# PCA venue change



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Well that actually wouldn't work well at all for me. I can't envision traveling that far for what for me is a 2 day event (agility and obedience). I guess I better go this year then.


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## spindledreams (Aug 7, 2012)

does the note apply to non members also


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## kjgendreau (Oct 20, 2015)

spindledreams said:


> does the note apply to non members also


Yes, anybody who would like to exhibit or spectate at the national specialty. PCA used to have over 1000(!) poodles entered, now it's a fraction of that. The idea is to have the location changed to a more accessible region and Purina Farms has an event center in MO where many other shows are held: (Gateway, other National specialties, AKC all breed shows) and from what I hear the facility is great (never been). 

Kirsten


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## spindledreams (Aug 7, 2012)

It is a great place, I have been there twice competing at Gateway. The main hall can hold 8 to 10 rings, there is a huge area for crating in another and they have power at most of the taped off spots. There is a room with dog baths so you can even bath your poodles there. Outside there are two large fenced areas for the dogs to run in off leash. There are posts with poo bags all over the place including inside the fenced areas. This year there was drag racing, lure coursing, dock diving and disc dogs out side and there was still plenty of room to walk dogs. 
The RV area is not as nice as at other shows I have heard but there are a number of hotels in the area that work with the show giving clubs to give special rates for pet fees. The TravelLodge actually has a small grooming room where you can bath your dog but bring your own towels. There is a Holiday Inn that also has grooming room and an indoor area where a small show can be held. 

They even have a herding area about the only thing I am not sure the Farms offers is space for hunt tests... but from what I have read it sounds like those are not held at the same location as the show already.


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## kjgendreau (Oct 20, 2015)

Just heard that the motion was passed 9:1 in favor of the move!

See you in St. Louis!

:aetsch:


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

Saw that news about an hour ago. Now wondering who Chagall and I know that would like to have us as house or RV guests? :wink: We're spoiled from only having to drive down from New Jersey to Salsibury, Maryland.:car: The new venue looks _amazing!_ Happy for those who will find it logistically easier.


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## Aubrey (May 18, 2013)

Dang it! I was hoping to not have to travel in 2017 when we'll be back in the states to show at PCA. Guess I will have to road trip to my grandparent's in St. Charles for a "visit"...


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## Minnie (Apr 25, 2011)

Very excited about this change as we'll finally be able to attend. We show in agility trials frequently at this venue so if anyone has questions feel free to ask or send me a PM


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

Read this yesterday on the Poodle Club of America Facebook page. 

From Dennis McCoy, President, Poodle Club of America

Poodle Club of America
San Rafael, CA
Dear Membership,
As many of you have just heard, the PCA Board of Directors has voted that we move our National Specialty to Purina Farms in Gray Summit, Missouri, in April of 2017. I know this was an emotional vote for the board, and the membership has and will react with a lot of emotion, both positive and negative.We have a very diverse board, elected by the membership to take all feelings into consideration. Our board kept a very open mind when considering this move, and worked very hard to examine every detail, question and concern in making this decision. They had to consider conformation, agility, obedience, hunt and all performance fanciers in addition to the financial aspects, as any well-run organization must. As you will see in the letter I wrote to the board, I traveled to Purina Farms after being asked many times by members to consider it for our show. Never having been to the indoor facility myself, I went to Grays Summit along with your show chair, Judy Cooksey, and her husband Don Adams. In the best interest of PCA, I insisted that we needed to compare apples to apples in every area we possibly could, and per my request Judy and Don prepared an extensive report on Salisbury, including how big the rings are, how far the motorhomes are from the building, how large lunch and meeting rooms are, how much area is used for raffles, catalogs, trophies and other tables, the availability of bath tubs, etc., where exhibitors come from around the country, where workers for the show come from, and details of every other aspect of the show and the convention center in Salisbury. 

