So we were leaving our house yesterday at 8:50 for Richmond when I was looking at the map that came with the passes. I turned it over and saw something...strange. I'm sure he schedule said breed judging would start at 10, but it said Papillons would start a 9 on this map.

We drove there hoping it just meant JH or something. Arrived ringside at 9:20 and had JUST missed our class. There were only 5 in it so would've got a card anyway.

We were in two AV classes (big, didn't get anything) too so wasn't a total waste.

Ever done something like that?

Yes paid CC entry fee and entered Lexi in Veteran dog or Bitch in breed classes at Windosr last year.

Assumed it would be after the dogs and before bitches (as mixed sex), who checks the order/number of the class, especially when several shows entered close together).

The ringside was crowded with the breed showing in next ring, so stood by trade stands where there was a bit of shade.

Thought to myself that the puppy dog class didn't look like puppies as cards were being given out, then heard judge call Puppy dog!, as the wind whipped the sound away.  I had come all that way and missed her class.

This is a bitch who has had 4 CC's out of veteran including one last year and one this year.

I won't enter Windsor any more, benches are not close to rings there is limited cover ringside, and it gets taken up by people with crates in other breeds, It is expensive with added parking charge, they don't rotate the groups so we are always on Friday in a traffic hotspot.

Ditto Richmond, hence I didn't enter and won't, enter either unless it was a judge I really wanted to show under.

Now the best layout for anyone with more than one dog has to be Southern Counties, which I support almost every year, even though we have no CC's.  Layout means benches are as far as possible close to rings (so are used).  Easy to get to main ring for stakes without having to wind around shoppers and find gaps between trade stands.

They have the benching tents in the centre in two rows with wide gangway between, rings come off these and trade stands for perimeter.  BIS ring and Offices at one end.

Glad to know its not just me!

The short answer is yes, with the 2 most memorable being:
Some 22 years(yes it was that memorable!!) ago we made the journey up to Leeds & during our journey it transpired that I had missed a whole page of the map out in my traveling time/milage estimation. This page amounted to something like 80 miles. We got to the ring & my dog class(limit) was in, I joined in & was placed, the beauty of having a short coated breed!!!
The other time was 26 years ago(even more memorable) at an open show, we had got up at some silly time milked our herd of cows, travelled 2 hours to the show...at a venue unknown to us. We could see the show from the dual carriageway we were on but didnt know how to get to it. We eventually did, just as best of breed was being awarded(they were first in the ring)!! That was extreamly annoying as we wasted so much time trying to find the blooming venue(directions on the schedule were either non exhistant or very vague back then. We stayed a short time & come home in time to milk the cows again!!

We both remember these 2 shows very well but not necessarily for the right reasons...lol

A few times yes. My friend excels at it, she's been known to sit ringside and not realise it was her class being judged, and she often has car trouble or leaves very late and arrives too late for her class. My most memorable was a near miss, can't remember when judging started but I figured I would have time to ring the church bells for Sunday service first, drove straight up after, Henry was in Junior and we arrived ringside just as the class was called. He won it and took BOB!!

My claim to fame on this was Crufts. The first year I showed my girl I got Best Puppy. Every year I showed her there she won the class until the time came we were in Limit, by this time I was full of expectation. We stayed on the benches because the year before a jobs worth had told us not to sit ringside with dogs. I heard clapping so went to the ring, my friends daughter said the class just finished was PG so I went in to find it was Open, aaagh I'd only been there since 7am this now was 4 so I slung everything in my bag and my friends were running to keep up with me and no one spoke for the whole 3 hour trip home! They all still laugh about it, I've never forgotten it and now sit ringside again, just in case, and we did achieve the RCC a couple of years later.

I do know of a couple who went to Malvern, not Bournemouth. I've not done that (yet).

My friends missed one at an open show befor, I'm normally there with hours to spair due to worrieing I'll miss a class.
I got up early  to pickup my friend as she had a dog that was in first thing, and she was still getting ready as she woke up late, couldn't get parked anywhere and just missed one of her dogs class so then had to Waite till the end for my class and her other class, I was no a happy bunny.  But it's ok I got my revenge on her on the way out.

Many years ago now I was still showing Golden Retrievers, and had to rely on public transport. Having arrived late to a show with my dog I realised the judging had started, and ran into the ring as the class was called -only to realise that what I had thought was my ring, full of Goldens, was in fact the adjacent ring that happened to be full of yellow Labradors!!

Thanks all, made me feel better lol

Not a class if I am there but I did go to Stafford when I should have been at Leeds - Stafford was the next week and open shows I turned up at Ryton a day early. Why, cause I though I knew what  championship show and what day and we all know what thought did!

I once turned up to steward a day late, that was embarrassing!

As far as I know, once you miss your breed class you then cant then go in any other classes AV/Stakes etc. If you did and were placed in them its likely the award would get taken away as somebodies puppy stakes win was that I know of.