Vacationland Dog Club

Southern Maine Coastal Classic Cluster

 

We're back! The 2023 Southern Maine Coastal Classic Cluster will take place on May 18-21, 2023 at the Cumberland Fairgrounds in Cumberland, ME. Vacationland hosts the Thursday and Saturday shows. York County Kennel Club of Maine hosts the Friday and Sunday shows.

Premium List is coming soon!

New This Year: Two Obedience and two Rally trials on Saturday and Sunday!

Superintendent: MB-F. Entry deadline is Wednesday, May 5 at 12 noon. Enter online at www.infodog.com.

Press Release

TWELFTH ANNUAL SOUTHERN MAINE COASTAL CLASSIC DOG SHOWS RETURN

The Southern Maine Coastal Classic presents four days of AKC All Breed Dog Shows and Obedience and Rally Trials at the Cumberland Fairgrounds, 174 Bruce Hill Road, Cumberland, Maine. Shows run from Thursday, May 18, through Sunday, May 21, 2023, beginning at 8am each day, outdoors rain or shine.

York County Kennel Club of Maine, Inc and Vacationland Dog Club, Inc invite the public to meet some of AKC’s 180+ recognized breeds and observe the various activities throughout the day. Admission each day is $5 per vehicle. There is ample parking inside the fairgrounds. Food trucks will serve food throughout the day. Also, be sure to visit our vendors selling dog-related items.

Each day’s activities include regular conformation concluding with a Best in Show winner, and Saturday and Sunday feature two sessions of obedience and rally running consecutively.

All-American Mixed Breeds enrolled in AKC’s Canine Partners Program may enter Obedience and Rally Competitions. Go to www.akc.org/dog-owners/canine-partners/ for details.

Action starts Thursday morning. In addition to the regular activities is the National Owner-Handled Series, a non-titling competition allowing owners and their dogs to compete against their peers in their respective breeds, groups and NOHS Best in Show. Professional handlers cannot compete in this series.

On Friday we present the Best Bred-By Exhibitor Competition. This is open to non-champion dogs, and the person handling the dog must be the owner or co-owner and breeder of the dog. For spectators this is an ideal way to see a particular breed and meet the breeder. Watch puppies enter the ring for the first time in the 4 to 6 Month Beginner Puppy Competition. This competition introduces new exhibitors and their puppies ages 4 to 6 months of age to showing in a stress-free environment separate from the regular judging.

Saturday is a full day. For the up-and-coming show dogs, we offer the Best Puppy Extravaganza. All puppies entered in the 6-9 months and 9-12 months classes are automatically eligible to compete for Best of Breed Puppy. Each Best of Breed Puppy goes on to compete in Best in their respective Puppy Groups. The best of each Group finally competes for Best Puppy in Show selected before Best in Show at the end of the day. The Pine Tree State Doberman Pinscher Club, Inc, and the Bearded Collie Club of America, Inc, will support their respective breeds during the day. And the Maine Golden Retriever Club will hold its Designated Specialty.

For Sunday, the 4 to 6 Month Beginner Puppy Competition runs again as well as another National Owner-Handled Series competition. The Pine Tree State Doberman Pinscher Club, Inc and the Bearded Collie Club of America, Inc will again support their respective breed entries.

Junior handlers are important to the future of the sport so we offer Junior Showmanship all four days. Open to children 9 to 18 years old, with Open, Intermediate and Novice classes, the child is judged on his/her ability to handle and present the dog rather than the dog being judged. Junior handlers must have an AKC Junior Handler number to compete at these shows.

Camping onsite is available. All RV parking is $45 per night which includes water and electrical hookup only. Tenting without hookups is $30 per night. If interested in camping onsite, contact Pauline Goodwin at (207) 324-5400 or visit our websites to download a reservation form. Deadline for camping reservations is May 3, 2023.

Founded in 1945, Vacationland Dog Club, Inc is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of purebred dogs through public education and responsible dog ownership. For more information on upcoming events, becoming a member or checking the latest club news and events, go to http://www.vacationlanddogclub.org/.

York County Kennel Club of Maine, Inc is a not-for-profit organization whose goals are to protect and advance the interests of purebred dogs through AKC performance events and community education activities. For more information about this show cluster, directions to the Cumberland Fairgrounds, or any of the featured dog clubs, go to https://www.yorkcountykennelclub.org.