For the first time in over 30 years, a new general Championship show will be added to the Kennel Club show calendar. With effect from 2007, the Boston & District Canine Society will be holding a General Championship show in January at the Newark and Notts Showground.

The dates allocated for 2007 are Friday 5th and Saturday 6th January and the show will offer a set of Challenge Certificates for each of Irish Setters, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Siberian Huskies, Newfoundlands, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Papillons and Shih Tzus. There will also be a number of stakes and variety classes and, whilst there will not be any non-CC breeds scheduled for 2007, the Society has undertaken to introduce non-CC breed classes at future shows.

During the course of the General Committee’s discussion, and the analysis of dog show entry statistics for allocating Challenge Certificates, it became apparent that there were a number of breeds with ‘extra’ sets of CCs available. There were no general or group societies or breed clubs needing CCs for these breeds or able to take on these additional Challenge Certificates.

Therefore, all those societies that had been granted Premier Open Show status were contacted to enquire whether they would wish to make an application for General Championship show status. Nine societies applied and, after a thorough vetting process that included statements on how each society was working towards the Kennel Club’s strategic objectives, the Committee approved the application from Boston & District Canine Society.

The Committee was particularly impressed with the Society’s show management skills and the meticulous plans presented in support of its application for championship show status. The General Committee was also pleased to note the Society’s many and varied activities, including weekly ringcraft evenings and match meetings, educational seminars as well as members’ social evenings and fund raising activities, which take place over and above its very popular licensed shows.

Ronnie Irving, Chairman of the Kennel Club, commented "The Kennel Club General Committee has been concerned for some time that not one new General Championship Show has been created in this country in the past thirty years. This is not very encouraging to the organisers of open shows. The thinking behind setting up Premier Open Shows was to find a way of giving incentives to open show organisers to run better and better events. We are very pleased that one of those shows has now gone on to gain championship status."

Pat Dufty, Secretary of the Boston & District Canine Society spoke of the Society’s reaction to the decision, saying: "We are absolutely delighted with the Kennel Club’s decision. We didn’t even begin to imagine that this would happen when we took over the Society over twenty years ago, and are so grateful to everyone who has made the show the success it is and raised it to such a level that we have gained Championship show status."

OUR DOGS Sally Pointon was invited to join in Boston’s celebrations of this marvellous news;

see her report in Newsround Regular Features