AKC Grand Championship

The title after Champion. It is won against other champions, so the points, the majors and the judges all come from the specials ring.

What makes a Grand Champion.

Four requirements, and a dog needs all of them. Only wins as a champion count.

25pointswon as a champion

3majorsunder three different judges

4judgesat least one point under a fourth

3showsdefeating a champion of record

The rule

“Any champion which shall have won twenty-five points shall become a Grand Champion of Record, if nine or more of said points shall have been won at three shows with a rating of three or more Grand Championship points each and under three different judges, and some one or more of the balance of said points shall have been won under some other judge or judges than the three judges referred to above and at least one Champion was defeated at three shows.”AKC, Rules Applying to Dog Shows

In plain terms, those are the four numbers above. A major is a win worth 3, 4 or 5 points, the fourth judge is anyone other than the three who gave the majors, and the rule doesn't tie the three champion-defeated shows to the majors.

It is the same shape as the championship (points, majors, extra judges) with one more of each, plus the champions defeated. How majors work explains the majors in detail.

Which wins earn GCH points

Only champions earn Grand Championship points, and only from four awards: Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, Select Dog and Select Bitch. Winners Dog, Winners Bitch and Best of Winners never earn GCH points, and there is no Group crossover. As with the championship, five is the most a dog can earn at one show.

The count for each award is different:

Best of Breed counts all the dogs of both sexes in the classes and in Best of Breed. The dog is credited the greater of that and the Best of Opposite Sex figure.
Best of Opposite Sex counts all the dogs of its sex.
Select counts all the dogs of its sex, minus one.

The points come from the same AKC points schedule as championship points. Veterans and other non-regular classes that compete for Best of Breed count toward GCH points, though never toward the championship.

Bronze to Platinum.

Grand Championship points keep adding up toward four levels. They count lifetime GCH points, the first 25 included. No more majors or judges are needed.

100BronzeGCHB

200SilverGCHS

400GoldGCHG

800PlatinumGCHP

Lifetime GCH points for each level. After Platinum, each further 800 adds a level: Platinum 2 at 1,600, Platinum 3 at 2,400, and so on.

From CH to Platinum

Once your dog finishes, switch the focus to Grand Champion and ShowPoints counts the next title the same way. The card has a row for each requirement, so you can see which one is still open.

ShowPoints adds up the results you enter. AKC's records are the official ones.

Choose your focus for Duke, a Great Dane: Champion 12 of 15 points, NOHS achievement 0 of 250 points, Fast CAT 118 of 150 points, Scent Work 2 of 3 Qs.

GCH questions.

How many points does an AKC Grand Championship take?

25 points, won as a champion. Three of the wins must be majors under three different judges, at least one point must come from a fourth judge, and the dog must defeat at least one champion at three shows.

Can Winners Dog or Winners Bitch earn Grand Championship points?

No. Only champions earn GCH points, from Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, Select Dog and Select Bitch. Winners Dog, Winners Bitch and Best of Winners never earn GCH points.

Do the champion-defeated shows have to be the majors?

The rule asks for at least one champion defeated at three shows. Its wording does not tie those shows to the three majors.

What are GCH Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum?

Levels for lifetime Grand Championship points, counting the first 25: Bronze at 100, Silver at 200, Gold at 400 and Platinum at 800. Each further 800 adds a Platinum level. No more majors or judges are needed.

Does ShowPoints track GCH levels?

Yes. ShowPoints tracks GCH and the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels.