National Specialty · Lebanon, Tennessee
Basset Hound Club of America National Specialty 2026
October 9–16, 2026 — eight days of Basset Hounds: futurity and maturity, sweepstakes, Junior Showmanship, obedience, rally, agility, tracking, scent work, field trials, and the national specialty conformation
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Documents 📄 Premium List Judging Program
Weekend at a glance
The Basset Hound Club of America hosts its 2026 National Specialty October 9–16, 2026, at the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Tennessee. The eight-day week runs the full hound gamut: hunting performance test, field trial, tracking, scent work, futurity and maturity, obedience and rally trials, agility, sweepstakes, the national specialty conformation (all classes judged on a ramp), Junior Showmanship, and a parade of veterans — with independent specialties from Kentuckiana and Mid-South BHCs early in the week.
- Dates
- October 9–16, 2026
- Venue
- Wilson County Fairgrounds — James E. Ward Agricultural Center
- Host club
- Basset Hound Club of America
- Format
- National specialty week
- Entries
- Registration closed
More about this show
Listing reviewed Approved Premium published · Dates, venue, fees & closing verified from the premium · 322 Tooley Branch Rd, Westmoreland, TN 37186 · 615-406-8220 · [email protected]
- Dates
- Friday through Friday
- Venue
- 945 East Baddour Parkway, Lebanon, TN 37087
- Host club
- AKC parent club for the Basset Hound
- Format
- Basset Hound (Hound Group); futurity & maturity, sweepstakes, Juniors, obedience, rally, agility, tracking, scent work, field trials
- Entries
- Closed Friday, September 11, 2026, at 12:00 noon Central
Event secretary: Christine Allen
Enter the show
Entry fees are per dog, per show.
- Event secretary
- Christine Allen — online entries at run4funtn.net (credit card or PayPal), or mail with checks payable to BHCA
- Closing
- Friday, September 11, 2026, 12:00 noon Central
- Conformation first entry
- $34.00
- Each additional entry (same dog, same event)
- $26.00
- Puppy classes (6–9 & 9–12 mos.) & puppy Bred-By-Exhibitor
- $26.00
- Sweepstakes
- $26.00 (must be entered in a regular class)
- Veteran sweepstakes
- $26.00
- Non-regular class (as only entry / as additional entry)
- $34.00 / $26.00
- Brace (per unit)
- $34.00
- Junior Showmanship
- No fee
- Futurity & Maturity classes
- $20.00
- Parade of Veterans
- $20.00
- Obedience / Rally first entry
- $34.00
- Obedience / Rally additional entry
- $26.00
The days
Eight days from the hunting performance test to the final Best of Breed — field work first, then the arena events. Listing reviewed
| Day | What’s on |
|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 9 | Hunting Performance Test (club event) |
| Sat, Oct 10 | Field trial |
| Sun, Oct 11 | Field trial; tracking (TD, TDX, VST, TDU) |
| Mon, Oct 12 | Scent work (all-breed, Bassets given priority); Kentuckiana BHC independent specialty |
| Tue, Oct 13 | Futurity & Maturity; obedience trial; agility trial; Mid-South BHC independent specialty |
| Wed, Oct 14 | National specialty conformation begins; sweepstakes; agility trial |
| Thu, Oct 15 | National specialty conformation; obedience & rally trials |
| Fri, Oct 16 | National specialty conformation concludes |
Show hours are 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM local time. All judging is held indoors, and all conformation classes are judged on a ramp. Listing reviewed
Today’s Ring Card
Your show-day schedule, saved by date. ★ Favorite breeds follow you to every show; ▶ showing today is just this day’s working list — the dogs you actually have ringside.
How it works
Pick a day, add the breeds you’re following, and the card builds your schedule from the official judging programs. Enter the number of dogs judged before your breed in each ring and the card estimates your actual ring time (2 minutes per dog) and when to be ringside (15 minutes earlier). Anything saved here lives in this browser — permanent favorites will sync to your account later.
Ring times from the official judging programs (the club). A listed start time applies to the ring’s first breed of the block, not necessarily to yours — the 2-minutes-per-dog estimate is a working guess, never exact.
Breed Judge Finder
The verified judging slate for the 2026 national specialty week. Listing reviewed
Best of Breed / Best Owner-Handled / Best Bred-ByBest in Show & group judges
- Brian Pechtold
DogsBest in Show & group judges
- Rudy Smits, DVM
Bitches & Junior ShowmanshipBest in Show & group judges
- Sharon Dok
SweepstakesBest in Show & group judges
- Marianne Lovejoy
Futurity & MaturityBest in Show & group judges
- Katy Vergeront
ObedienceBest in Show & group judges
- Cheryl Tisdale
RallyBest in Show & group judges
- Julia R. Johnson
AgilityBest in Show & group judges
- Michele Fletcher
Scent workBest in Show & group judges
- Melody Fair · Roy Fair · Darlayne Jewell · Melanie Herbst
TrackingBest in Show & group judges
- Roy Fair · Ronald Seeley
Field trialBest in Show & group judges
- M. Todd Odle · Carrie Campbell
Judges from the Basset Hound Club of America's 2026 premium list. Listing reviewed
Juniors
Junior Showmanship is part of the national specialty, judged by Sharon Dok — and it is free to enter. Listing reviewed
- Junior Showmanship
- Sharon Dok — with the national specialty conformation
- Junior Showmanship fee
- No fee
The week also includes a Parade of Veterans ($20.00 entry). Day-by-day Junior Showmanship assignments arrive with the judging program.
Specialties & supported entries
The specialty spotlight for this event.
- Event
- Basset Hound Club of America National Specialty 2026
- Breed
- Basset Hound (Hound Group)
- Type
- National specialty week — national + Kentuckiana and Mid-South BHC independent specialties
- Host club
- Basset Hound Club of America
- Dates
- October 9–16, 2026 — Lebanon, Tennessee
Plan your visit
Co-host hotels
The premium lists two co-host hotels in Lebanon, Tennessee.
- Candlewood Suites
- 110 Willard Hagan Dr., Lebanon, TN 37090 — $109/night plus tax (any room). Block cutoff August 10, 2026. Maximum 2 dogs per room; $75.00 non-refundable pet fee per room for the stay.
- Fairfield Inn & Suites
- 1145 Franklin Rd., Lebanon, TN 37090 — $125/night plus tax (any room). Block cutoff September 10, 2026. Maximum 4 dogs per room; $200.00 non-refundable pet fee per room for the stay; complimentary breakfast buffet.
Plastic sheeting under crates, and all dogs crated when alone in the room, are required at both hotels.
RV parking
- Rate
- $50.00 per night — full-service hookups at the fairgrounds
- Reservation deadline
- September 11, 2026
Sources
- Official2026 premium list (PDF) — dates, venue, judges, fees, entries closing September 11, 2026 at 12:00 noon Central, co-host hotels, RV parking
- OfficialAKC National Specialties inventory (apps.akc.org) — dates and city cross-check