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ABMC National Specialty Procedure Manual

Purpose: The American Belgian Malinois Club’s (ABMC) annual Nat ional Specialt y show is considered t he highlight of t he year for Belgian Malinois fanciers. It s purpose is for club members and ot her fans of t he Belgian Malinois t o come t oget her, exchange ideas, see and go over dogs f rom around t he count ry and t he world, and compet e wit h t heir Belgian Malinois. This af fair, spanning several days, feat ures event s in conformat ion, obedience, rally, herding, t racking, and agilit y and draws dogs f rom across t he Unit ed St at es and Canada. The Nat ional Specialt y has t radit ionally rot at ed bet ween t hree major areas of t he count ry, East ern, Cent ral and West ern. Local and Regional area clubs and/ or small groups of volunt eers are encouraged t o consider volunt eering t o hold t he Nat ional Specialt y in your area.

This manual is designed t o help Nat ional Specialt y Chairs and commit t ees organize and present a successful Nat ional Specialt y. Anyone int erest ed in put t ing fort h a proposal is encouraged t o review t he AKC Show, Obedience/ Rally, Herding, Tracking, and Agilit y Manuals available at AKC.ORG. For your convenience, links t o t hese manuals can be found in t he Appendix at t he end of t his document .

Table of Cont ent s

I. Proposal 2 II. Finances 2 III. Show Sit e(s) and Venue

2 IV. Host Hot el 4 V. Select ion of Conformat ion and Sweepst akes Judges 6 VI. Commit t ee Chairs and t heir Dut ies 6

A. Show Chair 6 B. Assist ant Show Chair 7 C. Nat ional Specialt y Treasurer 7 D. Conformat ion Chair

7 E. Obedience/ Rally Obedience Chair 8 F. Agilit y Chair

9 G. Herding Chair 9 H. Tracking Chair 10 I. Chief Ring St eward

10 J. Trophy Chair 12 K. Roset t e Chair 12 L. Most Versat ile Belgian Malinois Chair 12 M. Hot el Liaison 13 N. Hospit alit y Chair 13 O. Judges Hospit alit y Chair 13 P. Banquet Chair 13

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Q. Honor Rescue Parades Chair(s) 14 R. The Performer Chair 14 S. Advert ising Chair 15 T. Websit e Chair 15 U. Cat alog Sales Chair

16 V. Cat alog Advert ising Chair 16 W. Reserved Grooming Chair ( if of fered) 16

VII. Show Phot ographer 17 VIII. Show Videographer 18 IX. Awards 18 X. Sweepst akes 20 XI. Rescue Raf f le 21 XII. Key Dat es 21 XIII. Appendix 23

I. Proposal Select ion of t he show sit e is t he f irst st ep in t he planning of a Nat ional Specialt y. A sat isfact ory show sit e and a host hot el or a combined show sit e/ host hot el are import ant for t he enjoyment of t he visit ing exhibit ors as well as t he smoot h conduct of t he show. The f inal decision on show sit e, Show Chair, dat es, and budget must be approved by t he ABMC Board of Direct ors (BOD). Submission of a Nat ional Specialt y proposal for review and approval by t he BOD should be complet ed no lat er t han t wo years prior t o t he proposed dat e. The following are required for t he proposal: A. The name, address, phone number, email address of t he Show Chair for t he proposed

Nat ional Specialt y. B. The proposed dat es and alt ernat ive dat es if needed. C. The show sit e including phot os, a diagram and writ t en descript ion of t he facilit y, and

area accommodat ions (hot els, rest aurant s, gas st at ions, RV facilit ies, st ores, et c.) . Also include a descript ion of t ransport at ion such as major highways and airport s t hat service t he area. If agilit y and herding compet it ions are t o be held at separat e locat ions include t he locat ion of each event and a descript ion and phot os of t he facilit y and t he ring or arena. St at e t he dist ance f rom t he host hot el and t he show sit e f rom t hese venues and t he ease of access.

D. The Host Hot el, if dif ferent t han t he Show Sit e described above, must be included and must be able t o reserve a block of at least 60 rooms.

E. Meet ing rooms t o accommodat e t he Annual Meet ing, Banquet , Honor and Rescue Parades, and Judges Educat ion should be available at t he hot el or t he show sit e and t he locat ion of each.

F. A list of proposed Show Secret aries or Superint endent s. G. A list of key personnel and t heir proposed areas of responsibilit y, including but not

limit ed t o t he names of t he show, conformat ion, obedience, rally, agilit y, herding, and ot her event s chairs. Please see Sect ion VI (page 8) ent it led “ Chairmen and t heir Dut ies” for recommended personnel.

H. A proposed budget . I. A list of proposed judges for event s ot her t han conformat ion. J. List of cont act s t hat have already been made.

II. Finances – Nat ional Specialt y Treasurer

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While t he primary purpose of t he ABMC Nat ional Specialt y is educat ion and f riendly compet it ion in celebrat ion of our breed, f iscal responsibilit y shall be maint ained as a mat t er of common sense and good business. The Nat ional Specialt y Commit t ee’s goal should always be a balanced budget . The Nat ional Specialt y budget shall cont ain best and worst income and expense est imat es. Under no circumst ances can a proposed budget ’s expense project ion exceed income expect at ions. The ABMC Treasurer is available t o assist in development of t he proposed and f inal budget .

III. Show Sit e( s) and V enues The Nat ional Specialt y may be held as it s own ent it y or in conjunct ion wit h a clust er of shows. The show sit e will need t o accommodat e compet it ion rings for obedience and rally obedience. Ot her act ivit ies may be held of f sit e but should be suf f icient t o handle t heir designat ed venues. If t he show sit e is not held at t he host hot el, arrangement s for holding t he Awards Banquet , Annual Meet ing and Honor and Rescue Parades must be made in a comfort able, easy t o access area (see Sect ion V for more det ails) . A. Conf ormat ion and Obedience/ Rally Obedience Event s

a. Sit e Requirement s The show sit e will need t o accommodat e one large conformat ion ring or t wo smaller rings for obedience and rally obedience. Also, it will need t o have adequat e space for spect at ors, crat ing, grooming, and vendors. Obedience / rally is generally held on a separat e day t han conformat ion. The event s may ut ilize t he same ring space.

Concerning ring sizes and equipment , refer t o t he AKC regulat ions for each event .

The AKC Show Manual suggest s t he f ollowing ring siz es

Widt h in Feet

Unobst ruct ed Lengt h in Feet

Obst ruct ed Lengt h in Feet

Sport ing, Working and Herding Breeds 40 ’ 48 ’ 58 ’

Specialt y Shows 48 ’ 64 ’ 74 ’ Obedience 40 ’ 50 ’ 50 ’

b. Addit ional Show Sit e Needs:

• Spect at or seat ing around t he ring wit h a special space reserved for Judges Educat ion part icipant s t o observe t he exam,

• A place for t he of f icial show videographer and/ or phot ographer t o set up where t hey can see t he examinat ion and movement ,

• Adjacent area for crat ing and grooming, • An out door exercise area in close proximit y, • A secured st orage area for st orage of t rophies, ribbons and equipment , • A space for vendors, ABMR raf f le, and ot her ABMC sanct ioned raf f les near t he

rings, and • Maint enance and cleaning should be available and included in t he sit e cont ract .

Daily cleaning as well as maint enance for t he room will be necessary. B. Addit ional Event s at t he Show Sit e or Host Hot el

a. If held, an ABMC Board of Direct ors meet ing will be scheduled by t he ABMC President and BOD. A locat ion for holding t he meet ing should allow for eight people and include chairs and a t able. The dat e and t ime will be det ermined by t he BOD.

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b. The ABMC Annual Meet ing can be held at t he host hot el, t he show sit e, or ot her suit able locat ion. A room accommodat ing at least 50 people is required wit h t heat er seat ing preferred. The t ime and dat e for t he meet ing shall be det ermined by t he BOD and should be as close t o t he conformat ion show as possible t o make sure all want ing t o at t end will be available. There should be no ot her act ivit ies planned during, immediat ely before, or af t er t he annual meet ing.

c. The Annual Awards Banquet locat ion in most years should be able t o accommodat e up t o 100 diners.

d. The Honor and Rescue Parades are import ant event s t hat should be scheduled at a t ime and locat ion t hat will be appropriat e for t he dogs t o be paraded before an audience. The room used must accommodat e seat ing for spect at ors and an area for st aging t he dogs prior t o present at ion. The parades can be held prior t o t he banquet but must be held in a place where dogs are allowed (of t en st at e law prohibit s dogs being in areas where food will be served) . It is wise t o place several boxes of t issues in t he room.

