
Well it is similar here in that the Kennel club ration the CC's to ensure a chance of a representative and strong entry for the breed.
Also you have to beat the existing champions, so not many dogs ever gain their title.
In the US it almost seems a title is a pre requisite for being good enough to be bred from.
If only champions were bred from here there would be no gene pool.
Geography is the main issue I expect as I don't expect the AKC could do that in USA without being totally unfair to some people re travelling distances. Sad thing is that in USA a breeder will not meet most of the shown breed in a seasons exhibiting like you would expect to see in the UK. This makes showing much more of an efficient a breeders tool in the UK than it can be in the US.
Maybe this is why wins in the breed ring and not groups and BIS wins are what matter here, as the rest is just icing on the cake/a bit of fun. If you only had a few of yoru breed at any show then you would want to go higher.
I do think winning a CC should mean your the best of your sex that day, not just best of non title holders.