The Judge Selects Reserve

The judge evaluates the remaining dogs and selects one as Reserve Winners Dog (or Reserve Winners Bitch). This dog receives the purple-and-white ribbon.

Think of Reserve as the "runner-up" or "next in line." If Winners Dog is the best class dog at the show, Reserve Winners is the second best.

The reason the second-place dog from the winner's class comes back is fairness. Consider this scenario:

• Open Dogs had the two strongest dogs at the show
• The Open first-place winner became Winners Dog
• The Open second-place dog was better than every other class winner

Without bringing that second-place dog back, the Reserve title might go to a less deserving dog simply because the two best happened to be in the same class.