More than 3,000 dogs took to the Cumberland Fairgrounds last week to compete in the annual Chickadee Classic Dog Show.

The American Kennel club conformation show, held June 22-25, is the largest dog show in Maine and includes all breeds and Junior Showmanship events.

Portland resident Christine Schmidt’s 9-month-old Sebastian, a German shorthaired pointer, was among the dogs winning their first Grand Champion ribbons.

To become a Grand Champion, dogs must have three major wins throughout the competition. The main judging considerations are conformation or overall appearance, temperament and structure, according to the AKC, and dogs are scored on how they conform to the highest standard of their breed.

It was Sebastian’s first show, but not Schmidt’s.

“I had Sebastian’s mother first, and she was a Grand Champion,” Schmidt said Sunday.

The ability to connect with strong mentors over the years has allowed her to become successful, she said.

“It’s been an amazing experience,” Schmidt said.

The co-sponsors of the Chickadee Classic – Central Maine Kennel Club, Lewiston-Auburn Kennel Club and Penobscot Valley Kennel Club – are hoping to involve more people in that experience.

This year, for the first time, children ages 5-9 had the chance to show their dogs in the ring before a judge. They weren’t scored during the Pee Wee Special Attraction event on Saturday, however.

“All the young participants are winners. The judge is there to teach, inform and encourage,” said show Chairperson Nancy Daniels.

“We hope that some of the youngsters after participating in Pee Wee will watch the experienced Junior Showmanship entrants and become enthused enough to want to learn more about AKC dog sport competition,” Daniels said.

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