Question of the Week

Ellen Kelley

Tulsa, Oklahoma 

It is hard to see justification for cancelling a national specialty, even with a low entry. As a member of a small parent club, with an entry of 3-3-2-4 for our 2024 national, we never considered cancelling. Obviously, the low entry signals a need to consider what the club can do to improve the entry for next year, but we were tacked onto a cluster, which minimizes costs. … A club should never count on making a profit from a specialty.

Shawn Brown

Grass Valley, California

I’m a board member of a small club with very low entries at our national this year. Our board is looking at ways to reduce costs, NOT cancel. It seems to me the very purpose of the national club is to promote and showcase their breed. This can be done a number of ways; the most economical is to hold the national concurrent with an all-breed. These arrangements usually only require the commitment, and the host club pays the national club a per-dog fee, gives them the ring and sometimes even offers rosettes. They do not need to be big, fabulous ribbons, and most clubs can generate enough member donations for prizes. They can hold raffles at the ring and even do judges education if the facility has a private area. It seems excessive to punish those who have shown, bred and looked forward to their "national" by a blanket cancellation.

Jessie Gerszewski

Tucson, Arizona

The Great Dane Club of America National Specialty was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic. I believe the board of the national club has a very difficult job deciding what is best for the club, its members and mainly for the dogs when a decision as important as this has to be made.

Laura Leever

McCook, Nebraska

I will admit I own, breed, show and do hunt tests with Golden Retrievers. So, it is a bit different when your breed routinely has the first- or second-highest entry at every show. At our national one class can have more than 60 entries, and Best of Breed can have eight flights with 20 to 30 dogs per flight — and that’s just the dogs. The bitches may have four of their own. I have seen other breeds where 60 is their entire entry, from baby puppy to Best of Breed. 
Our national is to show off our dogs and bitches. It’s a time to let everyone see what we are breeding and to look for prospective stud dogs. Pictures are great, but I want to see them move in person. It’s a time to meet others and see old friends.
I cannot fathom having it cancelled. Are they cheap? Heavens, no. But can they be done cheaper? Yes. If money is an issue and numbers are down, then ask why. I can tell you clubs are their own worst enemy. Rivals, bad blood, elitist attitudes and just downright being mean to others in or out of the club will ruin a club faster than you can blink. Hiring only judges that are good for your dogs or your friend’s dogs. Hiring friends to show to, knowing they will “scratch your back.” Don’t act so shocked — we have all seen this political nonsense for years. When I can sit by a friend and she can accurately tell me exact placements before the judge has even gone in the ring, we have a massive problem.

Is your show chair the same every year? Is it lack of interest or is someone controlling the whole thing? Don’t get me wrong: Being a show chair at that level is a nightmare. Being a coordinator for a national would give me heartburn just thinking about it.
People quit helping or participating, and we truly have only ourselves to blame. So if you’ve found you don’t have enough volunteers, money or participants, maybe you need to look in the mirror and restructure the club. Cancelling your national specialty is a slap in the face to those who have campaigned a dog. What is the point of showing to that level? Shows are expensive, and if you don’t even get to show off your top dog to your fellow breeders, why do it?

Remember once upon a time shows were to compete against each other to see who had the best breeding stock. This is already a dying sport. We chase out newbies and let wins and greed ruin friendships. What’s next?

Sylvia Arrowwood

Charleston, South Carolina

If a parent club finds it not feasible to hold a stand-alone national, most all-breed clubs would be happy to have your club join them. This is beneficial to the parent club and the all-breed.

Susan Shephard

Deltona, Florida

I would be livid if my parent club pulled a stunt like this, as there is no defending such an action. With all the low-cost options, there is no excuse. 

There are many all-breed shows that welcome local or national specialties at little or no cost to them. Some even allow them to use a judge from their panel at no cost, so there is no reason to cancel a national specialty.  

Nancy Talbott 

Quartz Hill, California

I cannot imagine the Golden or Lab national being cancelled so late in the game. Covid forced cancellation in 2020, but these events (especially the Golden national) are so highly anticipated each year for social as well as competitive reasons that cancelling would be a last resort. The national is the great annual gathering of friends and breed enthusiasts to celebrate our retrievers, including educational programs that help to foster knowledge for judges and breeders alike. Certainly the financial loss from a late cancellation (after venue payments, trophies and ribbons ordered — and birds for field events, judge reimbursements, and so on) would be devastating.

Granted, a national for Labs or Goldens involves very large entries, but every breed benefits from an annual event to lift their breed up. The American Water Spaniel, a breed ranked 166th in registrations, has a grand time each year in Wisconsin as they cheer their breed on in show and field competition. I was a very enthralled Judges Ed participant there several years ago, and the experience of watching these dogs do the work they were bred to do, the same dogs who had been in the breed ring the day before, proved invaluable. If they can do so with 20 entries or so, I suspect that all breeds can choose to make a national a priority. 

Nancy Edmunds

Bowman, Georgia

I fully understand, coming from a low-entry breed. Members need to understand that unless they financially SUPPORT all trophies and rosettes, man and help with raffles, the club may not be able to afford to put on a show. Members need to get on the show committee and learn exactly what it takes to put on their beloved national. 

Linda Tilka

Madeira Beach, Florida

Entries go up and down, whether a regular show or specialty. This is the time for everyone in their breed to get together regardless of entries. This is the time to see what your breed looks like without distractions from other breeds.

Have your national on someone's property for nothing. If you want your breed to be nothing special, then don't put the effort into making it special.

Where will I go to see everyone again if the Poodle Club of America cancelled our April specialty? 

If you love your breed, there is no excuse to cancel your national.

Ann Gilbert

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

We had our national cancelled twice during the Covid situation. Rescheduling was frustrating and difficult for the show committee as well as the exhibitors. We also were affected by the change in dates for Westminister, which added even more drama. Fortunately, we are back on track for now.

Larry Payne

Easley, South Carolina

It would not make sense to cancel national specialties that have large AKC breed numbers. It is costly to hold these events, and many small breed numbers cannot afford the cost. Perhaps combining many of them into a combined national specialty could work. Also, having a specialty show in conjunction with an all-breed show might work. 

The all-breed shows must take precedence over national-specialty shows if a choice in spending money is to be made by exhibitors. The all-breed shows are the backbone of breeding and showing dogs.