BCSA Policy on Licensed Specialty Scheduling and Approval

Pursuant to Ch. 2, Section 12 of the Rules Applying to Dog Shows, BCSA, as parent club, establishes the following with respect to the scheduling of specialties:

Definitions: As used in this policy, the date and location of a stand alone licensed specialty in this policy shall mean the AKC corresponding date and municipality of the specialty. The date and location of a licensed specialty held in conjunction with an all-breed show or cluster, whether as a designated or independent specialty, shall mean the AKC corresponding dates and location of the show or cluster including any dates and location reserved for specialties as part of the cluster.

1) Two licensed specialties conflict when they are less than 30 days and 200 miles apart.

2) A licensed specialty conflicts with the national specialty when it is within a week of the date of the first event associated with the national specialty or the date of the last event associated with the national specialty.

3) In the event that (2) is not applicable, a licensed specialty that is within 30 days of the date of the first event associated with the national specialty or the date of the last event associated with the national specialty conflicts with the national specialty when it is within 600 miles of the national specialty

4) In the event that neither (2) nor (3) is applicable, a licensed specialty that is with 300 miles of the national specialty conflicts with the national specialty if it is within 60 days of the date of the first event associated with the national specialty or the date of the last event associated with the national specialty.

5) Subject to the rest of this policy, licensed specialty clubs that have previously held or have BCSA approval to hold a specialty on a particular date and location as of the date of the adoption of this policy are granted blanket approval to continue holding a specialty with that date and location (Grandfather Clause).

6) Clubs with blanket approval that wish to change the date or location of their specialty will need to apply to BCSA for a new approval, which may be a blanket approval at BCSA’s discretion.

7) In the event of a conflict that is not otherwise resolved by this policy, the national specialty shall have precedence over a licensed specialty. In the event of a conflict between two licensed specialties, the club having the earliest approval (including blanket approval) for its date and location shall have precedence over a club that has a later approval or no approval for its date and location.

8) Where there is a conflict between licensed specialties, the club having precedence may grant permission (including, at its discretion, blanket permission) for the other club to hold its specialty at the requested date and location, and BCSA will normally ratify that permission.However, nothing in this paragraph permits a club to hold a specialty when it does not have BCSA approval.

9) National specialties shall be scheduled in the months of September, October or November. National specialties that are at Purina Farms or such other “standard” locations as may from time to time be designated by the BCSA may be scheduled without regard to any conflict that may be created by such scheduling. National specialties at other locations shall be scheduled so as to attempt to avoid creating a conflict with a club having a blanket permission for a date and location.

10) Requests for permission to hold a licensed specialty shall be sent (email ok) to the BCSA Corresponding Secretary. When BCSA grants a licensed club permission (including blanket permission) to hold a specialty at a particular date and location, the Corresponding Secretary shall notify AKC Event Plans and the requesting club of the permission (or blanket permission as applicable). Where the scheduling of the National specialty causes a conflict pursuant toparagraph (9), the Corresponding Secretary shall notify the licensed club in question of the conflict.

11) Licensed specialties may be held at a location outside of the club’s territory according to AKC policy as follows: Licensed specialty club’s may go up to 125 miles outside of their territory. If they are going in conjunction with another club of the same breed they may go up to 200 miles outside of their territory. If the club is going in conjunction with the Parent club’s National Specialty they may go up to 500 miles outside of their territory.

12) Subject to the restrictions stated in paragraph (11), two or more licensed specialty clubs may request permission to hold their specialties in conjunction with each other. In addition, a licensed specialty club may, at BCSA’s sole discretion, be invited to hold their licensed specialty in conjunction with a National specialty. Holding such an invited licensed specialty will not invalidate any prior blanket approval for another date and location that may have been previously granted to the licensed club in question.