Poodle entries have been steadily falling for a while, especially in the toys and miniatures. Standard numbers are not quite so bad but we don't have the numbers we used to. Our entry is 69 at Blackpool, whereas it would have been closer to 100 a few years ago, but I suppose it is a Friday and we should take that into account.

Rowena

Definitely lower - think fuel prices and cost of entries risen - the credit crunch - people are just being more careful. This year have only done a breed champ and one other Southern show - will only be doing those down South possibly a couple of others. I no longer purchase a catalogue but used to at every show.

Rotts have dropped, especially the puppy classes and the registration numbers have dropped dramatically this year too from the first quarter of last year, just read it in the breed notes about 10 mins ago infact!

Although entries do seem to be falling I have a minority breed (vallhunds). Our entries since the mid 1990's have been fluctuating between 25 and 35, however, in the last couple of years there has been an increase with the breed attracting low 40's at most champ shows with tickets. (bear in mind there is usually only around 40 valls born each year)

Unfortunately, the KC decided to give us single tickets, initially splitting one set between a middle of the country weekday show and a south of the country show. Both these shows suffered with lower entries and despite stating that there would be a 2 year trial of this and consultantion before changing things we got another set split this year - this time two northern shows. Sadly as most of the exhibitors live down south these two shows are going to suffer, with blackpool getting an entry of just 17 (SKC always gets a very low entry comparatively speaking but as it's a representative show there is nothing that can be done about moving the ticket to somewhere more central)

The cost of entering a show giving a single ticket is the same as for a full set and with ever increasing costs it's these shows that will suffer first.

I fear that more and more shows will stop scheduling breeds without cc's, which for minority breeds means loosing chances for judges to become familiar with the breed - open shows rarely scheduling the breed.

I for one don't think that the "free" breeders stakes classes next year will do anything to improve the entries and as the costs of everything from dog food to petrol, via entries, human food costs and vets bills rise people will have less and less incentive to travel to shows out of their area particularly if there are no tickets on offer or it means going in the Not SEriously COnsidered classes.

BC entries have been slightly up this year so far, but we've had breed specialist so far which always pop the entry up a bit. We've been getting around 180 as an entry as compared to 150 last year.
I don't think the petrol is hitting too hard but many are now car sharing (myself included)

It's funny but we were talking about this at our local ESS Champ Show last weekend. Everyone is saying they're having to cut down due to inflation and mostly due to increased fuel costs! So it looks pretty certain our entries will be down too, if not already!

I wonder if its also due to the docking ban for some breeds?

I think this could be playing a part in my (previously docked) breed. We have a puppy we are showing, and according to her breeders, who kept and are showing her brother, the number of puppies being shown in our breed is definitely noticeably down.

I do think petrol prices etc must also be influencing people's decisions.

Sadly as most of the exhibitors live down south these two shows are going to suffer, with blackpool getting an entry of just 17 (SKC always gets a very low entry comparatively speaking but as it's a representative show there is nothing that can be done about moving the ticket to somewhere more central)
In my breed (borzois ) the entries have dropped too though we have more entries than the Valhounds. Living in Scotland I feel we are penalised enough having to go further and further south even for our breed club shows and as we have only three shows in Scotland where CC's are on offer two SKC one H A of Scotland, I thjink that it would be grossly unfair if they took any of thaway, and I am sure though small in number, the Scottish Valhound exhibitors would feel the same. Even the HA of Scotland which used to be held at Ingliston is now held at Kelso in the Borders and being in April it is not a good venue for an outdoer show at that time of year. This year it was a quagmire of mud even in the benching area and all around and in various breeds I heard a lot of people complaining about the mud, etc. I know the organiser have no control over the weather,but common sense tells you that either you have to change the date of the show or if staying with April look for a venue with inside facilities so why not go back to Ingliston. This be be another reason why entries are falling as I also heard a lot of people at this show say they will not be back. I know that is only one show, but there could be others out there where people feel that they are not getting value for their money, i.e. at that show the benching, at least in my breed was so close together that the passage to get your dogs to the bench was so narrow and the benching really small for a breed the size of a borzoi, and to groom you had no room to do this on tyhe bench nor on the passageway, which was so muddly,so all your careful preparation was really a waste of time. One of my dogs cut his muzzle on a sharp piece of metal on the bench and at £22 an entry I wonder what we were getting for our money,

I and others have reported our displeasure to the Secretary and await the outcome.

Trouble is that there is just 1 vallhund exhibitor in scotland, yes, seriously, just 1, who has only 1 dog.

The next most northerly vallhunds are North Yorkshire on the East Coast and Lancashire on the West.

K