The Kennel Club grant Championship Show status to twenty-seven General Canine Societies, and ten Group Associations, of which three relate to Working and Pastoral Breeds. Of this number only four General Societies, commonly referred to as ‘Representative Shows’ are automatically granted Challenge Certificates for all qualifying breeds, to which can be added each National Group Society which is usually granted Challenge Certificates for all qualifying breeds within their Group. The remaining shows are only granted Challenge Certificates for a limited allocation of breeds, the final decision being the jealously
guarded privilege of our ruling body who own them.

Rough Collies are currently allocated 35 sets, or pairs, of Challenge Certificates divided between General, Group and Breed Club societies as follows:

20 General Championship Show Societies, including
the four Representative Shows

2 Group Societies with classes confined to breeds
in the Working and Pastoral Groups

13 Breed Clubs both single breed and sub-group

 

According to the Kennel Club the allocation of its Challenge
Certificates is prepared 3 years in advance and only
considered after all the statistics for every General, Group
and Breed Club Championship Show are available for the
current year.

Each breed is placed in a ‘Banding System’ dependant on the
number of Challenge Certificates available for allocation. An average
of the previous 2 years’ show entries (ignoring absentees) is then compared
to a numerical scale which determines the number of Challenge Certificates available for allocation to each breed.

 

In 1994, the Kennel Club decided that not only were there too many Challenge Certificates on offer in several breeds, including Collies Rough, but that the geographical spread of those allocated required revision (see information panel on right) as did the balance between General, Group and Breed Club Shows

The result of this review was that the Collie Club of Wales was informed that it would no longer receive annual Challenge Certificate Status from 1996; this quickly followed by the removal of annual Challenge Certificates from the West of England Collie Society after 1997, both clubs serving adjoining areas.

 

 

The Rough Collie Breed Council deplored the loss of Challenge Certificates to any breed, especially to a Breed Club, let alone two clubs in similar areas, and this was pursued at great length during 1996/1997 with meetings held at the Kennel Club between Mrs Speding (RCBC Chairman), Mrs Westby (RCBC - KCLC Rep) and Mrs K. Symns (representing the KC). Throughout all negotiations the Rough Collie Breed Council following the mandate from all member clubs that ‘No Breed Club should lose its Challenge Certificate status’.

 

During this period the Rough Collie Breed Council made many proposals for solving the situation including recording entry details at all Championship shows since 1991, this practise continuing today.

The Rough Collie Breed Council continued to monitor the situation advising the Kennel Club of the numbers of Challenge Certificates available in particular areas and the low entry figures received at some General Championship Shows. The Kennel Club noted all of our comments but declined to adjust the now unfair Breed Club Allocation.

Despite a special allocation of Challenge Certificates issued to the West of England Collie Society, to allow it to celebrate an anniversary year, the allocation remained at 13 sets of Challenge Certificates to be shared between 14 clubs.

The geographical spread referred to by the Kennel Club is based on the United Kingdom’s old judicial system,  which may be referred to in
the Kennel Club Year Book, regularly referred to as the
‘Red Book’, and found in:

Part III Regulations for Kennel Club Liaison Councils – Section P-8·g.