GDCA HOF Requirement Changes

Hall of Fame Requirements

 There is an  immediate request to adjust the stud dog/brood bitch numbers, with the help of Jane Chopson, Dale and I have identified, with as much accuracy as we can, the categories represented by the dogs that have been inducted into the HOF.

There are a couple of questions remaining, but for this exercise those variables should not make a difference.

Of the 38 identified as having qualified as producers, 32 are fawn and 6 are brindle. There are no Black, Blue, Harlequin or Mantle producers of record within the Hall of Fame.

To look a little deeper into the numbers I looked at the Futurity for 2012. There were 152 nominated litters. Of those litters the breakdown of Sire/Dam colors is as follows:

Fawn – 83 sires/78 dams
Brindle – 12 sires/19 dams
Harlequin – 29 sires/20 dams
Mantle – 8 sires/13 dams
Black – 12 sires/13 dams
Blue – 9 sires/10 dams

To date, the number of puppies from the 2012 futurity that have finished are 6 fawn, 1 harl, 1 mantle and 1 black. These numbers simply reinforce the knowledge that the fawn is far and away the most popular color in our breed.

Although we do not see any Blacks or Blues in the Hall of Fame, the Harlequin and Mantle still appears to be at a disadvantage due to the percentage of show marked puppies in any given litter. Theoretical distribution by color in a harl to harl litter is 25% harl, 25% mantle, 25% white and 25% merle. The percentage in a harl to mantle litter would result in a slightly higher percentage of harle and mantles. Neil O’Sullivan has told us that these theoretical percentages have been proven. Using this information , and using 55% as a defensible correction factor the number of champions for a harl /mantle stud would be 16.5 (if 100% = 30, then 55% = 16.5).

Based on this information it is our recommendation that the number for fawn and brindle producers remain at their current level (30/10) and reduce the number for the balance of the colors (harlequin, mantle, black and blue) to 16/6.