C. Educat ional Event s a. Educat ional event s are encouraged at all Nat ional Specialt ies. It is t he largest

gat hering of Belgian Malinois fanciers each year and every ef fort should be made t o of fer an educat ional program of int erest t o t hem. Topics might include canine st ruct ure, canine movement , breeding, genet ics, conformat ion handling, grooming, and obedience, rally, herding, or agilit y seminars. Appropriat e indoor or out door space should be made available for t hese event s.

b. The Judges Educat ion Commit t ee (JE) of fers t he Belgian Malinois Judges Educat ion Program at t he Nat ional Specialt y each year. This seminar is designed t o educat e AKC judges who are licensed t o judge Belgian Malinois and ot hers preparing t o apply for licensure in t he next year. The show chair shall coordinat e wit h t he Judges Educat ion Commit t ee regarding t he present at ion and t he needs for t he room requirement s and on a dat e and t ime for t he present at ion. Alt hough a separat e session of t he JE program for members is preferable, t he decision t o allow ABMC members t o at t end t he JE program lies wit h t he JE present er alone. ABMC members at t ending t he program will pay t he same fee as t he judges and will at t end t he full session, not ent ering or leaving during t he present at ion. Ot her rules for members at t ending t he JE session will be set by t he present er.

c. Special demonst rat ions such as IPO, French Ring, Milit ary/ Police or Working Dogs may be allowed at a Nat ional Specialt y. If t hese are t o be of fered as educat ion event s, cont act t he demonst rat ors t o conf irm t he area t hey require and t o ensure t he proper equipment is available. AKC may need t o be cont act ed for approval.

D. Perf ormance Event s a. Herding: The Nat ional Specialt y herding t rial must be held in an AKC approved

herding facilit y wit h st ock t hat is appropriat e for upright dogs. The herding sit e should be in as close proximit y as possible t o t he show sit e. It is a good idea t o enlist t he help of local Belgian Malinois herding ent husiast s t o evaluat e possible herding venues.

b. Agilit y: Agilit y t rials can be held at t he show sit e if t he sit e will accommodat e t he necessary ring size and is approved by AKC. It can also be held at a nearby AKC approved agilit y facilit y wit h a running surface suit able for fast dogs.

c. Tracking: If possible, t racking should be of fered at all Nat ional Specialt ies. Tracking does require a large out door area and must easily accommodat e t he number of ent ries designat ed in t he t est , keeping in mind t he requirement for non-veget at ed

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surfaces in TDU and VST t est s. The commit t ee must be ext remely careful not t o underest imat e t he space required for regulat ion t racks. Tracking t est s may not be held at t he same sit e wit hin t hree (3 ) days of a previous t racking t est , t hree days f rom t est day t o t est day. It is a good idea t o enlist t he help of local t racking judges and experienced t racking ent husiast s t o look over possible t racking venues. Ot her possible t ools for est imat ing t rack limit s might include plot t ing t racks onsit e and use of Google Eart h sat ellit e images.

d. Addit ional event s for dog part icipat ion, i.e. ATTS, Farm Dog Cert if icat ion, Canine Good Cit izenship t est , Herding Inst inct Test , Barn Hunt , Scent Work, Dock Diving, et c., may also be held at a Nat ional Specialt y. Make sure t here is suf f icient t ime and space if t hese are t o be held. Too much overlap in act ivit ies/ event s is f rust rat ing t o t he part icipant s and should be avoided if at all possible.

IV . Host Hot el

A. Requirement s f or t he Host Hot el:

• Abilit y t o reserve a block of 60 rooms, • Grassy dog exercise area, • Rest aurant s in or near t he hot el, • If hot el is t o be show sit e, facilit ies t o accommodat e t he compet it ions, • Negot iat ed room rat es t o be af fordable, • Able t o accommodat e RV parking, • Banquet facilit ies, and • Meet ing rooms.

The Show Commit t ee is responsible for t he select ion of t he host hot el. Recommendat ions f rom previous Nat ional Specialt y Host Hot els may be available wit h t he assist ance of t he BOD. A writ t en cont ract should be negot iat ed wit h t he hot el t o include all services needed. Hot el management (manager, st af f , billing manager) will need t o be involved in t he planning of t he Specialt y and all event s happening at t he hot el (annual meet ing, honor parade, et c.) . Many hot els have st andard cont ract s t hat can be amended t o include all of t he required hot el rooms and services. To avoid miscommunicat ions and misunderst andings, it is recommended t hat regular cont act wit h t he hot el manager (or designat ed cont act person) is maint ained. Providing updat es on t he planning process or negot iat ing changes t o t he cont ract will avoid pot ent ial problems. This regular cont act will be benef icial if t here are changes in hot el management .

B. Room Reservat ions At t endees t o t he Nat ional Specialt y will make t heir own reservat ions direct ly wit h t he hot el. Any rest rict ions regarding dogs or damage deposit s are t o be clearly communicat ed. Hot el guest s are personally responsible for any damages t o t he hot el facilit y by t heir animals. Under no circumst ance will ABMC be held responsible or liable for any damage caused by individual guest s. This must be clearly underst ood bet ween t he host ing group and t he hot el/ facilit y management . The host ing club or group has no aut horit y t o commit t he ABMC t o paying for damages incurred by guest s at any hot el/ facilit y.

C. Rat es The cont ract wit h t he Host Hot el will specify t he room rat es. In addit ion, it is advisable t o have t he hot el guarant ee t he rat es for any ext ra days prior or subsequent t o t he Nat ional Specialt y.

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D. Exercise Areas Hot el management will designat e t he dog exercise area(s) . The Show Commit t ee will post signage t hat will direct exhibit ors t o t hose areas. This informat ion should also be provided in any welcome packet s provided t o exhibit ors. It is mandat ory t he exhibit ors clean up af t er t heir dogs. Baggies and/ or pooper-scoopers should be easily available t o all exhibit ors. Following t he show, coordinat e wit h t he hot el for a f inal cleanup of t he exercise area.

E. Alt ernat e Hot els It is wise t o list alt ernat e hot els near t he Host Hot el. If t he Host Hot el is full or an

alt ernat e is desired, t hen t hese opt ions are available. F. RV s

It is advisable t o work wit h t he management of t he Host Hot el t o det ermine whet her t hey will allow RVs t o be parked overnight in t heir parking lot . Some hot els do not mind; ot hers do not allow it . If t he Host Hot el allows overnight RV parking, reserve space for RVs in t he Host Hot el cont ract . Also est ablish t he hours for generat or use if at all possible. If t he Host Hot el will not allow overnight camping in t heir parking lot , ot her RV locat ions must be found and made available t o t he Nat ional Specialt y at t endees. Locat ing nearby RV parking facilit ies t hat allow dogs is mandat ory.

G. Meet ing Rooms a. A Hospit alit y Room or area can be provided as a space where exhibit ors, club

members, and guest s may gat her. The room is t ypically open during non-compet it ion hours and may of fer small ref reshment s and relaxat ion for all at t ending. It also serves as a cent ral locat ion for t he disseminat ion of informat ion during t he Nat ional Specialt y.

b. ABMC Board of Direct ors Meet ing will require an area allowing for eight people. See Sect ion III B a.

c. The Awards Banquet is held in a large room set up for dining. In most years, t he room should accommodat e 100 people. See Sect ion III B c for more det ails.

d. ABMC annual meet ing room should accommodat e up t o 75 people. See Sect ion III B, b for more det ails.

e. Honor and Rescue Parades, see Sect ion III B d for more det ails.

V . Select ion of Conf ormat ion and Sweepst akes Judges

The ABMC membership vot es annually t o select t he Conformat ion and Sweepst akes judges for t he Nat ional Specialt y t o be held in t wo years. The judges select ion process involves t wo elect ions, t he nominat ion elect ion and t he f inal select ion elect ion. The nominat ion elect ion will cont ain a list of all AKC judges eligible t o judge Belgian Malinois as published annually by t he AKC as well as any foreign judge, or breeder of Belgian Malinois. Judges who have judged or are scheduled t o judge at t he Nat ional Specialt y for t he f ive years preceding t he Specialt y being vot ed on will be marked on t he nominat ion form as current ly ineligible t o judge per ABMC policy. The f ive people receiving t he most vot es will be candidat es in t he f inal elect ion. If t here is a t ie, all judges included in t he t ie will be included in t he f inal vot e. Af t er t he vot es are count ed, t he BOD will provide t he t op judge, as select ed by t he membership, t o t he Nat ional Specialt y Show Chair. The judge’s cont act informat ion and judge’s number will be included wit h t his communique as t hey will be needed for t he AKC show applicat ion. The hiring of t he breed judge should t ake t op priorit y on t he Show Chair’s agenda as most judges are of t en booked very far in advance. If Judge #1 is unavailable, a copy of t he let t er or e-mail f rom t he judge st at ing t his must be sent t o t he Corresponding Secret ary who will

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inform t he BOD. The let t er will be ret ained in t he ABMC f iles. The Corresponding Secret ary/ BOD will t hen give t he name and cont act informat ion for Judge #2 t o t he Show Chair and so on down t he list . Should t he list of f ive be exhaust ed wit hout hiring a judge, t he next set of f ive elect ed people will be made available t o t he Show Chair unt il t he list is exhaust ed or a judge has been hired.

ADHERENCE TO THE MEMBERSHIP’S PREFERENCES IN HIRING THE SPECIALTY JUDGE IS ONE OF THE SHOW CHAIR’S PRIME RESPONSIBILIT IES AND UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL THE SHOW CHAIR CONTACT OR HIRE A JUDGE THAT IS NOT ON THE APPROV ED LIST.

