BCA Division II History

The Bulldog Club of America's Constitution and Bylaws established seven BCA Divisions or regional organizations, including BCA Division II, when the club was reorganized in 1950.

At the time of the reorganization, there were very few breeders and exhibitors of Bulldogs in the nation's southern states. However, after a few years of growth an eighth BCA Division was created, largely to facilitate travel to BCA member club meetings scattered throughout the South..

When the reorganization occurred in 1950 there were only seven BCA member clubs in Division II.

BCA Division II’s seven midwestern states of West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin currently has 12 Specialty clubs.

There are now BCA member clubs in all seven states (four of them are in Ohio): The Cincinnati Bulldog Club, Buckeye Bulldog Club, Toledo Bulldog Club, Bulldog Club of Greater Cleveland, Chicago Bulldog Club, Detroit Bulldog Club, Western Michigan Bulldog Club, Bulldog Club of Indiana, Illiana Bulldog Club, Kentuckiana Bulldog Club, Milwaukee Bulldog Club and West Virginia Bulldog Club.

The five most recent additions were the Milwaukee, Toledo, Illiana, West Virginia and Western Michigan specialty clubs.

At first, Division II specialty shows (sponsored by the officers of Division II) were held annually. In more recent years, this Division began offering spring and fall specialties in conjunction with other BCA member clubs.

The first president of Division II was the late Edward M. Vardon, M.D., of Detroit, the owner, breeder and exhibitor-handler of the legendary International Ch. Vardona Frosty Snowman, winner of five consecutive National specialties.

Other Division II presidents have included the late James F. McMannus of Illinois, the late Donald Price of Ilinois, the late Joseph Collins of Michigan, the late Charles Bain of Ohio, the late August “Duke” Amburgey of Indiana, Phillip Douglas of Indiana, Robert Walter of Michigan, and its current president Ron Klopfenstein of Ohio.

Just prior to the1950 reorganization, the BCA National Specialty was moved for the first time in years from the East Coast to the Midwest on October 1, 1949, in keeping with the national organization's membership expansion objectives.

The Bulldog Club of Indiana hosted the National Specialty Show in 1949 at Indianapolis. Ch. Nugget My Ideal, owned by Joe Laughlin was awarded Best of Breed. There was an entry of 103 Bulldogs judged by William Tuten, a prominate breeder from Maryland.

Since then, Division II has hosted eight National specialties: 1954 (Indianapolis), 1959 (Detroit), 1962 (Indianapolis), 1969 (Detroit), 1978 (Southfield, Michigan), 1985 (Merrillville, Indiana), 1994 (Indianapolis), and 2001 (Indianapolis).

BCA Division II National specialty Best of Breed winners were: Ch. O’Sandy’s Jiggs II (1954), Ch. Vardona Frosty Snowman (1959 and 1962), Ch. Min A Sota Fats of Kelly Road (1969), Ch. Bronco Linebacker Two (1978), Ch. Cherokee Yancey (1985), Ch. Prestwick Gawain (1994), and Ch. Millcoats Gianni (2001).

Division II has one of the largest numbers (if not the largest number) of BCA members in the nation.

Researched by G. William Andree