Coton de Tulear at the 2026 Hongcheon FCI International Dog Show — Som Finishes His Championship

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Hello, we're Coton Kennel BONCO, breeders specializing in the Coton de Tulear 😊

On 19–20 September 2026, our dogs competed at the FCI International Dog Show in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, Korea.

The headline first: Som finished his championship. And Umji, now five months old, took Best of Breed in Minor Puppy at his first show — alternating the win with his littermate Dubu.

If you're researching a puppy, dog show talk can sound like another language. So along with what happened over those two days, we'll explain what "champion" and "show lineage" actually mean 🏆

Results at a glance — 2026 Hongcheon FCI International Dog Show

• The event — 2026 Hongcheon FCI International Dog Show, run by the Korea Kennel Federation (KKF): four shows across two days
• Som — 1st place ×4 · Best Junior Dog (BJD) ×4 · Major CAC certificates ×3 · one FCI Junior certificate
• Som — NEW CHAMPION at the Gangwon FCI International Dog Show, 20 September 2026
• Umji & Dubu — Best of Breed, Minor Puppy at the Hongcheon FCI International Dog Show on 19 September, the two of them alternating the award
• Entry number — 122

1. What happened over the two days

Shows are usually clustered on a weekend, and Hongcheon was no exception — four shows across two days.

• Saturday 19 September — Hongcheon KKF Championship Dog Show · Hongcheon FCI International Dog Show
• Sunday 20 September — Gangwon FCI A20 Championship Dog Show · Gangwon FCI International Dog Show

Each show has its own judge. Ours were judged by Ms. Peggy Beisel-McIlwaine, Mr. Denis Kuzelj, Mr. Ang Eng Keong and Mr. Young Sik Kang.

The same dog can be read differently by different judges. That's the point: a record is built by earning good opinions from several judges in a row.

2. Som — how a dog finishes a championship

You don't become a champion by winning once

This is the most common misunderstanding. One first place at one show does not make a champion.

A dog has to collect CAC certificates — Certificate of Aptitude for Champion, literally a judge's written statement that this dog is worthy of becoming a champion.

Those certificates must come from different shows under different judges, in the number the regulations require, before the title is confirmed.

What Som earned over the weekend

Som took four first places and four Best Junior Dog awards. BJD goes to the best junior of that breed at that show.

Add three Major CAC certificates and an FCI Junior certificate, and on 20 September at the Gangwon FCI International Dog Show he was photographed as a NEW CHAMPION.

The blue rosettes read BEST JUNIOR DOG; the papers beside them are Major Certificates of Aptitude for Champion, carrying both the FCI and Korea Kennel Federation marks.

3. Umji and Dubu — five months old, first show

Umji, five months old, went into the ring for the first time. He's a parti-colour Coton — white with tan markings.

Dubu, owned by Crystal Lee (Lee Su-jeong), competed at the same show. Dubu and Umji are littermates. Watching two puppies from the same litter stand in the same ring with their own families is a rare thing for a breeder.

The two of them alternated the Minor Puppy Best of Breed — the class for the youngest dogs at a show.

For a five-month-old, a show is really about experience rather than placement. A strange venue, crowds, other dogs, a judge running their hands over you — all of it is socialization.

That pose in the ring is called a stack: the dog is set up so the judge can assess structure and balance. A puppy holding it at five months means someone practised a little every day at home.

4. What does a show record have to do with buying a puppy?

This is the part that matters most if you're looking for a Coton.

① A dog show checks the dog against the breed standard

The FCI published the Coton de Tulear standard (No. 283) in 1972 — size, coat texture, structure and colour, all defined on paper.

A show is where qualified judges check a dog against that document. It isn't a beauty pageant; it's closer to an assessment of conformity to a written specification.

② What "champion lineage" really means

You'll see "champion bloodline" in a lot of puppy listings. For the phrase to mean anything, there has to be a record behind it: which show, which judge, which certificate.

So it is entirely fair to ask a breeder, "Can I see the parent dogs' show records?" A kennel that has them can show you certificates and photographs like these.

③ Show results are not health results

One honest caveat. A show result assesses appearance and structure. It is not a health guarantee.

That's precisely why we also run a veterinary health check before placement, and why puppies stay with their parents long enough before going home. Show record and health care are two separate boxes to tick.

Frequently asked questions

Q1. What exactly is a CAC?
A. A Certificate of Aptitude for Champion — a judge's certification that a dog is worthy of the champion title. A dog must collect the required number across different shows before the title is confirmed.

Q2. What does BJD mean?
A. Best Junior Dog — the best junior of that breed at that show. Som earned it four times over this weekend.

Q3. How young can a dog start showing?
A. Classes are divided by age, and the youngest compete in Minor Puppy. Umji and Dubu debuted at five months old.

Q4. Can I buy a puppy that shows?
A. Yes — though a show prospect and a family companion are selected against slightly different criteria. Tell us which you're after and we'll guide you accordingly.

Q5. Which group is the Coton in?
A. Under the FCI, Group 9 (Companion and Toy Dogs), Section 1 (Bichons), breed standard No. 283.

In closing

Over two days Som collected four first places, four Best Junior Dog awards and three CAC certificates to finish his championship, while Umji and Dubu alternated Minor Puppy Best of Breed at their very first show.

The minutes in the ring rest on far longer preparation — daily brushing, stacking practice, getting comfortable in unfamiliar places. Having been through all of it with them makes the weekend sweeter.

Curious how the breed itself came about? Read the history of the Coton de Tulear next 😊

Coton Kennel BONCO

An FCI-registered kennel working exclusively with the Coton de Tulear.

• 🇰🇷 2026 Korean Champions — Ddoji (March) · Som (September, Hongcheon)
• 🇻🇳 2025 Vietnam Champion Ddoji · 🇵🇭 2024 Philippine Circuit Champion Totoro
• Puppies go home after time with their parents, a second vaccination and a veterinary health check

For puppies currently available, the reservation schedule, or the parent dogs' show records, please reach out any time.

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Thanks for reading — Coton Kennel BONCO 🐾