Dog Shows and Specialty Shows defined

All-Breed Show: Includes any breed recognized by the AKC for competition. They are given by All-Breed clubs, such as a local kennel club.

Specialty Show: A Specialty Show features only one breed in competition (i.e. French Bulldogs)

Combined Specialty Show: Several breed clubs, regional or national, combining to create a show consisting of several single-breed Specialty shows. Usually the intent of combining shows is reduction of costs by sharing space and resources.  Best of Breed winners do not compete against each other for further points or honors at these shows.

National Specialty Show conducted by a Parent Breed Club:
 FBDCA, the Parent Club for French Bulldogs, gives one National Specialty Show per year. The annual National Specialty is considered the ” crown jewel” of dog shows for our breed, though in past times it was not the week-long glamorous event that it is today. It may simply be part of an All-Breed show, whose breed entry is designated by the FBDCA Board as the National Specialty. This is how the FBDCA did it from the early 1900s through 1986. That is, FBDCA National Specialties were always part of an All-Breed show.  This changed in 1987 and 1988 when they were part of the Combined Specialties of Chicago shows. The FBDCA flnally had its first stand-alone specialty since the early 1900s in 1989, in San Rafael, CA.  FBDCA National Specialty shows have been stand-alone shows ever since.

Specialty Show conducted by a Local Breed Club: There are seven local French Bulldog clubs that meet the AKC’s requirements to give specialty shows; we consider these Local Specialties though other clubs may define them differently. These may be stand-alone events, or given in association with other breed specialties in a Combined Specialty show, or given in association with our National Specialty. For example the Heart of Texas French Bulldog Club had a regional specialty as part of the San Antonio Combined Specialty Association show in October 2010. However other regional clubs have stand-alone shows not associated with other clubs’ specialties though they may be held in conjunction with all-breed shows.

Independent Specialty conducted by a Parent Club: 
A specialty show other than the National Specialty. It may be a separate specialty show given in conjunction with a National Specialty show as the FBDCA has done in recent years; as a stand-alone event;  in conjunction with an all-breed show; or in association with other specialties in a combined specialty show, as is the case with the  NYC show given as part of the New York Metro Specialties show right before Westminster.  Regional Specialty Guidelines

Designated Specialty conducted by a breed club:
  The club (either Parent or Local) designates the breed entry at an all-breed show as a Specialty, as we did for our National Specialty for many years ( see #4) . Last December the FBDCA designated the breed entry at the 2009 AKC Eukanuba National Championship Show as an FBDCA Specialty, as all parent clubs were invited to do to help celebrate the AKC’s 125th anniversary.

Concurrent Specialty conducted by a breed club:  A concurrent specialty is held during an all breed show after regular breed judging but before groups are judged. This enables a dog to be shown twice in one day within a reasonable amount of time, with no waiting until after Best in Show to hold additional judging. Only the dog winning the breed in the regular classes in the all breed show is eligible to compete in groups.

Supported Entry: A breed club (parent or local) that has held at least one successful B-level sanctioned match may support in some fashion the entry of its breed at an all-breed or Group club event.  Support can consist of sponsoring ribbons, prizes, or other items for winning dogs. A Sweepstakes may be held with a supported entry if desired.

SweepstakesA non-regular class, usually offered at specialty shows, which encourages owners and breeders to have fun and to show off the puppies and veterans that they own and/or bred. Winners of Best in Sweeps, Best Opposite Sex in Sweeps, and often all of the class placement winners, receive a portion of the entry fees as prizes for their placement. Sweepstakes are the only classes where money prizes are normally awarded. No AKC conformation points are awarded in Sweepstakes competitions, and Sweepstakes Judges are not required to be AKC licensed judges.

Sweepstakes:

Sweepstakes is open to all French Bulldogs at least 6 months of age but under 18 months of age, which are NOT Champions of Record and which have not completed the requirements for championship prior to the closing of entries for this Sweepstakes. Dogs shown in Sweepstakes must also be entered in one of the regular classes at the regular entry fee.

Classes: 6-9, 9-12, 12-15, 15-18, divided by sex.

Veteran  Sweepstakes:

The Veteran Sweepstakes is open to all French Bulldogs that are 7 years of age or older on the day of the show. Veteran Sweepstakes may be Champions or non-champions. Neutered dogs & spayed bitches are eligible to compete. Winners will not be allowed to go on to any placement in the rest of the show as a result of participating in the Veteran Sweepstakes Classes. Dogs shown in Veteran Sweepstakes need not be entered in one of the regular classes or at the regular entry fee.

Classes: 7-9 years of age, Over 9 years of age, divided by sex.

Dogs that are bred and owned by a professional handler may compete in the FBDCA Sweepstakes. Dogs not bred and owned by a professional handler may not be exhibited by a professional handler at FBDCA Sweepstakes.

Professional Handlers are defined as any person who belongs or has belonged to a professional handlers organization, distributed rate cards, or otherwise represented themselves as handling dogs for pay.

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