Aurora & District Kennel Club
Indoor Dog Show Information
The Royal Canin Crown Classic: four all-breed championship shows plus limited breed shows, judged by an international panel on November 19–22 at the International Centre — the weekend shows run alongside the Christmas Canadian Pet Expo.
Show details
The Essentials
Event information as published by the Aurora & District Kennel Club.
Dates
November 19 – 22, 2026
Four days of conformation judging — the weekend runs alongside the Christmas Canadian Pet Expo.
Location
International Centre, Hall 5
6900 Airport Road, Mississauga, Ontario L4V 1E8 — indoors.
Format
4 All Breed Shows
Plus Limited Breed Shows for Groups 5, 6, 1 and 3.
Sanctioning
Canadian Kennel Club
Panel confirmed and assignments pending CKC approval
The Crown Classic
Best in Show at the International Centre
Every fall the Aurora & District Kennel Club transforms Hall 5 into one of Canada's premier conformation stages — the Royal Canin Crown Classic. Across four days, top Canadian purebreds compete for Group and Best in Show honours in front of an international judging panel, all indoors and just steps from the Christmas Canadian Pet Expo marketplace.
- • CKC-sanctioned all-breed championship shows
- • Judging panel from six countries
- • Group finals and Best in Show each day
- • Free to watch with your Christmas Canadian Pet Expo admission
Judging panel
Conformation Judges
Fourteen judges from six countries. Panel and assignments pending Canadian Kennel Club approval.
Assignments
Group Judging by Day
Group-level assignments for the four all-breed shows. Breed-level splits are published on Canuck Dogs.
| Group | Thu Nov 19 | Fri Nov 20 | Sat Nov 21 | Sun Nov 22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bests | Diane Fast | Peter Berchtold | Carmen Navarro Guisado | Satoshi Bessho |
| Group 1 — Sporting | Laurie Campbell | Tijana Konrad | Shawn Nichols | Peter Berchtold |
| Group 2 — Hound | Diane Fast | Carmen Navarro Guisado | Peter Berchtold | Shawn Nichols |
| Group 3 — Working | Denis Gros-Louis | Victor Rosado | Shalisa Neely | Carmen Navarro Guisado |
| Group 4 — Terrier | Shawn Nichols | Carmen Navarro Guisado | Jay Richardson | Sinead Cooley Taggart |
| Group 5 — Toy | Shawn Nichols | Peter Berchtold | Victor Rosado | Satoshi Bessho |
| Group 6 — Non-Sporting | Diane Fast | Victor Rosado | Carmen Navarro Guisado | Shalisa Neely |
| Group 7 — Herding | Leeza Friedman-Prokopishyn | Peter Berchtold | Tijana Konrad | Victor Rosado |
Limited breed shows
One Featured Group Each Day
In addition to the all-breed shows, a limited breed show runs each day — Toys on Thursday, Non-Sporting on Friday, Sporting on Saturday and Working on Sunday.
Thursday, November 19
Limited Breed Show — Group 5 (Toy)
Group level: Laurie Campbell
Friday, November 20
Limited Breed Show — Group 6 (Non-Sporting)
Group level: Satoshi Bessho
Saturday, November 21
Limited Breed Show — Group 1 (Sporting)
Group level: Victor Rosado
Sunday, November 22
Limited Breed Show — Group 3 (Working)
Group level: Jay Richardson
Also in the ring
More Ringside Events
Specialties, trials and showcases running alongside the all-breed shows during the cluster.
CPE Classic
A marquee showcase for the weekend's Best in Show and Best in Specialty Show winners.
CPE Puppy Ball
Celebrating the Best Puppy in Show and Best Puppy in Specialty Show winners.
CKC Junior Handling National Championship
The 2026 national finals run Saturday, with regular Junior Handling on Sunday.
Siberian Husky Specialties
The Siberian Husky Club of Canada Regional Specialty and the Siberian Husky Club of Ontario Specialty.
Obedience & Rally Trials
The North York Obedience Club hosts four CKC Obedience Trials and four Rally Obedience Trials.
Live ringside commentary
The Voices of the Show
Every great performance deserves a great play-by-play. Guiding you ringside all weekend long are two of the most celebrated voices in the sport — Ian Lynch and Allison Alexander, the world-renowned hosts of Examined & Excused: The Dog Show Podcast. From the first group judging to the final Best in Show ribbon, they'll be calling every stride, every stack and every show-stopping moment live from Hall 5 — wit, wisdom and seventy years of combined fancy expertise, up close and on the mic.
Examined & Excused
The official podcast of the dog show world, hosted by Ian Lynch and Allison Alexander. Every episode brings ringside stories, expert interviews and behind-the-scenes laughs to fanciers around the globe — and now they're bringing that same energy live to Hall 5 all weekend.
Ian Lynch
Broadcaster, comedian and Canada's favourite dog-world raconteur — an on-air personality with Bell Media and Corus Entertainment who brings the stories behind the ribbons to life. He is also the Director of the CPE Breeders Villages and the founder of this celebrated element that thousands of pet families and show enthusiasts appreciate every year.
Allison Alexander
A legend of the ring with more than 750 All-Breed Best in Show wins — founder of the Leading Edge Dog Show Academy and one of the most decorated handlers in Canadian history. She co-hosts Examined & Excused with Ian Lynch, sharing decades of ring-side insight and a gift for storytelling that connects fanciers.
Reference
Official Sources
Entries, premium lists, judging schedules and results are maintained by these organizations.
Canadian Kennel Club
Breed standards, registration, show rules and the national events calendar. All judging at this show is conducted under CKC rules.
Judges associationCanadian Dog Judges Association
The national organization supporting education and standards for CKC-licensed conformation judges across Canada.
Show listingCanuck Dogs
The full Aurora & District Kennel Club event listing — breed-by-breed assignments, judge profiles and show updates as they are confirmed.
Obedience & rally trialsNorth York Obedience Club
Host of the CKC Obedience and Rally Obedience trials running alongside the cluster.
Details are drawn from the published Canuck Dogs listing and remain subject to change pending CKC approval.
Photo: Canadian Kennel Club / GTA Weekly.