The board carefully studied an extensive packet of over 30 pages, put together by myself, Judy and Don, with input from Purina. Judy and Don worked extremely hard to compile a complete comparison of apples to apples, and we discussed every phase of our national and the many working parts of the machine.No board member was pushed to make a decision one way or the other, and they took their time coming to a decision. We left no stone unturned in trying to convince ourselves that PCA would be better if we stay in Salisbury.I had heard an awful lot through the rumor mill about why this move would not work, and although I went to Purina Farms with an open mind, I also had the expectation of finding that it would not be a good move for PCA. However, when we went through the task of comparing apples to apples, as we went down the list there was not one area where the check mark was in Salisbury’s column over the Purina Farm column with one exception – grass. At this point grass is not allowed in the show hall at Purina Farms. However, every year many of you express to me that you have ruined shoes and clothes, that people and dogs have had allergies, and that many have gone home sick, all because of the chemicals used on the grass at PCA. The best news is that the flooring at Purina Farms is a special rubberized flooring that not only gives the dogs the best possible footing, but also better supports human legs and feet.

When we moved to Salisbury 11 years ago, it was supposed to be a temporary move. Overall it turned out to be a good place for PCA, and we have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with the Wicomico Convention Center all these years. But every year at PCA we have exhibitors and judges express their unhappiness over the long drive from Baltimore. And remember, moving PCA is not a new idea. For many years exhibitors in the rest of the country have felt that our national specialty should be in a more central location, so that Poodle people who are not on the East Coast can have equal access to their national, as can judges who want to learn about our breed.The bottom line is that, once we compared apples to apples, Purina Farms was equal or better right down the line. We can have exactly the same ring layout at Purina that we have now in Salisbury, with grooming at ringside and lots of spectator seating; the vendors can be out on the floor where the rest of the show is going on; and all of this in a facility that was created just for dog shows, and in particular for national specialties.There has been concern expressed over whether we’ll have enough workers at Purina Farms. Since the areas where the most PCA exhibitors come from is closer to Grays Summit than to Salisbury, we will have a whole new pool of volunteers for the show. With few exceptions, all of our current committee chairs, to our wonderful surprise, have agreed to continue after we move. We put the word out for volunteers to fill in the gaps among the worker bees who help PCA run so well, and we have had an amazing response! People who have wanted to help in the past but were too far away are stepping up to volunteer. I predict that many more Poodle people will become involved once we move to a more central location.Remember that when we moved from Ludwig’s Corner to Upper Marlboro, there were people who predicted that PCA would be ruined if we moved indoors. It turned out not to be true. When we moved to Salisbury it was the same – some people said PCA would never again be one of the premier national specialty shows in the dog world, as it has always been. Despite that, PCA is still one of the premiere nationals in the country, if not the world. Remember that there is not one area in which the facility at Salisbury wins out over Purina Farms... We will absolutely continue to have the premiere national specialty show in the dog world. 

PCA is the greatest Poodle show in the world, not because of its location. It is the greatest Poodle show on earth because of the hard work and dedication of Poodle people who volunteer to put it together. And at Purina Farms we get some extra perks that we’ve never had at any other location, among them special floors, a ringside restaurant, a skybox, a great bathing area, fenced exercise paddocks and acres of beautifully manicured open grass where our Poodles can stretch their legs!Nothing is set in stone, and this is not an irreversible decision. The Wicomico Convention Center will work with us for the next several years, giving us first refusal on our dates in the event that we want to return.

My greatest asset as your president is my common sense. I don’t think I know it all, but I can investigate and learn, and what I learned after investigating a move to Purina Farms is that this will be a great move for PCA. I know there are those of you who still have questions, and I invite you to call me at 919-362-9799. I will be more than happy to answer your questions.I KNOW THERE WILL BE ADJUSTMENTS. I ASK ALL OF YOU TO WORK WITH US IN A POSITIVE WAY TO KEEP OUR SHOW THE GREATEST POODLE SHOW ON EARTH. Your President, Dennis M. McCoy

The dates for the 2017 show in MO will be April 23-28, 2017.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Missouri is known as the "Show Me" state I should put this event on my bucket list if it really is 'the greatest Poodle show on earth'.


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## Coldbrew (Jun 17, 2015)

I'm both surprised and pleased at this location change. I'd been considering going to the National Specialty just as a spectator, but the distance was a bit too much to handle. The former location was 13 hours away and the new one is 2.5 hours, plus my birthday falls right in the middle of the week of showing. I think I know what my 2017 birthday present to myself will be already


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I just did a google maps directions search. What was a five hour or so trip is now 17 hours. That would mean 2 overnight stops! I think I have to retire before I go to MO.


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