The Art of Dog Show Awards
Creating Moments of Pride
There's a moment at every dog show that makes all the training, travel, and preparation worthwhile, when a handler's name is called, when they step forward to accept their Hodges rosette, when they pin that ribbon to their armband with trembling fingers. That moment of recognition, that tangible proof of achievement, stays with them long after the show is over.
At Hodges Badge Company, our family has been crafting these moments for over a century. With multiple generations working side-by-side in our US-based factory, we've learned that dog show awards aren't just products, they're keepsakes, memories, and symbols of the extraordinary bond between humans and their dogs. From the full, flowing ribbons of a Best in Show Hodges rosette to the weight of a Hodges silver trophy in your hands, every award we create is designed to honor achievement in a way that lasts.
Custom Rosettes from Oh Rats Barn Hunt Club
2020 Dog Show Catalog Winner - Linda Siekert
2021 Dog Show Catalog Winner - Cayla Kankash
2022 Dog Show Catalog Winner - Isabella Boone
2023 Dog Show Catalog Winner - Pamela Padgett
2024 Dog Show Catalog Winner - Jamie Heberlein
2025 Dog Show Catalog Winner - Laura Stoltzfus
Awards that Define Excellence
Walk into any dog show, from an intimate breed specialty to a massive agility trial, and you'll see our work displayed with pride. Let's talk about what makes dog show awards special, and why the quality matters so much to this community.
Hodges Rosettes, the Crown Jewel of Dog Show Awards
When someone says, "dog show," most people immediately picture a rosette, not just any rosette, a Hodges rosette, those magnificent, multi-layered ribbon creations that are the signature award of the sport. But not all rosettes are created equally, and after more than a century in this business, our family has perfected the art of the show rosette.
What makes a truly exceptional rosette? It starts with the ribbons themselves. We use premium satin ribbon stock that holds its pleat, maintains its color, and keeps its body year after year. Visit any longtime exhibitor's trophy room, and you'll see the difference, our rosettes from years ago still look crisp and vibrant, while cheaper alternatives have curled, faded, or deteriorated.
The construction matters just as much. Our rosettes are handcrafted daily by our dedicated team in our Missouri factory. Each rosette features secure centers, streamers that hang properly, and pleating, points and petals that's both beautiful and durable. We understand that these awards need to withstand being pinned to dogs, attached to crates, photographed repeatedly, and displayed in trophy rooms. We build them to last.
For conformation shows, rosettes are everything. Winners Dog and Winners Bitch rosettes mark those crucial major wins. Best of Breed rosettes celebrate breed excellence. Group placement rosettes, First through Fourth in each group, represent the pinnacle of all-breed competition. And the Best in Show rosette? That's the holy grail, the award that gets framed, photographed, and treasured for a lifetime.
We offer rosettes in every configuration, from single-tier for class wins, double-tier for special awards, triple-tier+ for major achievements, and custom designs for those events that want something truly unique. Want your breed club's colors? Your specialty show logo? A specialty or custom streamer length? We work with show committees to create rosettes that become part of their event's identity.
Ribbons, Efficient, Classic, Meaningful
While rosettes steal the show at conformation events, ribbons remain the backbone of recognition across performance sports. Our ribbon collection includes everything from standard place ribbons to qualifying ribbons, title ribbons to special achievement awards.
Agility trials rely heavily on ribbons for their speed and efficiency. With multiple rings running simultaneously and hundreds of runs per day, clubs need awards that can be distributed quickly as handlers exit the ring. Hodges qualifying ribbons, often in the traditional or custom club colors, mark those crucial Q's that build toward titles. Placement ribbons recognize the top performers in each height class and level.
Obedience and rally competitors collect ribbons marking their progress through increasingly difficult levels. First place blues, second place reds, third place yellows, fourth place whites, these traditional colors have meaning that spans generations of dog sports. Title leg ribbons celebrate those milestones toward companion dog, utility, and advanced titles.
Field trials, hunting tests, and earthdog events often prefer more conservative ribbon styles that honor the heritage of these traditional sports. We offer classic designs that would look at home alongside ribbons earned decades ago.
