Page 26 - Autumn 2024 Newsletter Online_Neat

police force and he told me she had worked alongside him as a sniffer dog
when she was younger. This made my choice on the day even more special.

I apologised to the older lady I gave the first to in the ‘who looks most like
their dog class’. The dog was an older Rough Collie; her owner had the same
coloured, slightly frizzy tan and white hair… It was uncanny.
The show closed with the dog the judge would like to take home. A lady with
a Samoyed did a hurried late entry when she knew I liked fluffy dogs. She
had noticed my husband had brought Steve to the show to watch and he was
randomly barking to let me know I had forgotten to take him into the ring.
The Samoyed wasn’t my choice; it wasn’t in the best condition and moved
badly for a young dog. My choice was a beautiful female border collie that
was a pet but in wonderful condition. Unfortunately I couldn’t fit the 4 top
placed dogs, in this class, into my car otherwise I would have taken them all
home.

I had a lovely round of applause at the end, a bottle of fizz and some
homemade dog biscuits for Steve.

I loved it… even though my day judging was an emotional roller coaster.

It gave me a new respect for judges at professional dog shows. We all love
our dogs and we simply want the judge to love our dog/dogs just enough for
them to win. On behalf of all exhibitors, a big thank you to all judges past
and present, stewards and those involved in putting on dog shows, without
you we couldn’t all do the hobby that we and our dogs
love.

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