V I. Commit t ee Chairs and t heir Dut ies

As wit h any event , int erest ed and commit t ed commit t ee members are t he essent ial component s for a successful Nat ional Specialt y. A. Show Chair

a. Must be an ABMC member b. Dut ies:

• Responsible for t he overall planning, conduct ing and report ing of t he Nat ional Specialt y,

• Ensure t hat t he event applicat ions, judging panel, and ot her necessary document s are submit t ed t o t he AKC by t heir deadlines,

• Cont ract wit h Show Superint endent or Show Secret ary, • Ensure t hat t he premium list mat erial is submit t ed t o t he show

secret ary/ superint endent by t he deadline, • Coordinat e wit h t he superint endent / show secret ary regarding t he preparat ion of

t he show cat alog and t he requirement s for cat alog ads, • Assign all commit t ee chairs, who are t hen responsible for t heir own areas, • Make hot el reservat ions for all judges who are not local t o t he show sit e, • Cont ract of f icial phot ographer and videographer, • Det ermine legal requirement s, such as obt aining raf f le and ot her permit s t hat

may be required, • Check wit h local aut horit ies. Agencies t hat issue permit s include but are not

limit ed t o t he local t ownship, healt h, f ire, and police depart ment s, • Consider federal, st at e, and local t axes t o avoid any possible penalt ies imposed

for failure t o follow such requirement s, and • Review t he AKC procedures det ailed in Dealing wit h Misconduct wit h all members

of t he Show Commit t ee in advance of t he event . • Have at least one complet ed copy of t he Disast er and Emergency Plan form

readily accessible at t he event . Have mult iple copies of emergency t elephone numbers, direct ions t o t he emergency facilit ies, t he hours t hat t he facilit ies operat e, and informat ion on alt ernat e facilit ies. Make sure t here is at least one working cell phone available during show hours.

The Show Chair must be t horoughly familiar wit h t he planning and implement at ions of dog shows and have t he t ime and willingness t o give t o t he preparat ion of a Nat ional Specialt y. This individual will coordinat e t he act ivit ies of all t he commit t ees and act s as t he liaison bet ween t he BOD and t he rest of t he Show Commit t ee. The Show Chair is responsible for relat ing all pert inent informat ion t o commit t ee members including job descript ions and responsibilit ies, t imelines, premium list s, judging schedules, et c. Open communicat ion and t eamwork are t he key t o making all volunt eers feel as t hough t hey are “ part of t he nat ional” .

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B. Assist ant Show Chair To assist in t he successful planning and implement at ion of t he Nat ional Specialt y, t he Show Chair may recruit an Assist ant Show Chair. The Assist ant Show Chair will have specif ic dut ies as assigned by t he Show Chair and will assist t he Show Chair in all areas. The Assist ant Show Chair must be a member of ABMC.

C. Nat ional Specialt y Treasurer a. Must be an ABMC member b. Dut ies:

• Coordinat e wit h Show Chair and Nat ional Specialt y Chairs t o est ablish a budget for each event / act ivit y and for t he Nat ional Specialt y overall,

• The responsibilit y of t he Nat ional Specialt y Treasurer is t o receive and disperse monies. It is t he responsibilit y of each individual chair t o keep t rack of what has been ordered, what payment s are due, and t o maint ain records of what has been received or ordered. The chairs must communicat e wit h t he ns t reasurer sending him or her invoices and payment request s per t he ABMC prot ocols,

• Set up an account in a f inancial inst it ut ion for t he purposes of receiving and disbursing monies. ABMC will advance t he Nat ional Specialt y commit t ee $1500.00 . It is suggest ed t hat t hese funds be used t o begin fund raising ef fort s,

• Coordinat e wit h t he websit e commit t ee t o accept payment s online, and • Maint ain an accurat e account ing of expenses and income for t he Nat ional

Specialt y. It is preferred t hat t he Quick Books account ing syst em be used. At t he close of t he Nat ional Specialt y account ing, t he records or a copy shall be sent t o t he ABMC Treasurer.

It is crit ical t hat one person manage t he f inances for t he Nat ional Specialt y. This person can be t he ABMC Treasurer or a member of t he specialt y commit t ee but should have some knowledge of account ing principles. All monies received shall be payable t o t he Nat ional Specialt y account . Under no circumst ances should any individual be receiving payment s in t heir name. All payment s must be made out t o t he ABMC Nat ional Specialt y account .

D. Conf ormat ion Chair a. Must be a member of ABMC b. Dut ies:

• Coordinat e wit h Show Chair in communicat ion and cont ract wit h t he Conformat ion and Sweepst akes Judges,

• Coordinat e wit h t he Show Chair and Trophy Chair t o secure, display, and make available for present at ion t he conformat ion t rophies,

• Have ABMC Medallions displayed and available for present at ion, • Coordinat e wit h t he ABMC Corresponding Secret ary or President t o have Cruf t s

cert if icat es displayed and available for present at ion, • Coordinat e wit h t he Chief Ring St eward as t o t he st ewards’ dut ies, • Verify t hat t he placement markers will be available at t he ring and t hat t hey are

present t he day of t he show, • Verify t hat an approved AKC wicket is available at t he show, • Conf irm t hat t he conformat ion perpet ual t rophy has been updat ed wit h t he

previous year’s winner and is available for display, • Conf irm wit h t he Judge’s Hospit alit y Chair and Show Chair t hat all necessary

arrangement s have been made for t he judges, i.e., hot el rooms, t ransport at ion, judges’ gif t s, hospit alit y bags, et c.,

• Arrange for set up of t he Conformat ion Ring,

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• Communicat e t he ABMC policy on Awards of Merit t o t he conformat ion judge. The policy is t he t hat approximat ely 10% of all dogs eligible for Best of Breed compet it ion can receive and Award of Merit . Dogs eligible for BOB compet it ion include t hose ent ered in t he BOB class, WD & WB, Vet eran class winners and any ot her special class winners. The judge has t he f inal decision on t he number of AOM recipient s, more t han or less t han 10%.

• The wording regarding Award of Merit t o be placed in t he premium list is Award of Merit ( Nat ional Specialt y Only) - The judge may, at his/ her discret ion, recall int o t he ring approximat ely 10% of all dogs eligible for Best of Breed compet it ion t o be awarded t he American Belgian Malinois Club Award of Merit . These awards are reserved for t hose qualit y animals t he judge feels are wort hy of f inal considerat ion for Best of Breed.

• Have a copy of t he AKC Conformat ion Rules and Regulat ions at ringside, • Have a copy of t he AKC Misconduct brochure available at ringside or know where

one is., • Have cleanup supplies available at ringside, • Arrange for lunches, • Arrange for beverages and snacks t o be available at ringside, and • Invit e t he judge(s) t o t he Awards Banquet as guest s of t he club. Give t hem t he

t ime and locat ion of t he Banquet . Tell t he Awards Banquet Chair if t he judge(s) plan t o at t end. Invit e t hem t o speak about t heir assignment (s) .

E. Obedience/ Rally Obedience Chair a. Must be a member of ABMC. b. Obedience and Rally Obedience may have t wo separat e Chairs alt hough t radit ionally

t here has only been one. c. Dut ies:

• Responsible for overall planning, present at ion, ad report ing of t he obedience/ rally obedience port ion of t he Nat ional Specialt y,

• Be available in t he area of t he obedience/ rally rings t hroughout t he t rial hours, • Work wit h t he Show Chair in select ing, securing, and cont ract ing obedience/ rally

judges. The cont ract s are t o be reviewed by and copied t o t he Show Chair and updat ed in t he budget ,

• Secure and schedule ring st ewards, • Arrange for judges’ lunches, • Arrange for st ewards’ lunches if budget ed, • Arrange for beverages and snacks t o be available at ringside, • Coordinat e t he obedience/ rally ring layout s, • Procure and properly place obedience equipment t hat complies wit h AKC

regulat ions, including proper maint enance and set up of t he obedience/ rally equipment in t he rings on t he day of t he event ,

• Af t er t he event , dismant le and check condit ion for fut ure event s, • Arrange for, t rain if necessary, and assign st ewards t o t he obedience/ rally rings, • Coordinat e wit h t he Show Chair and Trophy Chair t o secure, display, and make

available for present at ion t he obedience/ rally t rophies, • Conf irm t hat t he obedience perpet ual t rophy has been updat ed wit h t he previous

year’s winners and is available for display, • Have a copy or know how t o access a copy of t he Disast er and Emergency Plan

t hat must be available at t he event , • Have a copy of t he AKC Obedience/ Rally Rules and Regulat ions at ringside,

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• Have a copy of t he AKC Misconduct brochure available at ringside or know where one is,

• Have cleanup supplies available at ringside, and • Invit e t he judge(s) t o t he Awards Banquet as guest s of t he club. Give t hem t he

t ime and locat ion of t he Banquet . Tell t he Awards Banquet Chair if t he judge(s) plan t o at t end. Invit e t hem t o speak about t heir assignment (s) .

