Qualify
To qualify for the Chicago Challenge Cup at the Great American Dog Show, dogs must accomplish one of the following criteria:
- Rank in the Top 10 of their respective Groups according to The Canine Chronicle all-breed published statistics for events held from January 1, 2023 through May 31, 2023.
- NOHS dogs ranked in the Top 10 of their respective Groups according to the AKC statistics for events held from September 21, 2022 through May 31, 2023.
- Regular, NOHS, Miscellaneous, and Open Show Group First winners from all three days of the Great American Dog Show held on January 6, 7 and 8, 2023 in Schaumburg, Illinois.
- The Overall Coonhound Bench Show Champion from the Great American Dog Show awarded on January 8, 2023 in Schaumburg, Illinois.
These qualifiers will be invited to compete in the semi-final portion of the Challenge Cup on Friday, August 25, 2023. Qualified dogs who enter the semi-finals will be randomly assigned to one of two rings. The two semi-final judges and one final judge will be kept secret until the commencement of judging. Six finalists (three from each semi-final ring) will be chosen to compete for the Challenge Cup prior to the group judging at the Arie Crowne Theater on the evening of Saturday, August 26, 2023. The final round judge will choose the best of these six as the winner of the Challenge Cup and the ultimate prize of $20,000!