Page 17 - Online Spring 2022 Newsletter

never seen it, or its handler, before. its breed? Having read the opinions
They need to be TAUGHT that not of so many exhibitors over the past
every "top" handler will automatically week I am convinced more than ever
have a top dog and not every rank that the root cause of dissatisfaction
novice will be showing mediocrity. is impartial judging and too many
At my seminars I often pose the awards being made for the wrong
hypothetical question, how many reasons. We do have some excellent
judges would - if they had what was judges in this country, both breeder-
the perfect mature dog in a Novice judges and those who award CCs in
class with a handler they had never many breeds, who are known for
seen before - have the courage and walking into the ring and doing an
knowledge to award it the CC & BOB? honest and knowledgeable job but
In truth it is very few. sadly they seem to be in the minority.
It is a well-known fact that some There is nothing clever in demoting a
would-be judges when cutting their top winning dog merely to appear
teeth at Open shows deliberately popular with the masses, just as it's
"look after" breed club officials or not smart to promote an inferior dog
committee as they are worried that to an award it does not merit. There
judging correctly will impede their is absolutely nothing wrong in
career. This is diseased thinking of handing a dear friend a Challenge
the highest degree and to quote Certificate if they happen to be
my late mentor, Nigel Aubrey-Jones, handling the best dog on the day, and
"once you have been guilty of the same goes for rewarding a dog
'convenience judging' you are lost for that is sired by the judges stud dog -
all time." IF, and it is a very big IF, the dog is
deserving.
Then we come to the age of dogs
who should win CCs. Some judges Justice must be done and must be
automatically stick with their Open seen to be done but the more we
class winners regardless of the quality expect the exhibitors who are viewed
of the dogs in the lower classes. as nothing more than cannon fodder
Puppies may be immature but when by the people at the top (who were
their quality type and construction is all once rank novices themselves
superior to the older competition they remember) to have their noses
should be rewarded accordingly. rubbed in it by game-playing, rule-
Furthermore how many judges take bending and dishonest judging, the
the winners of the Veteran class less we can expect new people to join
seriously when it comes to awarding our wonderful hobby and stay with
the CC? Some seem to treat this it."
as some kind of novelty class where I wish I could say, exactly three
the day ends with a First and don't years after that original article was
give them any further serious written, that things have changed
consideration when they can often be
dramatically for the better, but sadly
the best dog on the day. How many I cannot. Our entries are not
judges really consider the winner of increasing and in some breeds the
the Novice class for the CC, even Open classes at Championship shows
when it is an outstanding example of
when CCs are on offer are pathetically
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