The beauty of ribbons is their versatility. Hodges Badge Company can print them with event names, dates, titles, specific classes, or achievement levels. Stock ribbons ship quickly for last-minute needs, while custom printed ribbons create event-specific keepsakes that handler’s treasure.
Medals, Weight, Substance, and Prestige
There's something about the weight of a quality medal that simply feels like achievement. When you hand a competitor a medal that has substance, with crisp custom printed satin neck ribbons and a beautiful finish, you're giving them something they'll keep forever.
For conformation shows, medals often supplement rosettes for class wins or special awards. Best Puppy medals, Best Veteran medals, Best Bred-By Exhibitor medals, these recognize specific achievements within the show structure.
Performance events have embraced medals enthusiastically. Titles earned in agility, obedience, rally, and other sports often come with commemorative medals. Triple qualifying run? There's a medal for that. New title achieved? Medal. High in Trial? Absolutely deserves a quality Hodges custom medal.
We offer medals in multiple finishes, gold, silver, bronze, and antique options, in a variety of sizes and prices. Pair your medal with a Hodges custom printed satin neck ribbon will ensure each medal tells the complete story: the dog's name, the title earned, the date achieved, the event where it happened. These details transform a generic medal into a personal treasure.
Making Statements That Last
When a show wants to make a real statement, when they want to create an award that becomes legendary in their club, they turn to Hodges Badge Company for their awards.
Traditional custom awards in silver, pewter, or metal finishes remain popular for Best in Show awards, high point competitions, and perpetual trophies that return to the club each year with winners' names added to the base. There's something wonderfully old-school about a gleaming trophy cup that connects today's winners to the heritage of sport.
Crystal and glass awards bring modern elegance to dog show recognition. These stunning pieces catch the light beautifully, display engraving with exceptional clarity, and make statement awards for national specialties, regional championships, and milestone events. A crystal award engraved with a breed silhouette and achievement details becomes a centerpiece of any trophy room.
Plaques are a timeless recognition which offers the perfect middle ground between ribbons and trophies, more substantial than a ribbon, more practical than a large trophy, and infinitely customizable.
The key to a great trophy is balance, impressive enough to convey the significance of the win, but practical enough to transport and display. Our customer service team works with show organizers to design rosettes, ribbons, plaques, medals and trophies that hit that sweet spot.
Custom awards allow clubs to create something truly unique. We've crafted breed-specific designs, incorporated club logos and breed standards, created the perfect awards for ongoing competitions, and designed memorial trophies that honor influential dogs or beloved club members.
For conformation shows, plaques work beautifully for Breeder of the Year awards, club member recognition, memorial tributes, and special achievement categories that don't fit the traditional rosette model.
Performance venues use plaques for annual high-point awards, training milestone recognition, volunteer appreciation, and event sponsorship acknowledgment.
We offer plaques in wood finishes, acrylic, and combination materials, with plates, full-color printing, or direct engraving options. Add a breed silhouette, a photo of the winning dog, or the club logo, plaques are incredibly versatile.
Details That Distinguish Excellence
Beyond the major award categories, successful shows think about the complete recognition experience. Colorful streamer ribbons and side tabs add flair to rosettes and create custom presentations. Want your Winners rosettes to feature extra-long streamers in your club colors? We can do that.
Custom printed neck ribbons for medals come in traditional red-white-blue or custom color combinations. Some clubs create multicolor ribbon patterns and designs that their regular exhibitors recognize immediately.
Trophy cups and bowls can be ordered as one-time awards or perpetual trophies that live at the club and add winners' names annually.
Participant ribbons ensure that every dog goes home with something, especially important at fun matches, puppy socialization events, and beginner training days.
Custom printing and engraving transforms standard awards into event-specific keepsakes. The difference between a generic blue ribbon and one printed with your club’s name, event information, titles or even the dog’s name is enormous.
