CHAMPIONSHIP SHOWS

Our first Championship Show was held in November 1968, at the Elms, Flemington Racecourse, a very pleasant venue for the show.  Our judge was Dave Bailey, a well-known Victorian Labrador Breeder.   Dave had an entry of 44 with Ch Castiewood Suzyana owned by Lantana Kennels, winning Best Exhibit in Show, with Jannani Glengold, owned by M Hayden winning Opposite Sex in Show.

For the next two years, our Championship Show continued to be held at the Elms.   In 1969 our judge was the well known international All Breed Judge, Graham Head, who had an entry of 57 dogs with his Best Exhibit in Show going to Ch Anbria Sands (Imp UK) owned by Mr & Mrs W Mitchell and Opposite Sex in Show being awarded to Sweetwater Courage owned by Mr & Mrs D Hands.   The 1970 show was judged by Jim Craig with an entry of 44 dogs with his Best Exhibit in Show going to Ch Pebbleridge Dusty Gold owned by Taumac Kennels and Opposite Sex in Show going to Ch Lantana Honeyflower owned by Mr & Mrs John Tombs

The 1971 show was held at the Showgrounds as all Championship shows were now required to be held at the official KCC venue.   Our judge was Alex Price a notable Gundog judge, who had an entry of 61 dogs.  His Best Exhibit in Show was awarded to Ch Pebbleridge Dusty Gold owned by Taumac Kennels and Opposite Sex in Show won by Ch Taumac Golden Keela also owned by Taumac Kennels.

From 1972 the club opted to only contract overseas judges and over the next 37 years the club appointed judges from New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. (4 from New Zealand, 18 from the United Kingdom, 4 from United States of America, 4 from Canada, 1 from Denmark, 1 from Norway 4 from Sweden and 1 from Finland.)

From 1971 to 1989 our Championship Shows were held at the Showgrounds, Ascot Vale, then from 1990 to 1993 our shows moved to KCC Park, Skye, from 1994 to 1999 the show moved back to the Showgrounds.   For the next 5 years from 2001 to 2005 our Championship Show rotated between KCC Park and the Showgrounds.  With the closing of the old Showgrounds judging area, the club resolved to move all their shows to KCC Park.   Our 2008 show was our 41st Championship Show.

In conjunction with the 1981 Championship Show, the 14th, the club conducted their first Restricted Obedience Trial. Keith and Jenny Ralph judged the trial with an entry of 25. These restricted trials were only for Golden Retrievers. For the next 13 years the club held Restricted Obedience Trials for Golden Retrievers in conjunction with their Championship Shows, before in 1994 deciding to include all the gundog breeds in their Restricted Obedience Trials. Consequently in 1994 the club held its first Restricted to Gundog breeds Obedience Trial as a separate event to our Championship Show. A full list of the Obedience Trial results is available under Obedience Trials.

In 2000 the club conducted the 3rd National Championship Show which was held at the Cranbourne Racecourse, with Ray Strudwick from the UK judging an entry of 368 dogs, with Best in Show going to Stenbury Sea Fantasy (Imp Swd) and Runner Up in Show being awarded to Fantango Vintage Crop.   A Restricted Obedience Trial for Golden Retrievers only was conducted in conjunction the National Show.

Championship Show Winners (pdf file)

Restricted to Breed Obedience Trial Winners (pdf file)