Awards to be obtained

I am sure that you have noticed already that Old Hickory is very active in the show side of the American Staffordshire terrier. We are very active in visiting these shows both inland and abroad. We consider dog shows as top sport. The dog should be trained both physically and mentally.

Showing dogs is a beautiful sport for us were we combine healthy tension with seeing beautiful dogs. The main goal of a dog show is that the participating dogs need to conform as much as possible with the F.C.I. Breed standard.
Of course, if you are living in the United States your dog has to conform to the AKC standard. In this section, we will only talk about the F.C.I. rules.

Judging

The dogs are judged by a judge. He judges the dog and compares each dog with his ideal image in his mind of the perfect dog for that particular breed. The main focus is on the structure of the dog, the temperament and the gait. To put it in a nutshell, the judge watches whether the dog’s characteristics match the functions of the dog for which it is bred. In our case, the rendered AmStaff should have as many similarities as the ideal dog as described in the breed standard of the American Staffordshire Terrier according to the F.C.I.

The judges each have their own specialization. There are judges who only specifically can judge our breed, and there are judges who are allowed to judge more than 1 breed. They investigate and test the dog to see if the teeth, muscles, bones and coat correspond to the set standard. In addition, we look at the profile, the relationships and not to mention the gait.

Breed specific and general breed shows

The shows can be roughly divided into two types. The breed specific shows and the general breed shows.

At the specific breed shows, we see only for example American Staffordshire Terriers being judged, or just dogs from a particular breed group. This can be for example the Terriers group. The group to which our breed also belongs, the Am Staff.

The general dog shows are accessible to all breeds which are recognized by the F.C.I, and in 2016, there are 356 different breeds.

Which awards can be obtained at a dog show?

CAC

If we keep it simple, a dog can get a CAC or a reserve CAC certificate.
CAC is an French abbreviation for: Certificate d’Aptitude au Championnat.

On a show, the CAC is awarded to the best male and female of any breed, provided that they have achieved the qualification Excellent. It does not matter in which class the dog is registered (except for the puppy class). However, the dog of a Dutch owner must be registered in the N.H.S.B.

For a foreign owner, the dog must be registered in the relevant studbook of his / her country. The judge cannot refuse to grant the CAC title, if the dog meets these conditions. When a dog at an exhibition has obtained this (reserve) prize, he may qualify for the CAC if it appears that the dog who awarded this prize had already obtained this final international title.
Also, the Reserve CAC will come into force if the winner of the CAC is disqualified for some reason.

The CAC counts as one point to reach a final championship. If the CAC is awarded to a dog who is already a definite Champion, the CAC is transferred automatically to the dog who has obtained the Reserve CAC. This happens administratively afterwards.

Criteria

To become a Dutch Champion, the dog must meet a number of criteria.
The title “Champion” is awarded to a dog who has scored a CAC four times.

• That must be awarded by at least two different examiners;
• With four reserve CAC valid as one single CAC;
• The CAC at the “Winner” exhibition counts double, but the reserve CAC counts a reserve;
• The CAC on a championship club match counts double, the CAC reserve counts as 1 CAC and this double count can only be used once;
• The last CAC or reserve C.A.C must be obtained after the dog has reached the age of 27 months.

The title is then automatically assigned by the “Raad van Beheer”, except when it is obtained using four reserve C.A.C’s or with a final reserve CAC after the age of 27 months. Then the title must be requested and obtained from the “Raad van Beheer”.

Ways to become Dutch champion

There are several ways to make the dog Dutch champion.

• 4 CACs on 4 different shows;
• 3 CACs and 4 reserve CACs;
• 3 CACs on a regular show and 1 reserve CAC on the championship club match;
• 2 CACs and 1 CAC on the “Winner”;
  This is the annual exhibition in Amsterdam which is held in the RAI at the end of November and here the various “Winner” titles can be obtained. These are: Winner / Winster, Youth Winner / Winster and Veterans Winner / Winster.
• 2 CACs and 1 CAC on the championship club match of the breed association ASTCH;
• 1 CAC on a regular show, 1 CAC on the Winner or the championship club match and 4 reserve CAC´s;
• 1 CAC on a regular show, 1 CAC on the Winner and 1 CAC reserve on the championship club match;
• 1 CAC on a regular show, 1 CAC on the championship club match and 4 reserve CAC´s.

CACIB

Following on the CAC we have the CACIB certificate, this is an abbreviation from French for Certified d’Aptitude au Championnat International de Beauté, or  we simply call it The International Championship.

The CACIB is awarded to the best male and best female of any breed, provided that the qualification Excellent has been awarded. The dog must have been entered in the Open Class, Working Class, or Champion Class. When a dog at an exhibition has obtained this (reserve) prize, he may qualify for the CACIB if it appears that the dog who awarded this prize had already obtained this award. Also, the Reserve CACIB will enter into force if the winner of the CACIB is disqualified for some reason. The dog of a Dutch owner must be registered in the N.H.S.B. For a foreign owner, the dog must be registered in the relevant studbook of his / her country. The CACIB applies as one point to reach a final international championship.

The CACIB may be granted; The judge is entitled to hold the CACIB back if he reckons that the quality of the dog is not right. The CACIB can move on to the dog who received the reserve CACIB , if the dog that received the original CACIB is a definite champion.

Criteria

• To become an international champion, the dog must meet a number of criteria:
• A dog must have obtained a CACIB certificate at least four times;
• That must be awarded by at least three different judges;
• This in at least three different countries, including the country of establishment;
• While between the first and last CACIB must be a period of at least one year.

The international title must be requested from the F.C.I. This usually goes through the “Raad van Beheer”.
In this case, the CACIB cards received on the show must be sent to them.

Dutch Youth Champion

As well we have the following title; The NJK, this is the abbreviation for Dutch Youth Champion. The title Dutch Youth Champion can be awarded to dogs who have obtained 3 times a first place at the youth class at a Dutch CAC and / or CACIB Exhibition or Championship match and this with a “Excellent” qualification, under at least two different judges.

Upon obtaining and registering the title Dutch Youth Champion, the dog automatically receives one CAC. The ability to obtain a CAC from the youth class still exists.

Dutch Veteran Champion

Then we also have the opportunity to win with our dog at a later age. NVK is the abbreviation for Dutch Veteran Champion. The title Dutch Veteran Championship title can be granted to dogs who have attained 3 times a first place in the veteran class at a Dutch CAC and / or CACIB exhibition or Championship. This as well with the qualification Excellent and this under at least two different judges. Upon obtaining the title Dutch Veteran Champion, the dog automatically receives one CAC.

Title Club winner

A dog that gets this title has become the best of the breed at the championship club match organized by the association of the specific breed, in our case the A.S.T.C.H. This exhibition is organized annually by A.S.T.C.H.
A nice addition on this show, is that the best AmStaff gets rewarded with the Mr. Max van Slijpe Trophy.
A trophy that has been called into existence since 2015 as a gesture towards Mr. Max van Slijpe, founder of our Old Hickory kennel and for all he has done for our breed in Holland and the rest of Europe.