The Irish Kennel Club and The Kennel Club announced this week that The Kennel Club will be staging a Championship Show in Dublin in 2009, with KC Challenge Certificates for Irish Native Breeds.

The show will be called ‘The Kennel Club Special Crufts Qualifying Show for Irish Native Breeds.’ The show will be part of a Festival celebrating Irish Breeds, which is to be held by the Irish Kennel Club to coincide with the FCI European Winners’ Show, set to be held in Dublin in 2009. The breeds to be scheduled with CCs at this show will be Irish Wolfhounds, Irish Setters, Irish Red and White Setters, Irish Water Spaniels, Kerry Blue Terriers, Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers, Glen of Imaal Terriers and Irish Terriers.

Details of the show will be issued later but Nick Hammond, General Purposes Committee Chairman, said in Dublin ‘As a celebration of Ireland hosting the European Winners Show 2009 the Irish Kennel Club is staging a festival of Irish Breeds.

‘Many Kennel Clubs have indicated their interest in being involved and the offer made by the Kennel Club to stage a Championship Show for Irish Breeds as part of these celebrations is welcomed. We see this as a natural extension of the agreement reached several years ago whereby Green Stars etc can be offered in Northern Ireland and KC Challenge Certificates can be awarded here in Dublin. We feel sure that this move will be welcomed by Irish and British exhibitors alike.’

Ronnie Irving, Chairman of the Kennel Club said in London ‘We believe that this move will not only be welcomed by exhibitors of Irish Breeds but it will also be seen more generally as a very positive move and an indication of the spirit of co-operation that exists between the Kennel Club and our closest neighbours in Ireland.

‘Both kennel clubs believe that we must all work together internationally for the benefit of dogs and dog people. What better way could there be than for us to join with the Irish Kennel Club in celebrating the Irish Native Breeds on this special occasion for the canine world in Ireland.’
The show will be held under Kennel Club Rules and it will be a Crufts qualifying event as is any other KC Championship Show. It will be held at the same venue as the FCI European Winners Show and will be timed to enable those who wish to enter Irish breeds at the European Show to stay an extra day and take in both shows in a single trip. Judges and Classification will be announced in due course.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q. Where will the CCs for this show come from and will this affect the normal allocation of CCs for these breeds in 2009?

A. The CCs will be a special additional one-off allocation for this special occasion and as such will not affect the normal allocation of CCs for 2009.

Q. How will the show be organised?

A. It will be held entirely under normal KC Regulations and the judges, classification, entry fees and administration will all be arranged by the Kennel Club.

Q. Will the show be benched?

A. No. This is the one area where the show will vary from KC Regulations as it is impossible due to the cross-border nature of the show, to organise benching.

Q. Will dogs from overseas be able to enter – if so how?

A. Yes. Dogs registered with the Kennel Club will enter normally in the same way as for any championship show held under KC Rules. Dogs not previously registered with the Kennel Club will require an Authority to Compete (ATC) from the Kennel Club in advance. This is to enable the particulars of winning dogs to be easily available for entry to the KC Stud Book.

Q. Which breed standards will be used?

A. The judges selected are likely to have judged these breeds internationally but since this is a show held under KC Rules and Regulations, they will be required to judge to the KC Breed Standard. In most significant cases differences are, in any case, not major.

Q. Where and when will the show be held?

A. At the RDS Irish International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Dublin on either 30 or 31 May, 2009.

Q. Will the show be a Crufts qualifier and if so what will qualify the dogs?

A. Yes. The show will have the same Crufts qualifying status as any other championship show held under KC Regulations. Wins at this show will also count in the normal way against entry qualifications for classes such as Novice, Graduate etc at future shows. This show will feature in the Kennel Club Stud Book alongside all other championship shows held in 2009.

Q. Will the show be judged on the Group basis?

A. No. It will operate rather as does the Scottish Breeds CC General Championship Show and all unbeaten Best of Breeds will be eligible to compete for Best in Show.

Q. Will a dog’s results at the European Winners’ show affect its eligibility to compete for Best of Breed or Best in Show at this special championship show or vice versa?

A. No, this show is a completely separate competition to the European Winners Show.