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Post by essendy on Nov 27, 2006 23:39:38 GMT
Iv had a good laugh reading all the moans and groans of showing at county level.However thank your lucky stars that you were not mad enough to get involved in dog showing.
To qualify for crufts you 1st of all got to persuade a top breeder to part with one of their precious puppies.This is after you have been on their list for at least a year.You then take your precious puppy home at 8 weeks hoping that because its dam and sire have become champions( not as easy to achieve as in the horse world)it will also be an adequate specimen to do the same.
After 6 months of hard work you spend at least £25 per class (you usually only do 1 class per show)Spend a fortune on traveling to the other end of the country as you have been told that the judge likes your puppy's type.And what happens?
The judge doesn't know you from Adam and although there is a good chance that your puppy is conformationally better than those above you.The judge in question picks her friends to win the class.But just maybe she isn't facey and you get in the top 3.The prize is......
A bit of card,no money if very lucky a rosette that is so small its not worth making it and the the ultimate qualification for Crufts.
And why do I show both horse and dogs.For the sheer pleasure of showing my animals off to the best of my ability,and for the occasional glory. ;D
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Post by woofwoof on Nov 28, 2006 4:56:00 GMT
I totally agree with you, having had a brief foray into the dog showing world myself with a bulldog many years ago and also accompanying another horsey pal who used to show a poodle and omg the dog showing world is far far worse than its equestrian equivalent, with the poodle people the worst by far.
On the equestrian showing side, having first started showing in BSPS classes thirty years ago I cant say Ive noticed any change for the worse other than people being more vocal about what goes on via the net.
Thirty years ago "faces" won, many a time undeservedly but many a time they deserved to too. I'd say fewer showed back then, classes were smaller but quality overall was higher than it is today, maybe because those who did show then were those who had the means to buy (though didnt necessarily produce it well enough) a more quality animal or could pick one up quite reasonably compared to todays inflated prices. Nowadays I find the tail end of many a class to be so poor in comparison and additionally at local day show level where numbers are sparse Ive seen animals qualify that wouldnt even be in the rosettes at a RC show.
On that topic personally I think the old method of qualification (in respect to the show ponies and BSPS Champs) whereby only the winner qualified was much better, the standard of animals going through being higher as a result. A pony back then that had qualified several times would hold its own at Peterborough whereas now multiple qualification counts for not a lot.
The dog world in that respect has got it right .
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Post by Philippa on Nov 28, 2006 9:42:52 GMT
Iv had a good laugh reading all the moans and groans of showing at county level.However thank your lucky stars that you were not mad enough to get involved in dog showing. To qualify for crufts you 1st of all got to persuade a top breeder to part with one of their precious puppies.This is after you have been on their list for at least a year.You then take your precious puppy home at 8 weeks hoping that because its dam and sire have become champions( not as easy to achieve as in the horse world)it will also be an adequate specimen to do the same. After 6 months of hard work you spend at least £25 per class (you usually only do 1 class per show)Spend a fortune on traveling to the other end of the country as you have been told that the judge likes your puppy's type.And what happens? The judge doesn't know you from Adam and although there is a good chance that your puppy is conformationally better than those above you.The judge in question picks her friends to win the class.But just maybe she isn't facey and you get in the top 3.The prize is...... A bit of card,no money if very lucky a rosette that is so small its not worth making it and the the ultimate qualification for Crufts. And why do I show both horse and dogs.For the sheer pleasure of showing my animals off to the best of my ability,and for the occasional glory. ;D From someone else who also shows horses and dogs - oh I couldn't have put it better myself!!!!! |
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Post by Guest today on Nov 28, 2006 10:34:52 GMT
Completly agree and now that HOYS have got their hooks into M&Ms it will go the same way already well on the way now.
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Post by tustus on Nov 28, 2006 13:11:17 GMT
After giving up on getting a puppy from a 'well known' breeder because they lived in a council house, a couple came to us looking for a puppy. We breed for pleasure, but always look for a sire with excellent conformation and temperament - they have managed to do everything themselves and qualify the pup for Crufts a few months ago. I suppose it's like horses, some get lucky early on and others have to go through years of trying before getting their chance against the 'faces'.
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Post by Pepper on Nov 28, 2006 23:06:43 GMT
Load of crap! Our puppy was the runt of the litter and her breeder hesitated when we said we would like to show her. We took her to ringcraft classes and she loved showing. Despite a slight fault her presence - as in ponies - made up for a lot and at her first show Windsor - Doggy RIHS - she won a puppy class of 25. As Novices we won our way through Junior, Limit and Open instead ofd jumping classes and were always placed in the top 4 at Crufts. she won her final Best in Match at ringcraft at the age of twelve. Having never shown a dog before we had fun, ignored the politics and picked our judges as we had done for the ponies. it is FAR easier to qualkify for Crufts than HOYS and just as much fun to get there. We had fun, didn't chase tickets and won under good allrounders and breed specialists. Yes it is expensive but unless you really want the prestige of being a Champ and changing the colour biro on the pups pedigree papers you don't have to do any more than qualify for Crufts each year. Even owning a Rare Breed this was a doddle and the grooming as much of an art ad plaiting.
Our advice would be to go to ringcraft and perfect your skills. This also provides great tips for running up ponies. Then get on the lead and run!