F. Agilit y Chair a. Must be an ABMC member. b. Dut ies:

• Responsible for overall planning, present at ion, and report ing of t he agilit y t rial, • Coordinat e wit h t he Show Chair in select ing t he agilit y t rial sit e, • Work wit h t he Show Chair in select ing and cont ract ing agilit y judges, • Coordinat e wit h t he Show Chair in select ing and cont ract ing t he agilit y t rial

secret ary, • Procure and properly place agilit y equipment t hat complies wit h AKC regulat ions, • Properly maint ain t he agilit y equipment while under t he ABMC responsibilit y, • Af t er t he event , clean, dismant le, and check condit ion before ret urning t o t he

owners, • Arrange for and assign volunt eers t o serve as course builders, t imers, scribes, bar

set t ers, and ot hers as needed ring st ewards for t he agilit y t rial, • Coordinat e wit h t he Show Chair and Trophy Chair t o secure and make available

for present at ion t he agilit y awards, • Have a copy or know how t o access a copy, of t he Disast er and Emergency Plan

t hat must be available at t he event , • Have a copy of t he AKC Agilit y Rules and Regulat ions available at t he agilit y t rial, • Arrange for lunches, • Arrange for beverages and snacks t o be available at ringside, • Conf irm t hat t he perpet ual t rophy for agilit y has been updat ed wit h t he previous

year’s winners and is available for display at t he agilit y t rial, • Invit e t he judge(s) t o t he Awards Banquet as guest of t he club. Give t hem t he

t ime and locat ion of t he Banquet . Tell t he Awards Banquet Chair if t he agilit y judge(s) plan t o at t end,

• Coordinat e wit h Judge’s Hospit alit y Chair regarding t ravel and lodging and t hank you gif t for t he judge(s) , and

• Ask t he judge(s) for writ t en comment s concerning t he agilit y t rial(s) . G. Herding Chair

a. Must be an ABMC member. b. Dut ies:

• Responsible for overall planning, present at ion and report ing of t he herding t rial(s) ,

• Coordinat e wit h t he Show Chair in select ing and cont ract ing wit h t he herding t rial sit e,

• If separat e, cont ract wit h t he t rial sit e for st ock handlers, course set up and st ock,

• Work wit h t he Show Chair in select ing and cont ract ing herding judges, • Work wit h t he Show Chair in select ing and cont ract ing wit h a herding t rial

secret ary, • Remember t o invit e t he judge(s) t o t he Awards Banquet as guest s of t he club.

Give t hem t he t ime and locat ion of t he Banquet . Tell t he Awards Banquet Chair if t he herding judge(s) plan t o at t end,

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• Arrange for and assign volunt eers t o serve as t imers and scribes, • Coordinat e wit h t he Show Chair and Trophy Chair t o secure and make available

for present at ion all herding awards, • Coordinat e wit h Judge’s Hospit alit y Chair regarding t ravel and lodging and t hank

you gif t for t he judge(s) , • Arrange for lunches, • Arrange for beverages and snacks t o be available at ringside, • Ask t he judge(s) for writ t en comment s concerning t he herding t rial(s) , • Have a copy, or know how t o access a copy, of t he Disast er and Emergency Plan

which must be available at t he event , • Conf irm t hat t he herding perpet ual t rophy has been updat ed wit h t he previous

year’s herding t rial winner and will be available for display at t he herding t rial • Have a current copy of t he AKC Herding Rules and Regulat ions available at t he

herding t rial. H. Tracking Chair

a. Must be an ABMC member. b. Dut ies:

• Coordinat e wit h Show Chair regarding hiring and cont ract ing t racking judges • Det ermine what t racking levels will be of fered • Det ermine number of t racks at each level • Find a suit able sit e and send map of area t o judges • Be responsible for obt aining t rained t rack layers and cross-t rack layers if needed.

If t rained t rack layers are not available, a t raining session should be set up so t hat all t rack layers know what t hey are doing.

• Arrange for all t rack layers, cross-t rack layers and judges be available t he day before t he t racking t est in order t o lay t racks.

• Det ermine what prizes will be used for t hose passing t heir t racks. • Get judges approval for all t racking art icles t o be used on all t racks. • Coordinat e wit h Judges Chair for hot el reservat ions for judges. • Make sure Judges can get t o t racking sit e t he day before and t he day of t he

t racking t est s and have someone t o eat wit h t he night before t he t est . • Coordinat e wit h t he Judges Chair for judges’ gif t s and judges hospit alit y. • Arrange for drinks and food before and during t he t racking t est s • Arrange for drinks and food t he day before for t he t rack layers and t he judges. • Arrange for lunch at t he t racking t est s, • Arrange for lunches for judges, • Arrange for beverages and snacks t o be available at st aging area, • Invit e t he judge(s) t o t he Awards Banquet as guest s of t he club. Give t hem t he

t ime and locat ion of t he Banquet . Tell t he Awards Banquet Chair if t he agilit y judge(s) plan t o at t end.

I. Chief Ring St eward a. It is preferred t hat t he Chief Ring St eward be an ABMC member. b. Dut ies:

• Be familiar wit h ring st eward dut ies, • Arrange for conformat ion st ewards, recruit ment and t raining if needed, • Consult wit h t he judges regarding his/ her ring procedure, • Hand out armbands and mark t he st ewards’ cat alog appropriat ely or assign

anot her st eward t o do so, • Assemble classes prompt ly,

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• Keep an accurat ely marked cat alog, not ing placement s, absent ees, excusals, and disqualif icat ions,

• Prepare ribbon and t rophy awards for each class, • Keep t he ring neat and clean, and • Cont act show phot ographer, clean-up crews and superint endent as needed.

J. Trophy Chair a. The Trophy Chair is responsible for all t rophies, all venues, unless ot herwise agreed

upon by t he Show Chair and ot her event chairs. b. Dut ies:

• Select and purchase t rophies in coordinat ion wit h t he Show Chair, all event chairs, and t he BOD,

• Solicit t rophy sponsors, o Have a list of t rophies t o be sponsored in t he Nat ional Specialt y online st ore

and o Publicize t he need for t rophy sponsorships,

• Arrange for shipping, receipt and inspect ion of t rophies well in advance of t he show so t hat errors can be correct ed,

• Arrange for t ransport at ion of t he t rophies t o t he appropriat e event s during t he Nat ional Specialt y,

• ABMC has perpet ual t rophies for Conformat ion, Obedience, Agilit y and Herding. These t rophies are t ransport ed f rom one Nat ional Specialt y t o t he next t hrough coordinat ion bet ween t he t wo NS Chairs. The blank plat es on each t rophy must be updat ed wit h t he winner of t he previous year. It is t he responsibilit y of t he Nat ional Specialt y Chair and t he Trophy Chair t o ensure t hat t he perpet ual t rophies are t ransport ed and updat ed and displayed at t he respect ive event s at t he Nat ional Specialt y.

o Be aware of t he locat ion of t he perpet ual t rophies and ring placement markers,

o Arrange for t ransport at ion of t he Perpet ual Trophies t o t he show and t o t he following year’s Nat ional Specialt y, and ring placement markers.

o Arrange for t he previous year’s winners t o be engraved on t he next blank plat e on t he perpet ual t rophies

• Arrange for secure st orage of all t rophies at t he show sit e.

c. Trophies t o be ordered • Best of Breed (sponsored by t he ABMC and current ly set at a value of $150.00) , • Best of Opposit e Sex t o Best of Breed (sponsored by t he ABMC and current ly set

at a value of $150.00) , • Select Dog, • Select Bit ch, • Best of Winners, • Winners Dog, • Winners Bit ch, • Reserve Winners Dog, • Reserve Winners Bit ch, • Awards of Merit (generally 10% of ent ry eligible for BOB but judge can select

more or fewer dogs) , • 1 st t hrough 4 t h Place in all classes, • Best Junior Handler, • 1 st t hrough 4 t h Junior Handler Classes,

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• Best Reserve Junior Handler ( if of fered) , • Best Puppy in Sweepst akes, • Best Opposit e Sex t o Best Puppy in Sweepst akes, • Best Vet eran in Sweepst akes, • Best Opposit e Sex t o Best Vet eran in Sweepst akes, • Best in Working Sweepst akes, • Best Opposit e Sex t o Best in Working Sweepst akes, • St ud Dog – 1 st t hrough 4 t h place, • Brood Bit ch – 1 st t hrough 4 t h place, • Generat ions – 1 st t hrough 4 t h place, • High in Trial Belgian Malinois-only Herding Trial, • Reserve High in Trial Belgian Malinois-only Herding Trial, • High Combined Herding ( t o be def ined by Herding Chair) , • High in Trial All-Breed Herding Trial, • Reserve High in Trial All-Breed Herding Trial, • High Scoring Malinois, All-Breed Herding Trial, • 1 st t hrough 5 t h Placement s Belgian Malinois-only Herding Trial, • 1 st t hrough 5 t h Placement s All-Breed Herding Trial, • High in Trial Obedience, • High Combined Obedience, • 1 st t hrough 4 t h Place in each class Obedience, • High in Trial Agilit y, • High Combined Agilit y, • Qualif iers Agilit y, • High Combined Rally, • Triple High Combined Rally, and • 1 st t hrough 4 t h Place in each Rally class.

