— New Additions to the Grand Championship Program
and AKC/Eukanuba National Championship —
Since the introduction of the new AKC Grand Championship title in April, we’ve had hundreds of dogs in nearly every breed complete the requirements for a Grand Championship title. Thus far, the program has fulfilled the hopes we had for it – retired champions have re-entered the ring for a newfound showcase opportunity, and owners of new champions continue to compete for a new title. A section of the AKC website at /grandchampionship/ is now dedicated to the program, and we’re continuing to add new features there on a regular basis.
One new item is a Grand Championship Points Ranking that lists the top 25 dogs in each breed based on number of Grand Championship points garnered at shows by achieving Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, Select Dog or Select Bitch. The drop-down box on the webpage allows searchers to easily find their favored breed or breeds. This new ranking element will help us to celebrate the exceptional dogs that have taken the next step in the AKC Conformation world and truly are the best of the best.
Additionally, all dogs that completed their Grand Championship through October 12, 2010 will receive an invitation to the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship (AENC) in Long Beach, California to be held on Dec. 4 and 5, 2010. As Grand Championships are completed all dogs eligible for this honor will be listed on theAKC website. Beyond the Grand Championship program, however, we’re including several other high-performing categories of dogs on the 2010 invite list.
For many years, dogs earning their championship during the AENC qualifying period with all of their points earned as Breeder/Owner handled originating from Puppy and/or BBE class have also been eligible for an invitation. This year, we’re also adding a new invitational category: the Amateur Owner Handler (AOH). All dogs that finish their championship out of the Amateur Owner Handler class will receive an invitation to the show. Those dogs that finish with all points earned in the AOH class also receive a special medallion.
For AKC breeders interested in participating in the 2010 Eukanuba World Challenge, a spot in the competition could be yours as a winner in the Eukanuba Breeder’s Stakes competition. The four winners of the Eukanuba Breeder’s Stakes will compete against each other in Long Beach where the victor will have a berth in the Eukanuba World Challenge. More details are available on our website.
Finally, we will be celebrating our Miscellaneous breeds with the Best in Miscellaneous Class Competition. This competition will be open to American English Coonhounds, Cesky Terriers, Chinooks, Entlebucher Mountain Dogs, Finnish Lapphunds, Norwegian Lundehunds, Rat Terriers, Russell Terriers, Treeing Walker Coonhounds and Xoloitzcuintli who have won a CM (Certificate of Merit title) or at least three Best of Breed, with competition or one Best in Miscellaneous class, with competition. Come cheer on some future AKC-recognized breeds.
As you can see, the 2010 edition of the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship will be busier than ever with the addition of our Grand Champions and other special qualifiers. We welcome any questions about AENC 2010 or suggestions for the Grand Championship program. We hope to see you in the rings and at the show!
Sincerely,
Ron Menaker
Chairman
October Chairman’s Report