Being from continental Europe, sometimes I come across some terms that I don't really understand..... can someone please give me a hand?

What does it mean:
1) post graduate class

2) limit class

3) good citizen dog scheme

Thanks so much for your help!

I think the kenenl club website can help you with the Good citizen dog scheme info.

If you look at the PDF document here under definition of classes it will explain what Post Grad and Limit are:

http://www.highampress.co.uk/manc.pdf

That's the thing, I have read it a few times and it doesn't really make much sense to me :( . It just explains it in one sentence, which is not enough for someone that's never shown in UK before. FCI is slightly different.

What part exactly is confusing you?

Post graduate class For dogs which have not won a Challenge Certificate or 5 or more first prizes at Championship shows in Post Graduate,Minor Limit,Mid Limit, Limit and Open whether restricted or not.

Limit Class For dogs which have not become show Champions under Kennel Club Regulations or under the  rules of any governing body recognised by the Kennel Club or won 7 or more First Prizes in all at Championship Shows in Limit and Open classes,confined to the breed whether restricted or not. at shows where Challenge Certificates were offered for the breed.

Good Citizen Class For dogs which have achieved their Good Citizen Dog Scheme Bronze Award Certificate or above.
Good Citizen dog scheme is explained Here

Ooh has Post graduate changed and dogs having won an award towards their titles abroad can now enter????

A dog that had a point or points under the American Kennel Club system was disqualified from his  Group and other wins for having been entered in Post Graduate, was it two years ago????

I took that from the Crufts schedule Barbara so I'm assuming its correct.

I checked in the LKA and Manchester ones and it is like that too, so I wonder when did it change and how come and why will ticket winners from abroad will be able to enter Post Grad?

I have no idea when it changed but I do remember the OES you are talking about it actually won the pastoral group but was then later disqualified for being over qualified for the class it had been shown in. That was actually in 2004.

Flip me doesn't time fly.

Yes, I thought at the time it was so unfair - clearly he would have won any class he'd be put in as he won BOB and the Group. :-(

So it looks like any foreging dog that hasn't won the requisite classes by competing in the UK can go in Post Graduate unless it is a champion, seems to rather make Limit pointless.

Wouldn't the FCI equivalent to a CC over qualify them.(not up to speed on the European awards) Although must admit thats not what it says and as the USA system is points I'm not sure about that at all unless a Major would be similar. Not suprising its confusing we are used to dealing with the KC system and even we're lost.

AHA taken from the KC site
Overseas wins:

A five point Green Star or above is equivalent to winning a Challenge Certificate in the UK and should be counted as such.

A CACIB is equivalent to winning a Challenge Certificate in the UK and should be counted as such.

A CAC is equivalent to winning a Challenge Certificate in the UK and should be counted as such.

Any points won that count towards the title of Champion, under the rules of any governing body recognised by the Kennel Club must be included when deciding class eligibility. For example,
under the American Kennel Club system, three point and five point major wins are equivalent to a Challenge Certificate.

Yes but it used to say that in the definition, something like any award counting cowards the title of champion, but it doesn't say that any more, it only says challenge certificate, not even challenge certificate or equivalent?????

Yes I know and it's not the clearest way of going about this but thats the KC for you. That was taken from the new updated section they have put on for Crufts 2008 so must still apply.

Well then removing that from the definition of classes is going to catch lots of people out.

No doubt Barbara Ory do you need anymore help?

Poor Ory it wont be much help with Post graduate as taken on face value any dog not having won five Post graduate or higher classes or a CC in the UK can enter the class.  It used to say that dogs having won the equivalent of a Cc abroad coudlnot enter the class, but this seems to have been altered.

The Limit is the same but in this case it is not having won 3 CC's or 7 Limit or higher classes.  Again no mention of equivalent awards abroad.

So basically if my friend whose bitch has Multiple Ch from different FCI countries, can actually enter her in Champion Class in Crufts 2008? that what she was confused about.... she didn't know whether her Chs count in UK. :)

She'd have to apply to the KC for an Authority To Compete number, and she could then be entered in Open Bitch - we don't have a Champion class.

Thanks all!! :) I turned my computer on this morning and never expected so many answers........ thanks again!

Well what confused me from the start was the terms that you guys use which are completely different to our CAC, CACIB etc. I wasn't sure what a Challenge Certificate means and how you qualify for it. Also what do you need to achieve to become a Champion under KC rules?

A CC is a Challenge Certificate, and is awarded to the Best of sex at championship shows where CC's are on offer.  In the UK all breeds do not have CC's at all championship shows, they are rationed based on the popularity of the breed at shows.

For example my breed have just 19 sets of CC's a year, so at quite a few championship shows we have no CC's and sometimes not even classes for my breed.

You need 3 CC's from different judges to become a champion, and at least one has to be won when the dog is over 12 months old (really only applies to toy breeds where occasionally an outstanding puppy will win 3 or more CC's).  Unlike in some European countries a dog can become a champion by winning 3 CC's in quick succession, no waiting over a year between first and last qualifying award, as it is hard enough to win them as it is.