From the two finalists (Challenge Dog and Challenge Bitch) is selected Best of Breed, best import or best A.V.N.S.C.The runner-up is deemed Best of Opposite Sex (or Runner-up to Best of Breed). There is then a run-off in which the second best individual in the gender of the winner (the Reserve Challenge) is brought back to stand against the Best of Opposite Sex (the Challenge who did not win) for the title of Reserve Best of Breed. So, if the Best of Breed is the Challenge Bitch, the Reserve Best of Breed may be the Challenge Dog or the Reserve Challenge Bitch.
I’m more confused after reading the above description of “Best of Opposite Sex” award at Westminster.
Can you explain this title?
Thanks in advance.
Boy, talk about making it unnecessarily confusing. Why not just pick the top four dogs in breed? Why do they have to distinguish sex? Using that as a criteria makes me wonder if they really do acknowledge the top two best dogs?
The whole BOX (Best of Opposite Sex) deal arose because in many dog (and cat) breeds there are substantial differences (size, frame, head) between the sexes. If a judge likes a particular 'look' that tends to favor one sex over the other, the BOX tends to ameliorate that. Also, since the purpose of conformation organizations like AKC (or CFA) is to "improve the breed", the judges want to put up an example of both the best male and the best female.
"Reserve Best of Breed" is just a refinement on this back in the other direction, so that the second-best or runner-up is chosen regardless of sex.
Freekitty, I'll stand corrected if it's somehow different in the Dog World!
Usually, it’s the challange dog that will win over the challange bitch because it’s a male.