All bets are off this year since they are at a different site... Could be a decrease in entries (breed people will have trouble showing in both places) or a great increase in entries (performance people who didn't enter in previous years because of the outdoor venue and proximity to breed competition). I suspect that performance entries will increase even though fewer dogs will participate in both venues.

Where are the obedience trials held during specialty? I understand that the obedience is now off site? this will make it impossible for those of us who show in breed and obedience to exhibit in both won't it?

Normally Obedience&rally is very well attended. This year is a toss-up as Nancy explained. If you search the board you'll find other long topics about it.
Most exhibitors are upset but not all. Even if some don't participate in obedience they like to go over to the O&r ring to watch. It brings more obedience&rally interest & entries for the following year.
Why they did this I don't know. The venue has never been split since I began coming to the Potomac in 1980.
Normally, I would advise you that it's well attended. From the breeders I'm friendly with I've heard they won't give up their conformation time to drive to a different location so they're bowing out of O&r. I'm in the same ship with them. I love the entire show but not split in half.
I suggest you speak to some other Obedience exhibitors and see where they're going, staying home or heading to the Potomac given the circumstances. Hopefully next year the venues will be back together as they used to be. That's the best I can do predicting. I don't think it will be anywhere near as busy as usual.

Most? Are you kidding me? I would say a few and it is those same big mouths that keep running off with all their negative comments.

I don't have a problem with the change at all, especially if it means a safer environment for those who do the performance events.

I choose to take the wait and see approach. I wish the Potomac club nothing but success in both venues.

Sorry, I'm upset too, and I haven't responded at all yet. FWIW, if the club wanted to split up obedience and conformation, they should have done them on different weekends instead of forcing people to choose between one or the other. No matter what their "tentative schedule" says, most conformation people will NOT drive to a different venue and miss watching the conformation even if they are not showing in those classes. There's always something we want to watch as we as breeders are there to assess how a stud dog is producing and want to watch as much of the show as possible.

I've always wanted to do obedience and conformation at the same Potomac (hasn't worked out), but unless the club decides to recombine the two, it'll be conformation (yes, I've been successful there, winning many ribbons/classes and even high honors, so not just any old stick-in-the mud exhibitor).

I bet if you took a poll, MOST conformation people don't care to watch obedience. MOST conformation people don't do obedience.

Have you heard that Westminster is moving their daily breed judging to the piers down the street next year? They will hold classes for major pointed dogs who will compete for winners dog and bitch. Then they will compete for Best of Breed with the champions. I never got the chance to compete on the green carpet in MSG, should I jump up and down and rant and rave and be upset for this? NO! It's not worth it.

It's too bad you never competed in both venues at the Potomac, but that was your choice and now because of a change you are upset and blaming the club. They are trying to accommodate the best they can. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't. But all this negativity of a few is counter-productive.

There is only one Potomac. Make the best of it.

It's not a matter of whether conformation exhibitors compete in or watch the obedience rings as was possible in the past. The dog show will go on regardless. It's a matter of representing our breed as it should be whether one dog can still do it all or not. The moment we forget what our dogs were bred to do is the moment that our breed becomes something else. Perhaps obedience and obedience competition is not the original intent of why our dogs were developed but it is a pathway to field work in general. It is important that as many activities that our dogs are capable of are on hand at a specialty as large as Potomac. Novices, visitors and all exhibitors need reminders that "we" are not just a beauty contest, we are not just a performance contest; we are a dog that is capable of many things. This is our opportunity to share all of that at one place.

I was very disappointed when Obedience and Conformation was split, I had planned on doing both. After much thought I decided to do Obedience with my dogs and forgo Conformation this year. 4 trials over 4 days with a match show was hard to pass up. Though I have no problem with an outdoor trial I do prefer indoors.

This year I do not feel I am going to "Potomac". I am just going to an Obedience trial. I hope next year they change back, but if they don't that is OK. I will choose one or the other, there are always other Obedience trials and other Shows, just not as grand as Potomac.

I think you hit the nail on the head. You are likely to see a lot more serious performance entries and my bet is the entries will be higher. It's disappointing that it makes it almost impossible to compete in both venues, but then again, there's no "dog for all reasons" award to earn. I've done both obedience and conformation at the Potomac and found it very stressful - it took away from my enjoyment of the event. Too much worry checking on ring times.

I am not so sure about that. The really serious O exhibitors are looking for placements with points toward an OTCH. Theses shows are not apt to have enough points to be worth their while. Also, people who work, and that would be most of us, would probably not want to use 4 vacation days just for obedience shows.

Time will tell!