If you can show one sort of dog you can also show the variety with hoofs! ;D
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Post by Philippa on Nov 29, 2006 9:15:09 GMT
Load of crap! Our puppy was the runt of the litter and her breeder hesitated when we said we would like to show her. We took her to ringcraft classes and she loved showing. Despite a slight fault her presence - as in ponies - made up for a lot and at her first show Windsor - Doggy RIHS - she won a puppy class of 25. As Novices we won our way through Junior, Limit and Open instead ofd jumping classes and were always placed in the top 4 at Crufts. she won her final Best in Match at ringcraft at the age of twelve. Having never shown a dog before we had fun, ignored the politics and picked our judges as we had done for the ponies. it is FAR easier to qualkify for Crufts than HOYS and just as much fun to get there. We had fun, didn't chase tickets and won under good allrounders and breed specialists. Yes it is expensive but unless you really want the prestige of being a Champ and changing the colour biro on the pups pedigree papers you don't have to do any more than qualify for Crufts each year. Even owning a Rare Breed this was a doddle and the grooming as much of an art ad plaiting. Our advice would be to go to ringcraft and perfect your skills. This also provides great tips for running up ponies. Then get on the lead and run! If you can show one sort of dog you can also show the variety with hoofs! ;D Pepper, I don't think what people have said is crap. The dog world is really as bad as horses. But then I am sure every competitive sport is the same. You did well with your dog. Congratulations. We also have done very well with ours, we usually qualify all 6 of ours every year too. We have had a ticket with a homebred min pin and a reserve ticket with a Boston and a reserve with another min pin - we have only been showing them 4 yrs so we know we are bringing the right stock out as people do not know our faces. Some people have been showing 30 + yrs and have never had a ticket or reserve. I agree, it is easier to qualify for Crufts than Hoys. I am sure that our experience with the horses has worked through the dogs as conformation is conformation at the end of the day and it helps if you can pick a good one!!! We actually had a runt in our last litter of min pins, we kept him. And what a stunner he has turned out to be. Also we have kept a boy boston back too who we were going to sell but have decided he is far too good to let go even though we have several people desperate for him (we don't usually keep the boys back as we have 5 bit*hes). |
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Post by essendy on Nov 29, 2006 17:41:10 GMT
Pepper You have been very fortunate in the breed you show not to have been caught up in the politics.I breed and show Dachshunds and it is a real closed shop at the top.If you haven't been in it for 30 years or or be the child of a top breeder it is very difficult to break through.This however is not the same in all breeds I must admit as I also have shown successfully a Welsh Terrier.They are a rare breed and the owners were always delighted to see a new face and were constantly helping me in the production of the dog.
It has helped I believe having shown horses for donkeys years and had good ring craft. ;D
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Post by Work Lurker on Nov 30, 2006 12:25:11 GMT
Another part of the lorry dog comp could be a picnic scoffing round....extra marks for the dog who scoffs a picnic in a lorry that isn't theirs!!!
I returned to our lorry at a show with 2 hungry children looking forward to the sumptious (ok as sumptious as our local shop could proffer!!) picnic...only to be greeted by a tablefull of crumbs and bits of cucumer (not to lorry dogs taste clearly)...and a snoozing jack russell curled up on the driver's seat.
This scene was all the more remarkable as I don't own a JR.....don't have a dog at all actually which is obviously why I felt secure setting the picnic out in advance!! One of the children had dashed back to the lorry for some forgotten item and left the lorry door open.......oops!!! Owners were very apologetic and invited us to share their picnic. Ah well, at least lorry dogs help you make new friends!
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Post by Philippa on Dec 1, 2006 9:34:34 GMT
lol - work lurker, thats funny.
We used to have border collies (when I was tiny) and they came back with allsorts. One came back with a frozen joint, another with a watch, and one ate a box of pork pies that the butcher had left for the pub!!!!!
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dpl
Junior Member
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Post by dpl on Dec 1, 2006 21:34:28 GMT
I show my Cavaliers occasionally at Open shows( basically because I dont have the time nor the opportunity to travel the country going to Champ shows), and have done well under some judges, not so well under others... Well done to those who have done well gaining tickets etc, but I certainly would say its very 'closed shop' in my breed!
Not only that, but there is major colour predjudice against the whole colours (ruby and Black & tan) in favour of Blenheims and then Tris - in that order too!
I have been to shows where the only whole colour to get through was by 'default' as it were by there only being a small entry and all those being whole colours, in a particular class. In all the rest of the classes not one whole colour was placed! Course what do I show...? Yup - whole colours! But hey - that's the ones I like!
As to Lorry dogs... Try my lorry at a show and you'll usually get greeted by 7 Cavaliers, a Belgian shepherd and a border collie!
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hackety
Junior Member
Elegant and light in the hand!
Posts: 122
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Post by hackety on Dec 1, 2006 22:57:57 GMT
I got a plastic silver plaque, (which has pride of place on my mantle piece) a big rosette and £2.50! YAY! ;D d**n good job you didn't get stopped on the way home with your spoils ......... could you have proved you weren't acting for hire and reward?  |
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Post by skippy on Dec 2, 2006 0:02:58 GMT
Our Jack Russell bit*h (non-parson JRT) was supreme champion of champions at our local agricultural show.
The dog show is always traditionally judged by the drunkest man from the year before. By an amazing coincidence, his name was Eck Russell!!
No, he wasn't face judging, honest - she is lovely and beautifully marked, but it did cause a few laughs at the time, especially when Mrs Russell emerged from the beer tent to present the prizes!
Our dog won again the next year with the previous year's most inebriated officiating.
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