Why Quality Matters More in Dog Shows
Hodges could make cheaper rosettes with thinner ribbons. We could offer medals that save you a few dollars per piece. We could cut corners on trophy quality. But we don't, and here's why:
Dog show exhibitors notice. This community includes people who've been in the sport for decades, who've earned hundreds of ribbons, who can spot quality (or lack of it) instantly. They appreciate awards that reflect the significance of their achievements.
These awards are displayed. Hodges rosettes go on trophy room walls. Medals hang on display boards. Trophies sit on mantels and are placed in display cabinets. They're not hidden in drawers, they're points of pride that get seen by visitors, fellow exhibitors, and the next generation of handlers.
They represent years of work. That Best in Show rosette might represent five years of careful breeding. That OTCH medal might mark a decade of training. That national specialty trophy might be the culmination of someone's entire breeding program. The award needs to match the magnitude of the achievement.
They become club identity. When your specialty show has signature rosettes that exhibitors recognize and collect, when your agility trial is known for stunning award presentations, when handlers look forward to your event partly because of the quality awards, that's powerful. Awards become part of your event's brand and reputation.
The Hodges Approach, Generations of Excellence
Our family didn't just stumble into the dog show world, we grew up in it. Our team includes handlers, breeders, and exhibitors who understand this community from the inside. We've felt the anticipation before entering the ring, experienced the joy of a perfect run, and known the pride of pinning a rosette on a dog we've trained from puppyhood.
This insider perspective shapes everything we do. When a show chair calls about custom rosettes for their national specialty, we understand what's at stake. When an agility club needs 500 qualifying ribbons for a busy weekend trial, we know they need reliability. When a small training club wants their first custom awards, we give them the same attention we'd give to a top ranked kennel club. Everyone deserves the Hodges 5-star customer service.
Our US-based operation means you're working with real people who answer phones, remember your events, and genuinely care about getting your order right. Many of our employees have been with our family for years, they know the dog show calendar, understand breed-specific terminology, and can guide you through options without making you feel overwhelmed.
Our production standards reflect decades of refinement. We've learned which ribbon weights hold pleats best, which medal finishes resist tarnishing, which engraving methods produce the crispest results, and which packaging protects awards during shipping. These lessons came from experience, sometimes from mistakes, always from a commitment to doing better.
Our team works collaboratively to create custom awards that capture your vision. Whether you have detailed specifications or just a general idea of what you want, we'll work through options and refine them until it's exactly right.
Our delivery record is something we're genuinely proud of. We know show dates don't move, premium lists have deadlines, and exhibitors are making travel plans months in advance. When we commit to a delivery date, our entire operation mobilizes to meet it. Rush orders happen, we get it, and we've saved more than a few events with express production and shipping.
Let's Create Something Special for Your Event
Whether you're planning a national breed specialty that draws exhibitors from across the country, organizing a local all-breed show, directing a multi-day agility trial, or running a training club fun match, we want to help make your awards memorable.
For new clubs and first-time show chairs, we can provide guidance and how you may be able to save money without sacrificing quality.
For training facilities and club secretaries, we make reordering easy. Set up a standing order for your regular trials, and we'll have your qualifying ribbons ready and delivered on your schedule.
Visit us at hodgesbadge.com to explore our complete dog show collection, rosettes in every configuration, ribbons for every placement, medals that matter, trophies and silver pieces that impress, and custom options limited only by your imagination.
The Awards We Create, The Memories They Preserve
At the end of the day, we're not really selling ribbons and rosettes. We're creating the physical embodiment of achievements that represent countless hours of training, the deep partnership between handler and dog, and the joy of doing something together extraordinarily well.
Every rosette we make might end up framed next to a cherished photo. Every medal we print might hang in someone's office as a reminder of what they accomplished. Every trophy we craft might become the centerpiece of a club's history, connecting generations of exhibitors.
That's why our family has dedicated decades to getting this right. That's why we maintain standards when it is easier to cut corners. That's why we answer the phone personally, remember your events, and treat every order like it matters, because we know it does.
Let's work together to create awards worthy of the achievements they honor.
Contact Hodges Badge Company today. With generations of experience, a family dedicated to excellence, and a genuine love for the dog show community, we'll help you create awards that exhibitors will treasure for years to come.