Someone may be able to explain it better than I...and please correct me if I am wrong on anything, but....
A Benched show is where the exhibitors are supposed to stay throughout the show until it ends. An Unbenched means once you are done showing, you can leave.
The Benched shows are cool for the general public because you can actually meet the owner/breeders/handlers and you can learn about their dogs and the breeds. If you are looking for a new puppy to buy, going to a benched show is a GREAT way to get to know the breeders in your area. Really, going to any show is a good way to get to know the breeders in the area...but the benched shows are geared to be more educational to the public.
Coming from the prospective of someone who has shown,a benched shows can sort of be a pain in the butt. If your dog doesn't place Best of Breed and you aren't going up for Winners, there's really no reason to stick around and benched shows make for a long day. It can also be flustering to try to communicate with the public while you are trying to get your dog ready for the ring. On the other hand, it can be good public exposure for your kennels, but I've found that a lot of good reputable show breeders don't really have "push" to sell their puppies, so they don't really need that kind of public exposure to make a benched show "worth it"...unless it's something big like the Westminster.
The Westminster is probably the most famous Benched Show. In Michigan, Cobo Hall is the only Benched show I am familiar with and it was awfully disappointing the last time I went. I think a lot of breeders stay away from that one bc they don't want to be "stuck" there...and a lot of breeders just packed up and left anyways last time I was there. I can't blame them...if I were showing a dog, I think I'd skip Cobo too rather than being stuck there!! |