BCOA EVENTS
Events hosted and supported by the Club focus on competitive events. Conformation, obedience, rally-o, agility, lure coursing, straight line and oval racing are some of the events that Basenji enthusiasts may participate in.
Affiliate Clubs also have additional social and local events which you can learn about from each Club. See contact details in the Members section under "Affiliate Clubs".
National Specialty
Held between July 1st and November 30 each year, the National runs several consecutive days and utilizes a full weekend to offer competitive events that include Agility, AKC and/or ASFA Lure Coursing, Obedience, Puppy and Veteran Sweepstakes, African Stock Exhibition, Junior Showmanship, regular and non-regular conformation classes and the all important Best of Breed. In addition, an auction, banquet, educational seminars, and the club annual meeting is held. Other activities included have been rally obedience, straight-line racing, oval track racing, seminars, Canine Good Citizenship, eye clinics and fun classes. In all, it's a full week that gathers hundreds of basenjis and their owners together in one setting.
2025 National Specialty
2025 – Western Region
10 - 14 November
Host is Copper State Basenji Club
Kino Sports Complex, Tucson AZ
Chairperson: TBA
Conformation Judge: Jeff Gillespie
Sweeps Judge: TBA
Future National Specialties
The National Specialty events rotates from year to year to one of the three BCOA Regions. The upcoming year/locations are listed.
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Central 2023 |
East 2024 |
West 2025 |
Upcoming National Specialties
2026 in Lebanon, TN on October 5-11
Wilson Country Expo Center
Judges: TBA
* Dates and judges listed are pending AKC approval
Supported Entries and Specialties
BCOA supports entries at AKC shows to increase the attendance & participation at these shows. Supported entries are hosted either by a BCOA affiliated club or by 5 BCOA members in good standing. Supported entries are limited to 7 per region with exceptions granted on a case by case basis. These may be supported at regional basenji specialty shows or the basenji classes at an all-breed AKC dog show
Eastern Region: (AL,CT, DE, FL, GA, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV)
April 11 |
Supported Entry |
April 12 | Designated Specialty and Sweepstakes with Harrisburg Kennel Club MABCMD Harrisburg, PA |
April 13 | Designated Specialty and Sweepstakes with Mason and Dixon Kennel Club MABCMD Harrisburg, PA |
May 24 |
Regional Specialty |
May 25 | BCOA Supported Entry Five Member Request Hamilton, OH |
June 14 | Regional Specialty Five Member Request Tampa, FL |
June 15 | BCOA Supported Entry Five Member Request Tampa Bay, FL |
September 6 | Designated Specialty with Somerset Hill Kennel Club MABCMD Bridgewater, NJ |
Central Region: (AR, IA, IL, KS, LA, MN, MO, MS, ND, NE, OK, SD, TX, WI)
March 21 | Specialty DFWBC Ft Worth, TX |
Western Region: (AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY)