Hanover Kennel Club — October 2026

Three days at Legion Stadium in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Mid-Atlantic Hound Association of Central North Carolina opens the weekend with two hound specialties on Friday, October 9; the Hanover Kennel Club follows with its 130th and 131st all-breed shows on Saturday and Sunday — all judging outdoors, with the AKC National Owner-Handled Series and Junior Showmanship each day and a Pee Wee class on Saturday.

Entry link goes to MB-F's proprietary superintendent entry system — entries for 2026 are closed; the link is kept for reference. ThePetAdvisor does not host entries or results; the superintendent's platform handles entries and the club publishes results.

Hound specialties open the weekend on Friday, then two all-breed days — all at Legion Stadium, all judging outdoors.

Day-by-day facts above are from the official 2026 premium list (events 2026085601/2026085602) and the AKC event pages, both with approved panel status.

What we know now: the judge panels for all three days are approved and listed below in the Breed Judge Finder. All judging is outdoors at Legion Stadium; show hours are 7:00 A.M.–7:00 P.M. each day; bring your own shade — the premium specifically says so.

Every judge below is from the AKC-approved panels for the 2026 weekend — nothing here is carried forward from prior years. (p) marks a provisional/permit judge. Type a breed, group, or judge name to filter.

Friday, October 9 — Mid-Atlantic Hound Association (event 2026261702)

Panel shown is for the first Friday hound specialty (AKC event 2026261702). The second Friday show (2026261703) runs the same day under a separate premium list — its panel was not individually verified here.

Saturday, October 10 — Hanover Kennel Club, 130th show (event 2026085601)

Sunday, October 11 — Hanover Kennel Club, 131st show (event 2026085602)

Breed-level assignments for the Saturday and Sunday all-breed shows are on the official AKC event detail pages (events 2026085601 and 2026085602) — we publish only the AKC-approved group panel here rather than a partial or carried-forward list.

Junior Showmanship is offered all three days — outdoors, with Novice, Open, and Master classes plus Best Junior each day, all judged by the AKC-approved junior judges below.

Pee Wee

The Pee Wee class is offered on Saturday, October 10 — stated in the official 2026 premium list as a club-advertised special attraction. (Pee Wee is not an AKC event type; details such as age range and ring time are in the premium and the judging program when published.)

Junior Showmanship entry fee: $25.00 per the premium ($25/$23 on the AKC event pages — same discrepancy noted above). Juniors days and judges verified from the AKC event pages with approved panel status, September 2026.

The specialty and supported-entry lineup below is taken from the official 2026 premium list — the on-site authority — with breed-club sources noted where they add detail.

Specialty shows — Saturday, October 10

• Spinone Club of America — specialty: Sweepstakes & Veteran Sweepstakes (premium; also listed as an associated event on the AKC event page, closing September 23)
• English Foxhound Club of America — specialty: Sweepstakes & Veteran Sweepstakes (premium; also listed as an associated event on the AKC event page, closing September 23)

Supported entries

Same location, separate premium lists

The Mid-Atlantic Hound Association of Central North Carolina runs its own events at Legion Stadium under separate premium lists — two hound specialties on Friday, October 9, and concurrent specialties Saturday and Sunday — all enterable through MB-F. (Premium; AKC events 2026261702/2026261703.)

Two breed-club announcements did not match the premium and are reported here rather than folded into the lineup above: an AllEvents listing for the Southeast Spinone Club describes a "first designated specialty" on Oct 10 and a supported entry Oct 11, while the premium names the national Spinone Club of America for Saturday's specialty and Sunday's supported entry; and a Saluki Club of America trophy supported entry for Saturday, October 10 does not appear in the premium's list. The premium wins as the on-site authority.

The venue

Legion Stadium, 2149 Carolina Beach Rd., Wilmington, NC — an outdoor stadium complex a few miles south of downtown Wilmington. Show hours are 7:00 A.M.–7:00 P.M. each day. The premium says it plainly: bring your own shade to set up close to the rings — October on the Carolina coast can still run warm, and there is no tent on the main field.

Getting there

Wilmington International Airport (ILM), 1740 Airport Blvd, is the closest airport — about 3 miles northeast of the city. By road, I-40 and US-17 both run into Wilmington; Legion Stadium sits on Carolina Beach Rd. (US-421) south of downtown.

Where to stay

Hotels near the stadium (distances from 2149 Carolina Beach Rd.). Always confirm each hotel's current dog policy directly before booking — policies change and the front desk has the final word.

• Holiday Inn Express & Suites Wilmington West – Medical Park — 839 Medical Center Dr (about ½ mile)
• Hampton Inn Wilmington Medical Park — 2320 S 17th St (under a mile)
• Extended Stay America Select Suites – Wilmington – West — 2657 Carolina Beach Rd (about 1 mile)
• Courtyard by Marriott Wilmington Downtown Historic District — 229 North 2nd St (about 2½ miles)
• The Hive — 505 N 2nd St (about 2¾ miles)

Parking & admission

The 2026 premium does not state spectator admission — check hanoverkennelclub.org before heading out. Parking: the main stadium lot doubles as event parking after the Friday-night football game ends (around 10:00 P.M.); before that, arriving exhibitors are directed to a holding area about a mile away at 215 Shipyard Blvd. Unloading/loading is from the rear of the stadium complex, with grooming-tent access via the back gate on Lake Shore Dr. No unentered dogs are allowed on the show site.

Grooming

Grooming space is under your own shade — no tent stakes allowed on the main field, and no crates, grooming tables, chairs, strollers, or trolleys under the show tent. There is no power available for hair dryers. Dogs cannot be left on location after either show. (All per the premium.)

RV & overnight parking

Reserved RV parking is booked through the club: hanoverkennelclub.org RV parking reservations. Campers arriving Thursday for the Friday hound shows should reserve early to park in the adjacent Armory lot. For Friday arrivals before 10:00 P.M., the club arranges a holding area about a mile away at 215 Shipyard Blvd; the main lot opens for the rest of the weekend after the football game ends around 10:00 P.M. Check the club website for any last-minute parking updates.

Photographers & vendors

Official photographer: Cathy Wilcox, Wilcox Photography — view and order at wilcoxphoto.com. (Only the official photographer may take win pictures; other professional photography is by invitation only.) Refreshments will be available on the grounds. The club notes it is not responsible for the actions or products of commercial vendors. Show veterinarian: Eastern Carolina Veterinary Medical Center, 50 Greenville Ave, Wilmington, NC 28403 — (910) 790-1070.

Photographer, veterinarian, grooming, and RV details are from the official 2026 premium list. Hotel distances are from public listings; dog policies were not verified — confirm directly.

Current premium

2026 premium list — 130th & 131st Hanover Kennel Club shows (revised premium list, PDF)
Events 2026085601/2026085602 · entries closed 12:00 noon ET, Wednesday, September 23, 2026 · superintendent MB-F, Inc.

Historical premiums

MB-F reuses the same show-number URL (prm/105) for this show series, so it now serves the 2026 premium — there is no separately hosted prior-year premium to link. MB-F typically removes past-year premium files from its servers a few months after each show; the current link above is the one to save.

• Official2026 revised premium list — Hanover Kennel Club 130th & 131st all-breed shows (MB-F, PDF) — dates, venue, closing, superintendent, fees, NOHS, Pee Wee, specialty & supported-entry lineups, RV parking, photographer, veterinarian, grooming rules
• OfficialAKC event details — Hanover Kennel Club, Saturday October 10, 2026 (event 2026085601) — approved panel, Junior Showmanship judge, associated specialty events
• OfficialAKC event details — Hanover Kennel Club, Sunday October 11, 2026 (event 2026085602) — approved panel, Junior Showmanship judge
• OfficialAKC event details — Mid-Atlantic Hound Association of Central North Carolina, Friday October 9, 2026 (event 2026261702) — hound specialty panel, Junior Showmanship judge, entry limit
• ClubHKC and MAHA Dog Shows — AllEvents listing — Oct 9–11 weekend shape, Mid-Atlantic Hound Association specialties Friday with concurrent specialties Sat–Sun
• ClubGBGVCA events page — supported entry, Mid-Atlantic Hound Shows & Hanover Kennel Club, Oct 9–11, 2026
• ClubCarolina PBGV Club minutes (June 2026) — supported entry with Winners Dog/Bitch rosettes Saturday
• ClubSoutheast Spinone Club specialty — AllEvents listing — announced first designated specialty Oct 10 / supported entry Oct 11; reported as a conflict since the premium names the national Spinone Club of America instead

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