Get on your way to earning the coveted plate!
Member Clubs
Each year, clubs across the U.S. pay an annual fee to be a member club in the Master National Retriever Club (MNRC). When a dog passes or qualifies at a weekend Master hunt test held by an MNRC member club, that qualifying score counts towards qualifying the dog to run in the annual Master National event. Only Master hunt tests held by MNRC member clubs in good standing count towards qualifying for the annual MN event.
View a list of member clubs in good standing here.
Qualifying Scores
To qualify for the Master National event, a dog (with the exception below) must have a total of 6 qualifications each year in the Master category from a MN member club(s). In addition, every dog running in the MN event must also have an MH title from the AKC.
Exception to the above: Contestants who enter exclusively in Alaska must obtain qualifying scores in a minimum of four Master tests held by member clubs and have an MH title.
Dogs, domiciled in Canada, running exclusively in CKC Master Hunt Test events, that passed the most recent CKC Canadian Master National Hunt Test prior to the July 31st MNRC qualifying end date.
Timeframe
Qualifying scores for the upcoming Master National event are counted from August 1st of the year before the event through July 31st of the year of the event.
Qualifying Scores – Exception
Any dog that ran and qualified at the previous year’s Master National event needs only 4 qualifications during the next year to qualify. Any dog that has earned the MNH title is exempt from having to re-qualify.
Each year Master National Retriever Club (MNRC) member clubs are asked to send catalogs to the AKC and the MNRC event secretary. The MNRC will start to publish qualifiers the latter part of May. Congratulatory letters of invitation will start to go out shortly thereafter with further information about entering the event. The MNRC is now the ONLY OFFICIAL SOURCE of qualifying dogs for the Master National event.
Additional Questions and Answers
The new qualifications were put into effect on August 1, 2009.
If you think your dog is qualified and you do not see it listed on this website go to the information on the last page of the qualifier list and follow those instructions. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT AKC WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT QUALIFICATION STATUS. Your only source of contact is the MNRC Event Secretary.
For any further questions or clarifications, please email MNRC secretary, Frank Barton.
