Details & More

Memorial Luminary

Celebrate your Norwegian Elkhound friends, breeders, or mentors of the past.

Memorialize your heart dog, your foundation Elkhound, or a great contributor to the breed with a luminary to be displayed during the National week.

Each includes an 8×10 sheet with information and/or photo for each memorial.

$25 for first memorial, $10 for each additional

Contact: Wendy Vise-Wiley 

Enjoy a continental breakfast and take advantage of the opportunity to have input into your Association

Norwegian Elkhound Breeders Showcase

NEAA will again hold a  Breeders Showcase! This presents an opportunity to see and examine potential stud dogs and learn about each other’s breeding programs.

Each participant will be allocated a 10 X 10 space and provided a 6 ft table to display photos, pedigrees, health information, etc.  Plan to provide your own crate(s) and grooming table(s).

Along with your current dogs, please bring information on planned upcoming breedings, frozen semen, pedigrees, health testing, and photos of offspring,

The Showcase will take place on Thursday Afternoon in the Gateway Hall.

Note: There is NO FEE to participate!

Reservations for breeders who wish to participate are not required but will help us with planning.

* Email   with subject line NEAA Breeder Showcase.

* Please include your name, kennel name, name & number of dogs to be showcased.

You will not want to miss this fun “Semi-Formal” gathering to celebrate our Junior Show Competitors, the Breed’s fabulous Veterans, and the “Best of the Best”.

The evening begins with Cocktails (cash bar) and Hors D’oeuvres. Then sit back and enjoy the National Junior Showmanship and National Veterans Sweepstakes competitions.

The evening concludes with a celebration of this years “Best of the Best”.  Each dog is introduced with personalized “walk on” music. Following the introductions, all the competitors return to the ring to award the “Best of the Best” and the “People’s Choice”.

NEAA Best of the Best Contest
Held annually at NEAA’s Specialty event
Guidelines and Rules
Board approved October 13, 2025

Description:
The most recent NEAA National Specialty winner, plus all dogs winning BOB at shows designated as Regional Specialties and NEAA Regional Specialties, plus the Top 10 winners from the prior year for both All Breed and Breed formats for Norwegian Elkhounds per Canine Chronicle Stats are eligible to compete in the Best of the Best Contest. Winners will be invited to 1 contest; eligibility will span a two-year period. The contest will be held annually so the years of eligibility to enter will be the current year and year after the event. The Winner of the Best of the Best Contest will not be eligible to win 2 years in a row. However, if they qualify for the contest the following year after winning, they may still participate as “exhibition only “.

The event will be judged by 2 Judges: one a breeder judge and the other an all-breed judge. A slate of 3-5 judges will be proposed by the NEAA Show Committee. The Show committee will contact the proposed judges to ensure they are interested and available to judge if chosen.

Eligible dogs will be notified after the Top 10 statistics for All Breed and Breed formats from Canine Chronicle are available as these Norwegian Elkhound will be included as well as the NEAA National Specialty winner, Regional Specialty winners and NEAA Regional Specialty winners from the prior year.

The Best of the Best Committee Chair will send an email notification to each eligible dog’s owner congratulating them for qualifying based on the prior year performance and informing them that they have 2 years to make their one entry. The letter will include their Norwegian Elkhound’s AKC conformation number, title, registered name, call name (or request for that information), and what event(s) has made the dog eligible for the contest. The letter can also request the exhibitor’s song choice plus any other information needed for the presentation. Exhibitors will be asked to RSVP their attendance and any requested information to the Committee Chair by Feb 15th. If last year’s winner is still eligible the following year, they will be sent a letter requesting attendance for “exhibition only”.

Judging Procedures:
1. Conduct handlers meeting one (1) Hour prior to scheduled time of event.
A.) Brief handlers on procedure.
B.) Choose numbers for group order; two (2) participants per group; the number of groups vary according to the number of participants.
2. The entire entry will enter the ring so judges and audience can see all dogs at one time. Dogs will be stacked and moved as a group and then dismissed from the ring. Fifteen (15) minutes prior to start of event prepare each group of two for their entrance into the ring.