K. Roset t e Chair a. Coordinat e wit h t he Show Chair t o select and purchase roset t es. b. Check wit h all Event Chairs t o see if you need t o order roset t es for more t han

Conformat ion and Sweepst akes. c. Roset t e orders should normally be placed t hrough t he show superint endent if one is

hired. d. If roset t es cannot be ordered f rom t he show superint endent , coordinat e wit h t he

Show Chair t o select vendor. e. Select and purchase roset t es. f. Receive and inspect roset t es far enough ahead of t he Nat ional Specialt y so t hat

errors or damages can be f ixed. g. Arrange for displaying roset t es at each venue as appropriat e.

L. Most V ersat ile Malinois Chair a. Review Sect ion IX. Awards, subsect ion A on page 18 . b. Publish requirement s in t he premium list and on t he web sit e. c. A sample ent ry and score form are available in Appendix. d. Must have forms available at t he beginning of t he Nat ional Specialt y for everyone

part icipat ing. e. Af t er classes/ venues are complet ed, t he Chair must conf irm t he winning informat ion

as f illed out by t he part icipant s. f. Calculat e t he winner.

g. Announce and award t he winner at t he Awards Banquet unless all venues have not been complet ed at t hat t ime.

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M. Hot el Liaison a. The Hot el Liaison must be an ABMC member. b. Dut ies:

• Problem solving and negot iat ing skills are highly desirable in t his posit ion as issues may arise bet ween exhibit ors and hot el st af f ,

• Coordinat e wit h banquet chair, seminar chair(s) , and ABMC BOD t o arrange for and coordinat e rooms and audio-visual equipment needed at t he hot el,

• Be sure hot el has t he Hot el Liaison’s phone and room numbers t o deal wit h complaint s about Nat ional Specialt y hot el guest s, barking dogs, damaged rooms or ot her issues t hat may arise,

• Maint ain cont act wit h t he hot el management , janit orial and housekeeping st af f as needed during t he event ,

• Check wit h t he Clean-up Chair t o make sure t he dog exercise area is being kept clean, and

• Follow up af t er t he show wit h t he Clean-up Chair t o make sure t he hot el grounds are complet ely clean.

N. Hospit alit y Chair a. General Dut ies:

• Procure supplies t o be insert ed in Welcome Bags, • Assemble and dist ribut e Welcome Bags. • Coordinat e wit h Show Chair and all Event Chairs t o ensure t hat signage and event

informat ion is post ed in easily accessible areas. b. Hospit alit y Room - if of fered

• Coordinat e wit h t he Show Chair and Hot el Liaison t o verify if a Hospit alit y Room is going t o be of fered,

• Est ablish t he dat es and t imes t he Hospit alit y Room will be open and make sure t hose t imes are post ed and made available t o at t endees,

• Arrange for st af f ing t he Hospit alit y Room, and • Arrange for ref reshment s, if of fered.

O. Judges Hospit alit y Chair a. This person may easily be one of t he f irst cont act s bet ween t he ABMC and t he

judges and should be a member of ABMC. b. Dut ies:

• Coordinat e wit h t he Show Chair and event chairs t o agree upon a scope of responsibilit ies,

• Coordinat e wit h t he Show Chair and event chairs regarding gif t s for each judge. • Coordinat e wit h event chairs as t o who will cont act t he judges concerning t heir

t ransport at ion and lodging needs, • Coordinat e wit h event chairs t o arrange for meals t he day of t heir event . Ensure

t hat judges have been invit ed t o join a commit t ee member for meals. Snacks and drinks should also be made available at ringside for judges,

• Arrange t o have a welcome basket placed in each judge’s hot el room, • Cont act all judges, providing t hem wit h your cont act informat ion and ident if y

your dut ies t o t hem, and • Make arrangement s for all it ems included in t he scope of your commit t ee.

P. Banquet Chair a. Dut ies:

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• Cont ract wit h t he facilit y and or t he cat erer. The facilit y should be able t o serve 100 persons and t he facilit ies rent al must include a podium and a microphone,

• If t here are separat e cont ract s for t he facilit ies and t he cat erer, ensure t hat all det ails are met

• Plan, procure and assemble t able cent erpieces, • Use t he cost per meal, grat uit y, t ax, expenses for room rent al, cent erpieces,

sound syst em rent al, prizes, t ables and chairs rent al, and room decorat ions ( t ableclot hs, et c.) t o det ermine t he cost of t he banquet t icket s,

• Include banquet t icket s in t he online Nat ional Specialt y st ore • Publicize t he deadline for purchasing banquet t icket s • Maint ain a list of banquet at t endees and meals select ed. Work wit h t he cat ering

st af f t o communicat e t he needed informat ion t o t hem • Most cat erers will allow for food t o accommodat e an ext ra 5% over t he pre-

purchased number of t icket s as t here may be addit ional people at t he nat ional who decide t o at t end. Check wit h t he cat erer t o f ind out t heir specif ic requirement s for adding addit ional meals.

b. Coordinat e wit h ot her event chairs and club members and ABMR members involved wit h t he banquet . • Honor/ Rescue Parade Chair, • Awards – may be t he Award Chair or t he President , • Emcee, • Silent and Live auct ion Chair and auct ioneer, • All event chairs – ensuring all judges, especially t he conformat ion judges, have

been invit ed t o t he banquet as a guest of ABMC and have been invit ed t o speak on t heir judging assignment , and

• If t he banquet is t o be held at t he Host Hot el, work closely wit h t he Hot el Liaison. Q. Honor/ Rescue Parade Chair( s)

a. The Honor Parade is open t o any wishing t o showcase t heir dog’s specif ic accomplishment s. The Rescue Parade is t o honor dogs t hat have been placed t hrough ABMR and t heir lucky owners. Dogs placed t hrough ot her organizat ions are welcome t o part icipat e in t he Honor Parade.

b. Dut ies: • Coordinat e wit h t he Show Chair and Commit t ee t o det ermine t he t ime and

locat ion for t he Honor and Rescue Parade, • Ensure t he informat ion regarding t he Honor/ Rescue Parade is published on t he

Nat ional Specialt y websit e and in t he Premium List . Ent ry t o t he parades shall be available for purchase in t he Nat ional Specialt y online st ore and on t he mail-in order form,

• Ensure t hat t he cost of ent ry int o t he Parade should cover t he cost of t he Parade roset t es and t he print ing of t he Parade booklet ,

• Collect t he informat ion and phot os for t he Parade part icipant s, • Compile t he informat ion and phot os int o t he Parade booklet and have it print ed, • Select and order roset t es for Parade ent rant s. Roset t es have t radit ionally been

Belgian f lag colors – red, yellow, and black – wit h t he ent rant ’s name writ t en on one of t he st reamers, and

• Arrange for an announcer/ reader during t he parade.

R. The Perf ormer Chair a. Dut ies:

• Assign volunt eers t o prepare report s for each event of t he Nat ional Specialt y for The Performer,

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• Remind each event chair t o request a judge’s crit ique of t heir assignment t o be published in The Performer,

• Coordinat e wit h t he show phot ographer t o submit phot os t o The Performer edit or for publicat ion, and

• Request candid phot os of t he Nat ional Specialt y for The Performer. b. Do NOT let t he ef fort s of t he Specialt y Commit t ee and t he result s of a f ine Nat ional

Specialt y go unment ioned in The Performer! Do NOT rely on The Performer edit or t o have report ers and phot ographers scout ing t he area in order t o submit art icles and pict ures for inclusion t he Nat ional Specialt y issue of The Performer!

c. Coordinat e wit h The Performer edit or in advance of t he show so t hat an agreement and a plan is in place as t o who will be responsible for report ing on t he various aspect s of t he Specialt y and who will submit ident if ied pict ures of t he winners and candid shot s.

d. Conf irm t hat t he report s f rom all of t he judges are sent t o The Performer for publicat ion on schedule. Members love t o hear what a judge has t o say! Do not , however, expect t he judges t o crit ique individual dogs, but do encourage each judge t o submit an art icle reviewing his impression of t he ent rant s and anyt hing else on which he/ she cares t o comment . Be sure The Performer deadlines are met !

e. Conf irm t hat someone will send all result s f rom all event s t o The Performer edit or. Make sure t he edit or has received t hem and deadlines are met .

f. Coordinat e wit h t he edit or t o ensure t hat at least one feat ure art icle is writ t en about t he Nat ional Specialt y. Conversely, dif ferent event chairs could writ e short art icles about a part icular aspect of t he Nat ional Specialt y – Breed, Obedience/ Rally, Sweeps, et c.

g. Since The Performer is published bimont hly, t he Nat ional Specialt y coverage should appear in t he next issue af t er t he event , providing t here is enough t ime for t he phot ographer t o process all of t he pict ures before t he publicat ion deadline.

