CSPCA National Specialty Information ©
Provided by the CSPCA, Inc. Public Education Committee
CSPCA National Specialty Handbook
The CSPCA hosts a National Specialty Show once a year. It is typically held the last week of September, during October, or the first week in November. The National show starts on a Tuesday and runs through Saturday. Each year it rotates to a different area of the country. This is the annual convention for our breed. All CSPCA members and Chinese Shar-Pei fanciers are encouraged to attend and/or participate in this five (5) day event. This show is not just for those who show dogs, but an event that will help educate anyone interested in the Chinese Shar-Pei. This is a great place to meet breeders from around the country, and to ask questions to a variety of breeders. Many years we have some very interesting educational seminars that are Shar-Pei specific. There is also an opportunity to meet the people that hold offices in the club and chair the various committees. The Annual or General Meeting is held one night, and all club members are encouraged to attend and participate.
The National Specialty offers the normal dog show classes in conformation, obedience, and rally plus some special classes and attractions as well. To learn more about the dog show classes, please read the CSPCA brochure, My First Dog Show, which can be found on the CSPCA website under the Public Education button.
Sweepstakes: These classes are for puppies that are 6 to 18 months old, and the veterans that are 7 years old and older. The entry fees are put in a pot, and divided among the winning dogs in each class. Best in Sweepstakes and Best Opposite win additional money. The exact distribution of the money is listed in the premium for each Nationals. You make your entries for these classes under the Additional Classes box on your entry form.
Futurity-Maturity: The purpose of the National Specialty Futurity/Maturity is to encourage the planning and breeding of Chinese Shar-Pei that will produce the best possible specimen of the breed and to reward the breeders for their efforts. For this reason, the Futurity/Maturity monetary awards are weighted in favor of the breeder. Recognition, however, is not limited to the breeder, but also to the owners in whose hands the responsibility of developing the inherited potentialities are given, and to the owner of the sire for the sire’s genetic contribution.
Once the litter is nominated, postmarked prior to whelp, each individual puppy must be nominated again before 4 months of age (Futurity). If you feel that your puppy is still a great example of the breed, you can nominate him/her before they are 6 months old for Maturity, which entitles you to stay in the contest for another year. All of these deadlines are determined by the postmark date on the envelope. You can nominate the individual puppies for both Futurity and Maturity with the Futurity nomination. If your puppy is Futurity nominated throughout the process, the first Nationals after your puppy is 6 months old, you can enter them in the Futurity Event at Nationals that year. If they are also nominated for Maturity, then they will also be eligible to enter the Maturity Event the following year. It is not necessary for you to have entered the Futurity Event at Nationals, in order to show your dog in the Maturity Event the following year, as long as your puppy had been nominated for that.
You make your entries for these classes under the Additional Classes box on your entry form. Please check the rules and regulations for more specific details on how to participate in this event. They can be found on the Futurity/Maturity page on the CSPCA website. Or you may contact Georgette Schaefer, (Futurity/Maturity Secretary). Her contact information can be found here.
Stud Dog and Brood Bitch: These classes are for judging what a dog or bitch can produce. You enter your stud dog or brood bitch with 2-3 of their get. The classes are judged only on the quality of the get. (Get means a puppy out of that dog)
Brace classes: These classes have two dogs working together as a team, and are judged by their similarity in looks and how well they work together as a team
Junior Showmanship: This is for children and teens from 9 to 17 years old. They are judged on their handling skills. The dog that they show is not judged. There are many activities planned for Juniors at Nationals, including educational seminars as well as parties. (Neutered dogs can be shown in this class)
Parade of Rescue Dogs: This is to honor dogs that have found homes through the various rescue programs. There is a short story about the dog read while the rescue dog is shown in the ring.
Awards Banquet: All the people that have won awards during the year, are presented with their awards, after a nice dinner. This is a great opportunity to see what is going on in the CSPCA, and to put names with the faces in the breed. Tickets must be purchased in advance for the event. Information on how to order tickets will be in the premium list.
Invitational Event: This is where the top twenty-five (25) dogs (according to AKC records) in our breed are invited, and judged by three (3) different judges on their individual aspects, according to our standard. The scores are recorded, and added to come up with the winner of the Invitational. Dogs must be invited to participate, but anyone that buys a ticket is welcome to watch the judging process. It is a dress up affair, with a dinner, while the judging is going on. Tickets can be purchased in advance for the event. Information on how to order tickets will be in the premium list.
Club President’s Meeting– This is the only opportunity each year for all specialty club Presidents to get together and discuss local club issues face to face.
______________________________________________________________________________
In addition to the obedience and conformation competitions, there are several vendors that sell unique Shar-Pei related items such as T-Shirts, jewelry and figurines. The show has auctions and raffles featuring artwork and breed items sure to please any Shar-Pei fancier. These fundraisers at the show help support the Rescue Trust, Charitable Trust, Juniors, and various other programs in the CSPCA that benefit Chinese Shar-Pei. All the information about the details of the National Specialty can be found on the CSPCA website: www.cspca.com When you click on the National Specialty button, you will find the hotel information, list of judges, and the show superintendent for the show. There will also be a list of what all is taking place on each day of the event. If you are new to showing, you should write to the Nationals show superintendent, and ask to be put on the CSPCA National Specialty Show mailing list to insure that you get a premium.
In conjunction with Nationals, there is typically a specialty on Monday preceding Nationals. This specialty is hosted and put on by the local host club for Nationals. It is a great opportunity to get your dog adjusted to the show site, and to experience having so many dogs in the ring at the same time.
Occasionally there is a puppy match or obedience trial on the Sunday before Nationals that is also put on by the Nationals host club. These opportunities may be expanded to include Rally, Agility and other venues in the future. All the information on these shows will be included in the Premium as well. That information can also be found on the CSPCA website, under the Show Information button. Just be sure to check the CSPCA website, as occasionally, the specialty before Nationals has a different show superintendent from Nationals.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Printable Version