3. General procedures for event.
A.) Narrator announces format for judging each group.
B.) Each judge will be assigned a judging table to perform their individual scoring.
C.) Each group of two (2) participants enters the ring one at a time, stopping first in front of the two judges (who are assembled at the end of a diagonal mat) for average placement scoring; then handler and dog move down and back twice, then circle the ring one full time and continue until they reach their designated station (first dog will go to table 1, second dog to table 2 for scoring by the appropriate judge. All judges will score each dog’s gait as the dog reaches their designated table. After individual scoring is completed by the first judge, the dogs will rotate to the next table, until the dog has been scored by each judge.
D.) After the first set of two is finished, the next set of two will enter. This will continue until all dogs have been scored. Scores are given to the Best of the Best Committee and Show Chair for tabulation.

4. At the end of judging all exhibitors and dogs will be reminded of what time and where they need to return for the evening event which showcases each dog individually and highlights the winners. Exhibitors will be informed in what order they will be announced to enter the ring for the Evening event.

5. Exhibitors and Judges will be reminded that semi formal attire is requested for the Evening event.

Evening Event:
1. Optional Song Choice. Per Committee Decision, each exhibitor will be asked to submit a song title and singer of their choice in January with the initial notification letter . The song will be played as each dog and handler team individually enter the ring. Song length will be pre-taped for 2 minutes per song but actual playing time may vary. . If two exhibitors pick the same song, whoever submitted the song first will use that song and the other person will be asked to submit another song.
2. One at a time in a predetermined order that matches the song playlist, each participating team is announced; they enter, circle and approach center of ring to pose while narrator reads individual story line (specialty wins and/or ranking that makes them eligible) then exits and receives their participation rosette. Each participant’s individual time will be approximately 2 to 2-½ minutes.
3. All dogs re-enter the ring along with both judges. The judges announce the Winner and the Winner’s Total score. In the event of a Tie, whichever dog has a higher rating in more sections than the other will be the winner. If there are more than 2, those dogs will be brought in the ring and judges will exam & move the dogs again in the traditional dog show format. The judges will confer to reach a consensus on the overall winner. The winner will then be announced.

Score sheets may be given to participants upon request afterwards if so desired by Committee Chair.

“In judging the Norwegian Elkhound, their function as a hunting dog, able to move over rough terrain in all kinds of weather, with great agility, showing a bold and energetic temperament, MUST be given consideration above all else”

General Appearance:
● Square profile
● Close coupled in balanced proportions
● Proximity to standard to height and weight. Deep chest, moderately broad’
● Broad head, wedge shaped
● High set tightly curled tail
● Hard flat lying coat, silver gray in color.
Individual Scoring -Top Score is 100

PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Optional event to be held during the evening event and all Best Of The Best participants are automatically eligible for this award. The People’s Choice award can be won more than once by any eligible participant.

The list of Best of the Best participants in the order that they will be announced for the evening event will be placed at each spectator’s table. The People”s Choice Ballot Box will be placed on the ribbon table. Each spectator attending the evening event will be given one ticket to vote for the single dog of their choice to win the People’s Choice Award. Tickets must be placed in the special People’s Choice ballot box during dinner and while dogs are being introduced individually as the Best of the Best teams enter the ring. Voting will end once all Best of the Best participants have been introduced. A 10 minute break will be announced and the committee can tally the final votes while all dogs line up to go back in the ring together for the Judges awarding of the Best of The Best Rosette. Immediately following that and while all dogs are still in the ring, the Committee will announce the People’s Choice Winner. with their song and a Rosette will be awarded.

The Awards Banquet will be held at the:

Holiday Inn Saint Louis West At Six Flags
4901 Six Flags Road
Eureka, MO 63025

April 10th – 6:30pm Cash Bar 
7:00pm Dinner

Dinner Buffet – $45.00

Mixed Green Salad
Pasta Salad – Fresh Seasonal Cut Fruit – Cole Slaw
Cucumber Vinaigrette
Cottage Cheese with Sliced Tomatoes

Honey Glazed Ham
Roasted Turkey

Oven Brown New Potatoes – Rice Pilaf
Two Fresh Seasonal Vegetables

Rolls and Butter

Coffee, Tea and Decaf

Chef’s selection of cakes and pies

Reservation Deadline – April 1st