S. Advert ising Chair a. Dat es, general locat ion, and judges can be announced as soon as all cont ract s or

agreement s are signed. It is rule of ABMC not t o advert ise a nat ional specialt y unt il af t er t he preceding nat ional specialt y is complet ed.

b. At t he Annual Meet ing of t he previous Nat ional Specialt y, a short present at ion should be given by t he Show Chair or his/ her designat ed person. This can include a short slide present at ion of t he show sit e, informat ion about t he locat ion, t he show logo, and any ot her informat ion int ended t o get people int erest ed in at t ending t he next Nat ional Specialt y.

c. Immediat ely af t er t he previous Nat ional Specialt y, but not before, a Facebook page and t he Websit e may be opened t o disseminat e informat ion and generat e ent husiasm for t he next Nat ional Specialt y.

d. Ads should be placed in each issue of The Performer leading up t o t he Nat ional Specialt y t elling t he club members about what is being planned. An ad should also be placed in t he show cat alog of t he previous year’s Nat ional Specialt y.

T. Websit e Chair a. A Nat ional Specialt y websit e can be set up wit hin t he ABMC websit e at no charge.

The ABMC websit e commit t ee is available for help in set t ing t his up. It is st rongly encouraged t o go t hrough t he ABMC websit e commit t ee for est ablishing t he Nat ional Specialt y websit e in order t o keep all informat ion on t he same websit e as ot her Nat ional Specialt ies. It is import ant t hat ABMC maint ain ownership of all Nat ional Specialt y websit e informat ion.

b. The Show Chair should work wit h t he websit e commit t ee t o get t he websit e set up several mont hs in advance of t he specialt y dat es or, preferably, as soon as t he previous year’s Nat ional Specialt y is complet e.

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c. Coordinat e wit h t he Nat ional Specialt y Show Commit t ee t o supply t he websit e commit t ee wit h complet e informat ion about each event .

d. The Nat ional Specialt y web st ore should be set up t o allow at t endees t o purchase t he following it ems: • Banquet t icket s, • Recept ion/ Welcome Part y t icket s, • Trophy Donat ions, • Cat alogs, • Cat alog advert ising • Reserved grooming ( if some will be available) , • Specialt y merchandise, and • Nat ional Specialt y donat ions.

e. Elect ronic payment for all it ems should be available t hrough a Nat ional Specialt y PayPal account . If t he ABMC t reasurer is t he Nat ional Specialt y t reasurer, t he PayPal account may be t he ABMC account . If not , a separat e account needs t o be set up by t he Nat ional Specialt y t reasurer. Remember t o include a 3% PayPal fee (2019 fee) wit h all payment s.

f. A print able order form wit h all of t he above it ems included should be available on t he web st ore.

g. A syst em t o order online but pay by check should be available. h. The webst ore should not be opened unt il ALL it ems list ed or t o be included are ready

for sale or ordering. i. The webst ore should be open no lat er t han t hree mont hs prior t o t he Nat ional

Specialt y. U. Cat alog Sales Chair

a. Coordinat e wit h t he Show Chair and cat alog producer t o det ermine cost of t he cat alog. b. List cat alog purchasing in t he webst ore. c. Maint ain a list of all who have purchased cat alogs t o be picked up at t he Nat ional Specialt y. Maint ain a separat e list of t hose wishing t o have t heir cat alogs

marked and mailed af t er t he Nat ional Specialt y. d. At t he Nat ional Specialt y, det ermine a locat ion where purchasers may pick up

cat alogs. e. At t he Nat ional Specialt y, assign a person, if t he Cat alog Sales chair is

unavailable, t o hand out pre-purchased cat alogs and sell any addit ional cat alogs t hat are available.

f. Order cat alogs for each judge and for t he ABMC archive. Judges cat alogs will be marked by t he show secret ary or superint endent before being given t o t he

judges. g. Order a surplus (10%) of cat alogs t o have available for sale at t he show. Do not over

order so t hat t here are not a large number lef t over. h. Per AKC rules, cat alogs can be dist ribut ed beginning on t he day of t he f irst event of t he Nat ional Specialt y.

V . Cat alog Ads Chair a. Work wit h t he cat alog producer t o det ermine size and format of ads. b. Est ablish a deadline for t he Cat alog Ads Chair t o receive t he ads in order t o get t hem

t o t he cat alog producer in a t imely manner. c. Est ablish a price for t he ads. d. Submit informat ion about size, format , cost , deadlines, and ot her informat ion t o t he

websit e commit t ee for inclusion in t he webst ore. e. Collect ads and verify t hat t hey are paid for.

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W. Reserved Grooming Chair ( if of f ered) a. Suf f icient grooming space/ crat e set -up area should be available for a large ent ry. b. If t he crat ing area is small, reserved grooming is encouraged. Also kennels of t en like

t o set up t oget her and t his is easier done wit h reserved grooming areas. c. Det ermine t he size of t he reserved grooming spaces. d. Forward reserved grooming informat ion t o Show Chair and Websit e Commit t ee for

publicat ion and inclusion in t he webst ore. e. Maint ain a list of reserved grooming purchasers. f. Det ermine when t he grooming/ crat ing area will be open t o exhibit ors and make t his

dat e available online on t he Nat ional Specialt y webpage. g. Mark t he reserved grooming spot s. Assign reserved grooming spot s and post t he

informat ion.

V II. Show Phot ographer A. The Show Chair or his/ her designat ed chair shall cont ract wit h an experienced dog show

phot ographer t o t ake win phot ographs for all event s. B. An experienced act ion dog phot ographer should also be cont ract ed if possible, t o t ake

candid shot s and act ion shot s at all venues. C. The phot ographer cont ract should st ipulat e t hat one phot o of each winner (BOB, BOS,

HIT, WD, and classes.) be forwarded t o The Performer edit or for publicat ion. D. Try t o obt ain t he services of an experienced phot ographer. E. For all event s not held on t he same day as t he conformat ion show, t he Show Chair

should make arrangement s for t he phot ographer t o cover t hese event s or at least set up a t ime for t he winners of t hese event s t o be phot ographed. Winners of t hese event s should be not if ied of t he t ime and place for t heir win pict ures t o be t aken.

F. If t he of f icial phot ographer is not available for all event s, addit ional phot ographers may need t o be found t o t ake win shot s wit h t he judges. For event s not held on t he same day as t he Conformat ion show, a phot ographer may be used. These event s could be agilit y, herding, t racking, et c. Win pict ures wit hout t he judge are not nearly as valuable as wit h a judge, so all ef fort should be made t o have someone available at all venues t o t ake win pict ures wit h t he dog, handler, and judge.

G. The Performer edit or of fers t he following guidelines: a. When negot iat ing wit h t he phot ographer, you should have a cont ract

st at ing t hat t he ABMC should get copies of all Herding class winners, Herding High In Trial (Malinois-only) , High Combined Herding, Reserve High In Trial (Malinois-only) , High In Trial (agilit y) , High Combined (agilit y) , all Obedience class winners, High In Trial (obedience) , High Combined (obedience) , Double High In Trial ( rally) , Triple High Combined ( rally) , all Sweepst akes class winners (Puppy, Vet erans, Working) , Best In Sweeps (all Sweepst akes) , Best Opposit e Sex in Sweeps (all Sweepst akes) , all regular and non-regular conformat ion class winners, WB, WD, BOW, BOS, BOB, Select Dog, Select Bit ch, and all Awards of Merit . Also, Tracking passes and Dock Diving and Barn Hunt winners/ qualif iers, if t hose event s are included in t he Nat ional Specialt y.

b. St at e a due dat e in t he cont ract when all phot os are due t o The Performer edit or (such as t hree weeks af t er t he event ) .

c. St at e t hat all phot os must be at least 5x7 inches in size. d. Ensure t hat t he phot ographer is available for all event s or set up specif ic dat es/ t imes

when phot os will be t aken. If possible, have addit ional phot ographers at all event s and st at e in t he cont ract t hat t his will be done if t he main phot ographer cannot make all of t he event s.

e. Ensure t he phot ographer does not sub-cont ract out any part of t he show. H. Please see t hat t he edit or get s t he cont act informat ion of t he phot ographer.

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I. Remind The Performer edit or or Show Chair t o send a let t er t o t he phot ographer approximat ely one mont h prior t o t he Nat ional Specialt y which will include a copy of t he last Nat ional Specialt y issue for t hem t o examine. The let t er will also list t he phot os t hat will be needed. It is ext remely import ant t hat all phot os be well ident if ied wit h at least t he armband number and a list ing of t he win.

J. Please ensure t hat t he phot ographer send all phot os digit ally or on a t humb drive t hrough t he mail. The Performer Edit or will not go t o phot ographer’s websit e t o search for phot os. Please also include any candid phot os.

V III. V ideographer

A. It is highly recommended t o have t he Nat ional Specialt y videot aped. ABMC will cover t he cost of t he videographer.

B. There are commercial videographers who specialize in dog shows (see Appendix for examples) or a local professional may be hired.

C. Consult wit h t he BOD for help, if t here are problems. D. Cont ract wit h t he videographer should include t he videographer keeping a mast er of t he

video for fut ure orders. E. If no mast er will be kept by t he videographer, request a release f rom t he videographer

so t hat ABMC can make copies up t o t hree years af t er t he show. F. The Conformat ion and Sweepst akes classes t hrough Best of Breed at a minimum should

be videot aped. Ot her venues may be t aped depending on t he videographer and t he price.

