THREE BREEDS GIVEN CHAMPIONSHIP STATUS – THE BOLOGNESE, COTON DE TULEAR AND JAPANESE AKITA INU
At its meeting on 11th November 2024, The Kennel Club Board agreed to allocate championship status to three breeds from 2026 – the Bolognese, Coton de Tulear and the Japanese Akita Inu.
The following shows have been allocated Challenge Certificates (CCs) from 2026:
Bolognese
Crufts, United Kingdom Toydog Society and British Bolognese Club.
Coton de Tulear
Crufts, United Kingdom Toydog Society and Coton de Tulear Club of the United Kingdom.
Japanese Akita Inu
Crufts, British Utility Breeds Association and Japanese Akita Inu Club.
The breed clubs will be asked to hold their championship show at least one month apart from Crufts and the relevant group show if possible, to ensure as wide a spread of CCs throughout the year as possible. The breed club championship show must not be held before Crufts in 2026.
In 2021, The Kennel Club introduced a phased and transparent system for the elevating of some non-CC breeds with separate classification to championship status. This begins with an annual allocation of three sets of CCs and will progress, if entry figures warrant, to seven sets and eventually, under stage 1 of the new CC allocation model, 13 sets.
The criteria used to assess if a breed should be considered for an initial three sets of CCs include:
- To have a minimum of 12 approved judges (JEP Level 4)
- An average entry of ten dogs over a rolling three-year period at all-breed championship shows and relevant group championship shows.
Jannine Edgar, Kennel Club Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Coton de Tulear, Bolognese and Japanese Akita Inu into The Kennel Club family of breeds with championship status and look forward to seeing the first CCs awarded at Crufts 2026, where these breeds are bound to generate a lot of interest.”
