up being judged at the same time. Obviously the dog cannot be in two places at the same time and the exhibitor must withdraw from the variety class if they wish to continue in the breed competition. When this happens it's naturally very disappointing to the exhibitor who has missed out on the chance of competing again with their dog in the variety or stakes classes, but these sorts of timing clashes are sometimes unavoidable.
With the Breeders’ Competition the same scenario may arise. A dog may be competing in variety or stakes classes or in the Group when their Breeders’ Group is about to be judged in the breed ring. Before competing, the logistics of such a scenario needs to be discussed with all the team members. It may become apparent that it is not practical to enter the Breeders’ Competition if one or more members of the team are needed in other classes or in the Group. If so, as is the case now, the team will have to withdraw from the Breeders’ Competition and the Steward at the breed ring should be advised of this.
Q. Will Breeders’ Competitions be held up waiting for dogs not available or ready when called into the ring?
A. Again this is an issue currently faced at many shows for other classes. This will depend upon the show, but it is unlikely that shows will be able to afford the time to wait for teams to be assembled. After calling for the teams a couple of times, the Steward will agree with the Judge that no further time will be allowed and judging of the next breed will be able to proceed. Undue delay in assembling the Breeders Groups will simply not be possible.
Q. Will there be a set procedure for judges dealing with this award?
A. No but normally judges will be expected to make a quick assessment of the dogs standing together and then, if possible, the dogs will be moved together once up and down the ring. Some judges may wish the dogs to be moved together around the ring once. At some shows time will be at a premium and judges should, as they normally would, give consideration to any breeds following them in that ring.
Q. There must be four dogs in each breeder’s group. Must there be four handlers?
A. No - with some breeds fewer handlers may be possible. The important thing is that the judge can see the dogs properly and that the safety of dogs and people be maintained. So for big breeds it is likely that four handlers will be necessary but for smaller breeds three, two or even one handler may be acceptable. If, in the opinion of the Show Management, there are insufficient handlers to show a particular team safely, further handlers may be insisted upon or a team may be excluded from competition
Q. Does the Best Breeder Group competition have to be held in the Main Ring?
A. No. Societies may schedule the Group competition in any suitable ring or rings. It is open to the Society to ask their own Group or Best in Show Judge to judge the Group competition or to appoint a separately, suitably qualified, judge who is approved at Championship level to judge either Best in Show or the Group in question.
Q. What if there are too many teams to be safely or easily accommodated in the ring for the Best Breeder in Breed Competition?
A. It is of course open to judges and stewards to split the judging of the teams as happens now with particularly large breed classes. It is also open to societies to combine rings to accommodate a particularly large number of teams.
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