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the presence of the judge is a prerequisite, but should be. Except, of course, for the presence of
there are occasions when there is only going Jim Peach! Jim retired a few years ago, a victim
to be one Ring Steward. At most shows, we all of the 75-year rule, and is missed. He taught
know that this isn’t necessarily a problem. But me everything I know about being a Crufts
at Crufts, with the huge entries and the even Group Steward, mentoring me in my first year.
bigger crowds, it certainly can be. And when He, along with Gerald King and Anne Bliss, had
you add TV schedules into the mix, timing and been persuaded to come out of retirement to
continuity are even more important. While we stand in for those Group Stewards that couldn’t
try our very best to ensure every ring has two make it. To be honest, I don’t think any of them
stewards, it is not always possible, and no took a great deal of persuading!
more so than this year. But we also know which
One particular wit (I do know who it was, but I
stewards are happy and able to cope on their
don’t think I’ll reveal it here) mentioned that it
own, and not only do we show these stewards
was all getting a bit like Dads Army. This title
our gratitude, we also constantly check with
was to stay for the whole event!
them that they are indeed OK, and we can
always provide some sort of cover in the event Pre-Crufts Wednesday is spent making sure
of a comfort break being needed. It can be a everything has arrived, everything is where it
very long day! should be, everything works, everything is right
and everything matches with everything else!
So, three days before the show, the calls
It is also spent making sure the Ring Stewards
went out for Ring Stewards, and the response
boxes are ready for day 1. I won’t pretend that
was great. Emails flew. Phones overheated.
this runs smoothly, but it’s a time to iron out any
Facebook pinged. Even Messenger, WhatsApp
wrinkles before they cause a problem. And, bear
and Twitter joined the melee. And the result was
in mind that in 2020 we were going through this
a host of new people all willing and keen to step
ritual without really knowing if there was even
into the breach. Possibly not enough to fill the
going to be a show.
complete breach, but certainly enough to plug
enough of the gaps! At 4pm we break for a Group Stewards briefing,
the purpose of which is to run through absolutely
As for the Group Steward problem, a solution to
everything, making sure that all the i’s are dotted
this had also been found.
and the t’s are crossed, everyone knows exactly
It’s worth mentioning at this point that it wasn’t what they are meant to be doing, and any
just the day-to-day operational management potential areas of concern are addressed.
of the actual show itself that was suffering
One of the standing items of the meeting is the
from Coronavirus-inflicted challenges, the
agreement of the emergency radio call sign, the
whole event was affected. At the 11th hour, for
code word that is used to indicate a particular
example, the Mars Group decided to pull out,
emergency without actually transmitting the
resulting in the removal of the Royal Canin
nature of the emergency.
stand, quite a sizable feature, and so there was
a bit of intense activity involving the redesign The conversation went like this:
of an entire section of Hall 3. Actually, this was
turned into a rather pleasant seating and ‘picnic’ “OK everybody. We need to agree this year’s
area that turned out to be a very popular oasis emergency code word. Has anyone got any
in what was a surprisingly busy Crufts, under the suggestions?”
circumstances.
Someone said “don’t tell him Pike”. And there it
Anyway, going back to where I started, was. Sorted!
Wednesday lunchtime, and I arrived at the
So, if you were at Crufts in 2020 and overheard
Stewards Office where everything was as it
a Group Steward declaring into their radio that
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K9 NEWS DIGITAL / JULY 2020
