The title of Champion is awarded to a dog or bitch which has attained a total of 100 challenge points under a minimum of four judges.
A challenge certificate is awarded at the judges discretion to the best dog and best bitch over 6 months of age in each breed at Championship shows.
A challenge certificate is worth five points plus one point for each dog of the same sex exhibited in the breed. The Best Of Breed is also awarded one point for each exhibit of the opposite sex.
Champions compete for challenge certificates.
If two dogs are exhibited, the challenge winner is awarded 7 points, etc, up to a maximum of 25 points. If 100 dogs are exhibited the challenge is still only worth 25 points.
If a dog wins a group it is awarded points on the same basis as the challenge – almost always 25 points for the group. Best In Show is also awarded points. If a challenge is worth only 6 points, a dog may gain 25 points at that show by winning the Group.
Dogs which have been awarded a total of 100 points under at least four different judges at four different shows may apply for the title of Champion.
A dog must be over 12 months of age before it can be awarded the title of Australian Champion regardless of the number of points it has attained. The dog must also have been awarded a total of 25 challenge points after the age of 12 months before applying for the title of Champion.
Dogs which have be awarded a total of 1000 points may apply for the title of Grand Champion.
Australia and South Africa are probably the only countries where a dog can become an Australian Champion without beating another dog.
To
assess the worth of a title it is necessary to see the points
on the challenges, or to know that a dog has been capable of group wins or wins
in major shows.
