BCSA Futurity Program
Many have heard this word but do not know what it is. The Border Collie Society of America holds a Futurity competition at the annual National Specialty. It is a very important and prestigious competition, not between the owners of the entered Border Collies, as in regular competition, but between those persons who have bred these magnificent dogs.
What is so important about this you might ask? Well, in a nutshell, it is the culmination of years and years of hard work and dedication to the betterment of the breed. The driving force behind the Futurity? To breed the perfect Border Collie.
In order to understand the Futurity, one must first understand the process by which these selected puppies are nominated and finally entered into this competition.
Step 1: This process is begun while the bitch is in whelp - before the puppies are born. Wait a minute, you say. If the puppies are not even born yet, how do I know whether they will be worthy of such an honor when they are born? Exactly! You just hit the nail on the head. This is precisely why Futurity is so important, and so prestigious. By nominating the bitch while she is in whelp, the breeders take a stand and make a statement. Yes, they say I am nominating my bitch and her unborn puppies for the Futurity. Yes, I have worked hard to review pedigrees and pictures and have traveled to view stud dogs. I have spent hours analyzing faults and attributes. I have selected a stud dog and I have bred my bitch to this dog. No, I do not know exactly what these puppies will look like, but I have a good idea. Yes, I do believe that through experience, research and selective breeding, this yet unborn litter will contain future champions; better Border Collies than their parents. Yes, this is a breeder’s testimony and I will put my money where my beliefs are and submit my nomination forms and fees for this litter. Once the necessary breeding dates are known, the Futurity Pre-Whelp Nomination form attached below on this page must be completed and submitted with the appropriate nomination fee. This process must be done by the time the puppies are born. There is a seven (7) day window for late submissions. If you wait until after the litter is born you will have to pay a late fee. Information on fees and how to pay them are on the Futurity Pre-Whelp Nomination form link here.
Step 2: The litter is born and your learned eye spots one or more promising pups. Now you must complete and submit the Futurity Litter Nomination form found here. This nomination is executed per pup. You can nominate as many or as few pups from your litter as you feel deserve the nomination. These nominations must be done by the time the litter is 3 months old. A one (1) month window for late submissions also involves a late fee.
Step 3: The Futurity Competition will be held at the annual National Specialty. Entry information including fees and open and close dates will be provided as a part of all the information provided about the National Specialty. Only pups that have completed the two-part nomination process may compete at The National Specialty competition.
Email additional questions to bcsafuturity@gmail.com