70 Saber Tails Summer 2017

Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America

The “Night of Celebration” combining three events 

scheduled for the 2017 National was actually the idea of 

show chair Bev Childs.  And a fantastic idea it was!   We 

had the largest turn-out for the Top 20 yet.  One hundred 

ten PBGV enthusiasts purchased tickets to attend this 

combined 

event.

It took months 

of planning to 

put all of the 

pieces in place.  

Pam Helmer, 

Bev Childs 

and I shared 

ideas and 

coordinated 

funds to bring 

this fabulous 

event 

about.   

And I have to 

admit, Bev Childs knows how to jazz up an event.   Pam and I 

start planning each Top 20 immediately after wrapping up 

the previous year’s event.  Our first challenge is selecting 

our judges.  As each step is planned so must a plan be 

developed to pay for it as it is not an event the parent club 

supports financially.  The judge’s list (step one in the many 

planning stages) starts with, but is not limited to, judges 

living within a radius of each year’s national in addition 

to judges we know are planning to attend.  Big expenses 

for this event, aside from our judges being compensated 

with one night’s lodging and the meal at the event, are 

the rosettes.  Ordering 14 individual participation rosettes 

in addition to the larger Top 20 Winner and the People’s 

Choice  rosettes costs $600 to $700.  Printing color 

catalogs, another expense at $5.50 each, the cost of the 

meal being offered and the attendance keepsakes further 

add expenses that must be covered.

This year, an eblast notified our membership that we were 

looking for a volunteer to collect raffle items to help offset 

the cost of running the Top 20 (this job had previously 

been handled by Pam).  Our raffle helps keep ticket prices 

down which makes this extra event a nice, inexpensive 

addition to the National’s schedule.  The price for the 2015 

Top 20 was $25 but the Top 20 catalog was not included 

and had to be purchased separately.  Club members 

asked that the price of the ticket be adjusted to include 

the catalog in 2016.  Therefore the 2016 event cost $30 

and did include the catalog.  Having 3 great raffle items, 

donated by club members for the 2016 Top 20, absorbed 

expenses not covered by the $30/pp attendance fee.

2017   PBGVCA  Top 20  Invitational

In 2017 the price remained $30 and included a dinner 

buffet (meal prices vary greatly depending on the 

cooperation of the individual hotels).  Adding Leigh Page 

as our new Raffle Coordinator was an enormous help 

with the concern of covering this year’s expenses.  Leigh 

collected ten fabulous raffle items including a Go Pro 

Camera, Christmas Trees, PBGV Christmas Tree ornaments, 

picnic items including a basket, chairs and a blanket, and 

a DVD player with several PBGV movies.  Many thanks to 

Leigh who kept this year’s prices to a minimum for all who 

attended.

In addition to our wonderful Leigh Page managing the 

raffle to offset expenses, each year we look for a sponsor to 

offset the cost of the rosettes.  This year Mary Ann Morey 

was our rosette angel.  Very sadly Mary Ann was not able 

to attend the National this year and she was missed and 

we wish her a speedy recovery.   

An announcer is a must at these events.  Bob Cohen, 

PBGVCA Vice President, originally filled this position but 

has been unable to attend the last two Nationals.  Bev 

Childs has assumed this role two years in a row and has 

done a marvelous job with her lovely southern drawl.

By December we have selected our “meal”, our judges are 

under contract, our attendance gifts purchased, and our 

theme colors selected for the rosettes.  For several years 

we offered free glasses of wine displaying the Top 20 Logo 

as an attendance gift.  This year an etched logo desert 

plate was the attendance memento.  During the month 

of January, we wait for the AKC official Top 20 List to be 

published.   As soon as we purchase that list, Vistaprint 

is contacted and custom invitations are ordered with 

matching envelopes coordinated with our new rosette 

colors.  A calligrapher donates her time to address each 

envelope and the invitations are mailed in February.  By 

March we have collected the required items from each 

exhibitor (those on the list who are not able to attend are 

encouraged to enter and place all pertinent information in 

the catalog too as this is a reference for potential breeding 

decisions, puppy selections and purchases, and posterity).   

This required information includes:  a color show photo, 

a pedigree, a biography, the owner’s information, the 

breeder’s information, the fee and, this year, we added a 

favorite song to be played while each individual PBGV is 

gaiting in the ring.

As soon as all information is collected from the exhibitors, 

the Top 20 show catalog is hand delivered to our printer 

in Reading, Pennsylvania.  A new color cover is selected 

to match that year’s rosette colors.  At the same time we 

arrange a pick up date so the box can be delivered to Zack 

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