‘Cead Mile Failte’
(One Hundred Thousand Welcomes!)
Purina is the Official Sponsor of the Celtic Classic
****2024 Information will be updated when the judging program is released in early March****
Come join the excitement of one of the best new dog show events on the East Coast. In each of the past four years, we had over 10,000 entries in the our shows in Conformation and Specialty Events
Admission is FREE to all four buildings that will be used during our show. Please also visit the many vendors who are involved in the show, they will all be setup in the Arena with a vast array of specialty items for sale.
For the first time visitor to a dog show, it works like this:
- Each breed of dog is scheduled to be judged in a ring at a certain time.
- The judge will first examine all the male dogs, which is done in age groups and then he or she will pick a winning male dog.
- Next, the judge will examine all the female dogs, again in age groups, and pick a winning female dog.
- Then both of the winners from above come back into the ring with all the dogs who have already become Champions, and the judge picks the best of that breed entered that day.
- After all the individual breeds have been judged, the breed winners all are judged at the Group level. The Group level is an AKC assignment of breeds based on the history of breeds and their original purpose in life. Currently there are seven Groups approved under the AKC, as follows: Sporting, Hound, Working Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding.
- Finally, the seven group winners assemble in the Best in Show ring, where the overall winner of the day is selected.
So during your visit, you will see dogs in various stages of the dog show. Some have already been judged and are resting in the crates; others are being groomed and getting ready to be judged. If you wish to visit with a dog, please make sure to first ask the owner or handler of that dog for permission.
The judging schedule for all five days will be posted on this site in early March and can be accessed here. You can use that schedule to help plan your day to make sure you see all the dogs that are of interest to you. For those that are interested, Dog Show Tours will be offered all five days to help explain the workings of the dog show. Start times will be posted in the lobby of the Arena each day.
Please note: For the safety of both children and dogs, baby strollers will not be allowed past the lobby into the event area. Infants in strollers would be at eye level of medium and large dogs which can present a safety concern. Children must remain under the control of their parent or guardian at all times.
Last Update – 02/24/2024