IX. Awards

A. Most Versat ile Belgian Malinois Award (MVBMA) and Reserve Most Versat ile Belgian

Malinois Award (RMVBMA) are given t o t he Belgian Malinois at t he Nat ional Specialt y t hat excels and qualif ies in at least t hree dif ferent venues. a. Dogs must earn point s ( i.e., qualif y) in at least t hree of t he following four venues:

agilit y, conformat ion, herding (Belgian Malinois-only t rial) , and obedience. If t racking is of fered, it becomes t he f if t h venue t hat dogs may ent er t o obt ain t heir t hree venues. Dogs do not have t o ent er all venues, but MUST qualif y and earn point s in at least t hree dif ferent venues t o qualif y for MVBM or RMVBM.

b. If no dog qualif ies in at least t hree venues, no MVBMA or RVBMA will be present ed. c. Membership in t he ABMC is not required. d. The single highest point value earned in each venue will be used in t abulat ing t he

point s earned for t hat venue. Example: Dog A wins t he Excellent A Regular St andard Agilit y class (5 point s) and Double Q’s in Excellent Regular St andard and Regular JWW (7 point s) . Dog A will be awarded 7 point s not 12 .

e. The dogs receiving t he MVBMA or RMVBMA must be AKC regist ered Belgian Malinois. PAL and ILP dogs are included.

Most Versatile Belgian Malinois Award Venue 1: Agility Agility STANDARD & JWW (Regular Classes) 2 points: Qualifying score in Novice 3 points: Qualifying score in Open or winning Novice 4 points: Qualifying score in Excellent or Master or winning Open 5 points: Winning Excellent or Master 6 points: Qualifying score in Premier or Double Q in Novice or Open 7 points: Winning Premier or Double Q in Excellent

Agility STANDARD & JWW (Preferred Classes) 1 point: Qualifying score in Novice 2 points: Qualifying score in Open or winning Novice 3 points: Qualifying score in Excellent or Master or winning Open 4 points: Winning Excellent or Master 5 points: Qualifying score in Premier or Double Q in Novice or Open 6 points: Winning Premier or Double Q in Excellent or Master

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f . The dog wit h t he highest combined t ot al score for all venues will be awarded Most Versat ile Belgian Malinois. Reserve Most Versat ile Malinois will be awarded t o t he second-place f inisher, providing t he dogs qualif y or place in at least t hree venues.

or Master Agility FAST (Regular Classes) 2 points: Qualifying score in Novice 3 points: Qualifying score in Open or winning Novice 4 points: Qualifying score in Excellent or Masters or winning Open 5 points: Winning Excellent or Master

Agility FAST (Preferred Classes) 1 point: Qualifying score in Novice 2 points: Qualifying score in Open or winning Novice 3 points: Qualifying score in Excellent or Master or winning Open 4 points: Winning Excellent or Master

Agility T2B (Time 2 Beat) (Regular Classes) 2 points: Qualifying score 4 points: Setting the best time to beat

Agility T2BP (Time 2 Beat) (Preferred Classes) 1 point: Qualifying score 3 points: Setting the best time to beat

Agility Triple Q Combinations 7 points: Triple Q in Standard, JWW, and FAST classes in Novice or Open 8 points: Triple Q in Standard, JWW, and FAST classes in Excellent or Master

Agility Triple Q Combinations (Preferred Classes) 6 points: Triple Q in Standard, JWW, and FAST classes in Novice or Open 7 points: Triple Q in Standard, JWW, and FAST classes in Excellent or Master

Agility High In Trial and High Combine 7 points: High In Trial 8 points: High Combined

Agility High In Trial and High Combined (Preferred Classes) 6 points: High In Trial 7 points: High Combined

Venue 2: Conformation/Sweepstakes Conformation 1 point: Place 1-4 in a class 2 points: Reserve Winners Dog or Bitch 3 points: Winners Dog/Winners Bitch 4 points: Best of Winners 5 points: Award of Merit 6 points: Selected Dog/Selected Bitch 7 points: Best Opposite Sex to Best of Breed

8 points: Best of Breed

Sweepstakes (Puppy, Veteran, Working) 1 point: Place 1-4 in a class 2 points: Best of Opposite Sex to Best in Sweepstakes 3 points: Best in Sweepstakes

Venue 3: Obedience/Rally Obedience 1 points: Qualifying score in Beginner Novice or Novice 2 points: Qualifying score in Graduate Novice or First Place in Beginner Novice 3 points: Qualifying score in Open, Graduate Open, or First Place in Novice 4 points: Qualifying score in Utility or Versatility, or First Place in Open 5 points: First Place in Utility 6 points: Qualifying in Open B and Utility A or B 7 points: High in Trial 8 points: High Combined

Rally 1 points: Qualifying score in Novice or Intermediate 2 points: Qualifying score in Advanced or First Place in Novice or Intermediate 3 points: Qualifying score in Excellent or First Place in Advanced 4 points: Qualifying score in Master or First Place in Excellent 5 points: First Place in Master or HC/Excellent and Advanced 6 points: Qualifying in Master, Excellent and Advanced 7 points Triple High Combined Advanced, Excellent and Master

Venue 4: Herding Venue 5: Tracking Herding 1 point: Qualifying in HT/PT 2 points: Qualifying Started (sheep, ducks, or cattle) 3 points: Qualifying in Intermediate (sheep, ducks, or cattle) or Winning Started class (sheep, ducks, or cattle) 4 points: Qualifying in Advanced (sheep, ducks, or cattle) or Winning Intermediate class (sheep, ducks, or cattle) 5 points: Winning Advanced class (sheep, ducks, or cattle) 6 points: Reserve High in Trial 7 points: High in Trial 8 points: High Combined

Tracking 4 points: Passing TD Tracking Test 5 points: Passing TDX Tracking Test 6 points: Passing VST Tracking Test

Tie breaking Criteria: In the event of a tie, the winner will be the dog participating and earning points in the most number of venues. For example, in a tie, a dog that had earned points in all five venues would win over a dog that had earned points in only three venues. If a tie still exists, all point values earned in each venue would be combined and totaled for each dog with the highest total score being the winning dog. For example, a dog that had earned a High in Trial in Obedience by winning the Novice B class would count 7 points for High in Trial, plus 3 points for winning Novice B, plus 2 points for qualifying in Novice B. In the event the dogs were still tied after this tally, ABMC would recognize that an absolute tie occurred and dual awards would be given.

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g. Forms will be available t hrough t he MVBMA Chair at t he Nat ional Specialt y. Signing up t o be eligible for t his award will also be available on t he Nat ional Specialt y webpage and webst ore. There is no charge t o sign up. Sign-up sheet includes: • Dog’s regist ered name, • Owner’s name, address, t elephone number and address, and • Classes t he dog is ent ered in.

h. Score sheet s f rom each venue dog is ent ered must be f illed out and handed in at t he complet ion of t hat venue: • Score sheet s are venue specif ic, • Dog’s name, • Handler’s name, • Class in venue ent ered in, • Armband number for t hat class, • Score sheet will be handed t o t he Event Chair or Secret ary for f illing out t he

score and placement earned, and • The MVBMA Chair will be responsible for collect ing t he score sheet s and keeping

a t abulat ion of all wins for ent ered dogs. i. The winner of MVBMA and RMVBMA will be announced at t he Awards Banquet . Award

winners need not be present t o win. If t he winner is not present , awards will be mailed.

j. A plaque, not t o exceed $50, will be awarded t o t he winner. This plaque will be purchased f rom t he t rophy funds for t he given Nat ional Specialt y.

k. Most Versat ile Malinois will receive a roset t e and prize wit h a value mat ching t hat of Best Of Breed.

l. Reserve Most Versat ile Malinois will receive a roset t e and prize wit h a value mat ching t hat of Best of Opposit e Sex.

m. All dogs t hat qualif y in at least t hree venues will receive a roset t e and a cert if icat e honoring t heir achievement .

n. Announcement and appropriat e specif ics of t he MVBMA will be made available in t he following: • The Performer issue published prior t o t he Nat ional Specialt y, • In t he premium list , • In t he Nat ional Specialt y cat alog, • On t he Nat ional Specialt y Web page, and • In t he Nat ional Specialt y Webst ore.

o. Af t er t he Nat ional Specialt y is over, t he MVBMA Chair will be responsible for get t ing t he informat ion on t he winner and t he reserve winner t o The Performer edit or in t ime t o be included in t he Nat ional Specialt y issue. This should include a pict ure of t he winner.

B. ABMC Honor Awards a. Several awards are present ed at t he Awards Banquet . The ABMC BOD and t he ABMC

Awards Chair are responsible for ensuring t hat t he procedures are followed t o nominat e and select t he recipient s of t hese awards.

b. A list of awards follow, but check wit h t he ABMC President t o conf irm t hat t his is t he ent ire list . • OFA Champion of Healt h – ABMC BOD and t he ABMC Healt h Chair are responsible

for alert ing t he membership t hat it is t ime t o submit nominat ion of eligible dogs t o t he Healt h Chair who will t hen submit t hem t o OFA who makes t he f inal select ion.

