Class At Specialty

[Asalei]

I'm just after opinions on what class you would enter a bitch into if she was 17.5 months at a specialty.

Would you enter Junior, Aust Bred or Open?

A bit of advice I was given when I started was to always enter your dog in their proper class at a specialty. If I go by that advice, I'd enter into Junior.

I'm just wondering what others would do. She's a bitch who's looked quite mature whilst growing up, so could well pull off Aust Bred/Open, then in that case, might look too mature for Junior.

Argh!

Edited December 28, 2010 by ~Erin~

[WreckitWhippet]

I always enter mine for their age at specialty, even when I've run on litter mates

[Zensu]

If she can take it in the Open class i would boost her up. In my experience, 8 times out of 10 your Challenge winner usually comes from Open.

Edited December 28, 2010 by Zensu

[SkySoaringMagpie]

As it is Junior I would stick with Junior unless she is really big or mature for her breed.

I think this is more of a question in Intermediate, where you sometimes get dogs who are by then nearly 3, and already BIS winners. Then I think people should consider putting them into Open to compete with what is supposed to be the best. One Spec I went to had a hugely competitive and very large Intermediate Class full of BIS/Group/Spec Challenge winners but only 4 dogs in Open. I know it puzzled the international specialist judge, because they remarked on it.

Edited to say I know 3/5ths of bugger all about Beagles, and they are a more early maturing breed, so take my comments with a sack of salt

Edited December 28, 2010 by SkySoaringMagpie

[Asalei]

I'm not sure she could pull off Open. Plus her mother will most likely be in Open. (If they are showing her in Open.. she'll be 7 in January).

I agree that most commonly the challenge winners are from Open, but this years specialty saw the bitch ch come from puppy and went on to win BIS.

ETA: She's not really big or looking overly mature, she's still a little bit of a flippy floppy puppy, but whilst she was growing up, she was bigger than others her age and bigger than others older than her. She's evened out with the average height of a beagle bitch now.

Edited December 28, 2010 by ~Erin~

[-Megz-]

Stick with your age class. They are only that age once and have years to come to enter the older classes.

I find at Specialties less emphasis is put on the class and the age as a specialist is looking at a dog for that dog not for the if's but's and maybe's of how they grow or don't grow.

[Asalei]

Too true Megz.

I thought I'd enter her into Junior, but just thought I'd ask others opinions.

[Flaves]

I agree that most commonly the challenge winners are from Open, but this years specialty saw the bitch ch come from puppy and went on to win BIS.

Enter in her class, if she has already taken out BIS from puppy at a specialty she is something special and she will be able to do it again from junior

[Pockets]

It's personal choice I think, but since she is junior I would leave her in junior she has plenty of time to compete in the open classes

[Rysup]

Junior for sure. I've won BIS at a Specialty from the Junior Class with a bitch I was not even going to show as she was so out of coat. Only that my mentor convinced me to take her in!!

[oakway]

A good dog is capable of winning from any class.

[DURNSTEIN]

Junior