Blue Ridge Classic dog shows go on

On Memorial Day weekend - Friday May 28 through Monday, May 31 - the Hendersonville Kennel Club Inc. and the Spartanburg Kennel Club – will host the Blue Ridge Classic of the Carolinas, their annual American Kennel Club (AKC) sanctioned All-Breed Conformation competitions.

The competitions will again be held in the Davis Event Center at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the usual concurrent obedience and rally trials will not be held. Also due to COVID-19 concerns, spectators will not be allowed as they had been in past years.

Participants will be required to sign a COVID liability waiver, to wear masks at all times and to maintain social distancing where possible...

The conformation events, aka dog shows, are not just beauty events. They showcase the breeders’ progress in improving their selected breed of dogs. That’s what conformation events have always been about since the beginning of dog shows – the improvement of the breeds.

While All-Breed shows are just that, open to any of the 197 AKC recognized breeds, many of the shows also contain Specialties open only to dogs of one particular breed within the larger show. As of PetGazette press time, the 2021 BRCC will include confirmed Specialties and supported entries for Rough & Smooth Collies, Bloodhounds, Bulldogs, Siberian Huskies, Welsh Springer Spaniels and Shetland Sheepdogs. More Specialties are expected to be confirmed before entries close at 12 noon on Wednesday, May 12.

Semen collection, freezing and DNA testing by the International Canine Semen Bank will be available for breeders. The bank will have its mobile clinic service on-site for those who want to insure the accuracy and longevity of their canine lines. Appointments can be made in advance.