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• Volunt eer of t he Year – The ABMC Awards Chair is responsible for request ing nominat ions for t his reward and for conduct ing t he elect ion t o select t he recipient .

• President ’s Award – The ABMC BOD select t he recipient f rom t he ABMC members whose work for t he club is not of t en recognized by t he membership.

• AKC Out st anding Sport smanship Award – The ABMC BOD select s t his recipient • Tit le cert if icat es – members earning t it les t hroughout t he past year submit t heir

informat ion t o t he ABMC Awards Chair and are awarded a t it le recognit ion award.

X. Sweepst akes A. There are t hree Sweepst akes compet it ions of fered at all ABMC Nat ional Specialt ies.

Of fering all t hree is mandat ory. B. Cash prizes are of fered. Sweepst akes moneys must be divided by t he show secret ary or

superint endent and be available in envelopes at ring side. C. Puppy Sweepst akes

a. All puppy sweepst akes ent ries MUST be ent ered in a Regular Conformat ion class b. Classes divided by sex. c. Classes of fered are divided by age:

• 6 mont hs but under 9 mont hs, • 9 mont hs but under 12 mont hs, and • 12 mont hs but under 18 mont hs.

D. V et eran Sweepst akes a. Vet erans need not be ent ered in a Regular Conformat ion class. b. Classes divided by sex. c. Classes of fered are divided by age:

• 7 years but under 9 years, • 9 years but under 11 years, • 11 years but under 13 years, and • 13 years and over

E. Working Sweepst akes a. Working Sweepst akes honors t hose Belgian Malinois t hat compet e in performance,

companion, and working event s. b. Eligibilit y is based on performance t it les t hat meet t he requirement for t he ABMC

Regist er of Merit (ROM) program (ht t p:/ / www.malinoisclub.com/ abmc/ achievement -awards/ abmc-regist er-of -merit -program/ ) .

c. Working Sweepst akes ent rant s need not be ent ered in any Regular Conformat ion class at t he Nat ional Specialt y.

d. Champions of Record may compet e but a championship is not required. e. Spayed or neut ered bit ches and dogs are eligible t o compet e. f . Classes divided by sex.

F. Sweepst akes Priz e Money a. For each Sweepst akes, t he prize money will be divided by t he following formula

i. 30% of t he t ot al ent ry fees will be ret ained by t he ABMC for expenses. ii. The remaining 70% will. be divided as follows:

1. Best in Sweeps (based on t ot al ent ries) 10 .0% 2. Best of Opposit e Sex t o Best in Sweeps (based on t ot al ent ries 5 .0% 3. Class placement s prize moneys are based on t he ent ries for t hat class alone

• First Place in class 17 .5%

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• Second Place in class 15 .0% • Third Place in class 12 .5% • Fourt h Place in class 10 .0%

XI. Rescue Raf f le ABMC allows space at all Nat ional Specialt ies for t he American Belgian Malinois Rescue (ABMR) organizat ion t o conduct a fund-raising raf f le. ABMR sponsors t he raf f le and is responsible for all permit s and raf f le it em solicit at ion.

XII. Key Dat es A. At least 24 mont hs (2 years) prior t o t he Nat ional Specialt y submit init ial bid t o t he

ABMC BOD. B. 18 mont hs (1 .5 years) prior t o t he Nat ional Specialt y (af t er dat es and budget are

approved by t he ABMC BOD): a. Hire all judges. b. Cont ract wit h a Superint endent and/ or Show Secret aries. c. Finalize hot el cont ract . d. Cont ract a Show Phot ographer. e. Cont ract a Videographer.

C. 12 mont hs (1 year) prior t o Nat ional Specialt y: a. Decide on t rophies and place init ial order. b. Select roset t e t ypes. c. Decide on roset t e/ ribbon supplier. d. Place an ad in t he show cat alog of t he current year’s Nat ional Specialt y advert ising

t he upcoming event . e. Plan The Performer ads for t he coming year. f . Prepare a short present at ion at t he current year’s Nat ional Specialt y showing

pict ures of t he sit e, local act ivit ies, and event s planned. D. Immediat ely af t er t he current year’s Nat ional Specialt y ( t he Nat ional Specialt y preceding

t he one being worked on) : a. Prepare and act ivat e t he Nat ional Specialt y webpage. b. Prepare and act ivat e t he Facebook page. c. Make sure all social media are covered wit h accurat e informat ion. d. Begin publishing Nat ional Specialt y ads in each issue of The Performer. e. Af t er AKC approval, begin publishing specif ic show informat ion. f . Mont hly report ing t o t he ABMC BOD begins.

E. 11 mont hs prior t o t he Nat ional Specialt y: a. Submit event applicat ions t o t he ABMC BOD for review and signat ure af t er which

t hey will be submit t ed t o t he AKC for approval. b. The AKC will ident if y conf lict s wit h ot her clubs and cont act ABMC if t here is a

problem. The specialt y commit t ee will have t o cont act t hose clubs asking for waivers so t hat t here are no Belgian Malinois classes or part icipat ion at t heir shows.

F. 6 (six) mont hs prior t o t he Nat ional Specialt y: a. St art preparat ion of Premium List (s) .

b. Submit t he Premium list t o t he ABMC BOD for review and approval before publicat ion.

G. 3 ( t hree) mont hs prior t o t he Nat ional Specialt y:

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a. Publish premium list s availabilit y by e-mail t o all ABMC members. b. Coordinat e wit h t he ABMC insurance represent at ive t o obt ain Cert if icat es of

Insurance for all event sit es ( including but not limit ed t o conformat ion, herding, agilit y, obedience/ rally, and t racking) .

H. 1 (one) mont h prior t o Nat ional Specialt y: a. Check t hat all t rophies have arrived and are in good condit ion. b. Check t hat all roset t es/ ribbons have arrived and have been checked for condit ion

and accuracy of informat ion. c. Check wit h all commit t ee/ event chairs t o see if anyone has any quest ions or issues

t hat need t o be addressed. I. Af t er t he Nat ional Specialt y:

a. Wit hin seven (7 ) days af t er t he Nat ional Specialt y, submit all required paperwork t o AKC (Show Superint endent or Secret ary is responsible for t his, but t he Show Chair should communicat e wit h t hese persons t o ensure report s are sent .) This is an AKC rule.

b. Wit hin 30 days, send t wo marked cat alogs t o t he Archives Chair. c. Submit Specialt y report t o t he Performer, Archives and Webmast er following t he

Performer deadlines. d. Ensure all winners’ phot os have been sent t o t he Performer edit or (ensuring t hat t he

Performer edit or will forward t hem t o t he Archives Chair when f inished) . e. Invent ory all club propert ies (perpet ual t rophies, placement markers, et c.) and

forward t hem t o t he next year’s Nat ional Specialt y Show Chair. J. Wit hin 3 ( t hree) mont hs af t er t he Nat ional Specialt y:

a. Submit f inancial report t o t he ABMC Treasurer along wit h all receipt s and document at ion.

b. Submit a copy of t he f inancial report t o t he ABMC 1 st Vice President . c. Forward any remaining monies t o t he ABMC Treasurer. d. Send any addit ional bills or monies t o t he ABMC Treasurer.

XIII. Appendix

A. AKC Forms

a. Most AKC forms can be downloaded f rom t he AKC websit e ht t ps:/ / www.akc.org/ downloadable-forms/ b. Show/ Trial Applicat ion Inst ruct ions: ht t ps:/ / images.akc.org/ pdf / AEDAT1.pdf c. Report of Dog Show or Obedience or Rally Trial ht t ps:/ / images.akc.org/ pdf / JOVAL2.pdf d. Specialt y Club Judges Panel ht t ps:/ / images.akc.org/ pdf / JEJDG8.pdf e. St at ement of Compliance wit h AKC Policies Governing t he Approval of Dog Shows ht t ps:/ / images.akc.org/ pdf / JE0002.pdf f . Obedience Club Judges Panel ht t ps:/ / images.akc.org/ pdf / AJA004.pdf g. Applicat ion for Licensed or Member Rally Trial ht t ps:/ / images.akc.org/ pdf / AERY01.pdf h. Applicat ion and Judges Panel Quest ionnaire Licensed or Member Herding Trial/ Test ht t ps:/ / images.akc.org/ pdf / agl999 .pdf i. Tracking Event Judges Panel j. ht t ps:/ / images.akc.org/ pdf / aja002.pdf k. Applicat ion and Judges Panel for AKC® Licensed or Member Agilit y Trial or AKC

Sanct ioned A or B Mat ch

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ht t p:/ / cdn.akc.org/ Agilit y/ AEAGIL_0818_v1.0Edit Ext ended.pdf l. AKC Code of Sport smanship ht t p:/ / images.akc.org/ pdf / AKC_code_of_sport smanship.pdf m. Emergency Procedures at Dog Shows ht t p:/ / images.akc.org/ pdf / JEDTR1.pdf n. AKC Show Manual ht t p:/ / images.akc.org/ pdf / RESHOW.pdf