The Chesapeake Bay Retriever Top Twenty Showcase celebrates the year’s highest-ranked Chesapeake Bay Retrievers while promoting breed education, preservation, and appreciation. Learn about the history of the Top Twenty tradition and how it became a cherished part of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever National Specialty experience.
The concept of the Top Twenty Showcase began in 1973 when Top Dog publisher Ray Carlisle and breeder-judge Terry Hundt developed a new way to recognize the year’s most successful dogs. The first event was held in conjunction with a National Specialty in 1974 and was designed to be both a celebration of achievement and an educational experience for breeders, exhibitors, and spectators.
The format quickly gained popularity across the purebred dog community. Breeds including Boxers, Poodles, and numerous working and herding breeds adopted similar events, establishing the Top Twenty as a respected National Specialty tradition.
By the early 2000s, Top Twenty events had become a familiar and valued feature of many AKC Parent Club National Specialties, including an increasing number of Sporting breeds.
Within Sporting breeds, Top Twenty events have varied among parent clubs, reflecting the wide range of traditions and priorities across individual breed communities, all of which share a foundation in hunting and field-related function.
Over time, Top Twenty (or similar) events have become increasingly recognized as a way to highlight outstanding representatives of a breed in a celebratory and educational setting. These events provide breeders, judges, exhibitors, and enthusiasts with an opportunity to observe and discuss dogs that exemplify breed type and quality. Today, nearly all of the Sporting breeds include a Top Twenty or Top 10 competition, extravaganza, gala, showcase, or similar event as a highlight of their National Specialty programs.
The Chesapeake Bay Retriever Top Twenty Showcase was established in 2023 to honor the top-ranked Chesapeake Bay Retrievers from the 2022 qualifying year. Held in conjunction with the National Show Specialty in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Showcase was created as a non-competitive exhibition highlighting breed type, style, and overall quality while fostering camaraderie among exhibitors, breeders, owners, handlers, and fanciers.
The inaugural event generated strong enthusiasm, with 64% of invited qualifiers participating. Participation continued to grow, reaching 79% in 2024 (Qualifying Year 2023) and 87% in 2025 (Qualifying Year 2024).
Now entering its fourth year, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever Top Twenty Showcase has become a valued National Specialty tradition and continues to grow in participation, prestige, and impact within the Chesapeake Bay Retriever community.
The Chesapeake Bay Retriever Top Twenty Showcase serves two important purposes:
The event honors the year’s highest-ranked Chesapeake Bay Retrievers in conformation and celebrates the dedication of the owners, breeders, and handlers who have contributed to their success.
The Showcase also provides a unique educational opportunity. By observing top-ranked dogs presented side by side, judges, breeders, exhibitors, and breed enthusiasts gain a deeper understanding of breed type, structure, movement, and overall quality. This shared learning experience encourages thoughtful evaluation and supports informed breeding decisions that help preserve the future of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever.
Today, the Top Twenty Showcase stands as both a celebration of achievement and a commitment to the continued preservation, education, and advancement of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever breed.
