Page 78 - K9News_Issue12_July2020

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by Emer Wright

Hi guys, Facebook Groups (as well as on many person-
al posts) in relation to how shows will be run
I hope that lockdown has been treating you all
safely at any point in the near future. Running
well and you have all been making the most of
a show of any sort at the best of times is not for
these very strange times! I am sure that, like
myself, you are all really starting to miss the dog the fainthearted, it takes ferocious amounts of
time and patience behind the scenes to bring
shows. This time of year, we get so accustomed
to travelling the length and breadth of the coun- any event to the fore; I personally don’t feel that
Show Secretaries and Committees are given
try (whether it be in the UK or Ireland – or both!)
half enough credit! But to be able to run a show
each weekend. So much so that I think we stop
noticing just how time consuming this hobby while abiding by government guidelines and
while also making exhibitors feel comfortable
really is! And while I cannot exactly say that
setting the alarm on my phone for 3am every and safe in the current circumstances? That just
seems as though it may be a bit of a logistical
Saturday morning is something I really miss; it
nightmare! I certainly do not envy any Show
would be nice to get the chance to do it again!
Secretaries and Committee Members who will
There has been so much talk about when shows be amongst the first to attempt to get events
will be back. Am I being overly optimistic in hop- up and running after this period. I do hope that
ing that Breed Club Shows and smaller Open Exhibitors will be patient and appreciate the
Shows may not be too far away?! And while I enormous task that it will be!
think we are all aware that, as is going to be the
Many people online have questioned whether
case with practically everything we now do in
it may be possible to judge a dog without close
our daily lives, we may be required to become
accustomed to a “new normal” in relation to contact being made between the judge and the
handler; could dogs be judged without being
dog shows; what exactly that “new normal” will
gone over on the table/ground, could the han-
involve, no one seems to know just yet! Regard-
dler’s show the dog’s mouths and could that
less, it will be a wonderful feeling to be back to
be the extent of the contact between handler
spending our weekends surrounded by our dogs
and dog show friends! and judge? While it seems to me that this may
not be feasible, one reason being that the coat
There has been much debate on Facebook in texture is so important in many breed standards.
relation to when shows will be making a come- Others seem to think it may be a valid option.
back and there have been countless threads And then what about Stewards, cleaners, cater-
of discussion, sometimes relatively heated ers, etc; there are a lot of aspects that will need
discussion, on the various popular Exhibitor’s

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K9 NEWS DIGITAL / JULY 2020