but the nuts and bolts are not nearly as tough as a bridge game and are easier than following a Martha Stewart
recipe.
You must enter your dog at least two and a half weeks prior to the show date as indicated in the premium—a printed list mailed
in advance to entrants. You can variously fax, mail, or even e-mail some superintendent’s office to enter your dog for conformation
judging. Once you have entered your dog, you will receive a program of the judging schedule by mail. You should have it in
your hands about a week before the show. This includes travel directions, your ring number and time, and the number of dogs
entered in each breed. You can easily determine whether there are enough dogs or bitches to constitute a major.
The judging breaks down the entry of the dogs in each breed as in the following example:
30 Akita 10-15 (3-2)
That is not from a World War II Nazi encoding machine like Enigma. It very simply states that thirty Akitas are entered for
the show that you will be attending. Of those, twenty-five are class dogs (not yet finished), ten males and fifteen females.
In addition, there will be five champions competing for Best of Breed, three males and two females.
Dogs are not identified by names, as that could have an impact on your decision about attending. Allow two to three minutes
per dog to estimate the time you need to arrive if your breed is not the first in the ring as listed in the schedule. Remember,
dogs always precede bitches. If some dogs are pulled, you may be expected in the ring earlier, so be there with time to spare.
Personally, I hate cutting it close. Think about traffic, getting lost, getting a flat, and going into the ring with your
stomach already in a knot. Be merciful to yourself and your dog. Get there an hour or two early, visit with friends, drink
coffee, bring along a bag of bagels and doughnuts and share them.
If your dog is going to require any grooming, get there really ahead of time. You have to check in and get your armband, and
it isn’t a bad idea to watch the judge you will be facing at work—see what he or she does. (Just as likely, it will be
she
.) It will usually be the same for all dogs showing under him. The more you know about him the better you are likely to do.
The ring steward is responsible for running an efficient ring. He or she manages the ring activities for the judge. The steward
begins each breed by calling out each of the seven regular classes, beginning with puppy dogs. The handlers are expected to
be ringside for their class judging. Stewards can often be heard ringside calling out “Puppy dog six to nine months, number
twenty-one” as a last call prior to the start of judging for absent entries, but only as a courtesy, so be ready when it’s
your turn to enter the ring. If you are not present when your class is called, you will probably forfeit your entry fee and
the chance to show your dog that day, however much traveling you have had to do.
Typically, the judge will ask that dogs line up in catalog order. If you watch your judge evaluate the breed prior to your
appearance, you can gain a pretty good sense of his style and ring procedure. Once he judges the first dog in your breed,
he will judge every dog using the same moving pattern. As the dogs stand in the initial lineup, the judge will generally walk
down the line and look at the overall structure of the entries. Many judges will use this opportunity to look for any obvious
visible breed disqualifications, such as coat appearance, eye color, height, and so forth. He may also note appealing features
such as expression or attitude.
Once the judge completes the initial assessment of the class entries, he will ask the handlers to move the dogs around the
entire ring together once or twice. This is his first opportunity to evaluate your dog’s gait and soundness as compared with
the standards for the breed. When the circuit is completed,
recipe.
You must enter your dog at least two and a half weeks prior to the show date as indicated in the premium—a printed list mailed
in advance to entrants. You can variously fax, mail, or even e-mail some superintendent’s office to enter your dog for conformation
judging. Once you have entered your dog, you will receive a program of the judging schedule by mail. You should have it in
your hands about a week before the show. This includes travel directions, your ring number and time, and the number of dogs
entered in each breed. You can easily determine whether there are enough dogs or bitches to constitute a major.
The judging breaks down the entry of the dogs in each breed as in the following example:
30 Akita 10-15 (3-2)
That is not from a World War II Nazi encoding machine like Enigma. It very simply states that thirty Akitas are entered for
the show that you will be attending. Of those, twenty-five are class dogs (not yet finished), ten males and fifteen females.
In addition, there will be five champions competing for Best of Breed, three males and two females.
Dogs are not identified by names, as that could have an impact on your decision about attending. Allow two to three minutes
per dog to estimate the time you need to arrive if your breed is not the first in the ring as listed in the schedule. Remember,
dogs always precede bitches. If some dogs are pulled, you may be expected in the ring earlier, so be there with time to spare.
Personally, I hate cutting it close. Think about traffic, getting lost, getting a flat, and going into the ring with your
stomach already in a knot. Be merciful to yourself and your dog. Get there an hour or two early, visit with friends, drink
coffee, bring along a bag of bagels and doughnuts and share them.
If your dog is going to require any grooming, get there really ahead of time. You have to check in and get your armband, and
it isn’t a bad idea to watch the judge you will be facing at work—see what he or she does. (Just as likely, it will be
she
.) It will usually be the same for all dogs showing under him. The more you know about him the better you are likely to do.
The ring steward is responsible for running an efficient ring. He or she manages the ring activities for the judge. The steward
begins each breed by calling out each of the seven regular classes, beginning with puppy dogs. The handlers are expected to
be ringside for their class judging. Stewards can often be heard ringside calling out “Puppy dog six to nine months, number
twenty-one” as a last call prior to the start of judging for absent entries, but only as a courtesy, so be ready when it’s
your turn to enter the ring. If you are not present when your class is called, you will probably forfeit your entry fee and
the chance to show your dog that day, however much traveling you have had to do.
Typically, the judge will ask that dogs line up in catalog order. If you watch your judge evaluate the breed prior to your
appearance, you can gain a pretty good sense of his style and ring procedure. Once he judges the first dog in your breed,
he will judge every dog using the same moving pattern. As the dogs stand in the initial lineup, the judge will generally walk
down the line and look at the overall structure of the entries. Many judges will use this opportunity to look for any obvious
visible breed disqualifications, such as coat appearance, eye color, height, and so forth. He may also note appealing features
such as expression or attitude.
Once the judge completes the initial assessment of the class entries, he will ask the handlers to move the dogs around the
entire ring together once or twice. This is his first opportunity to evaluate your dog’s gait and soundness as compared with
the standards for the breed. When the circuit is completed,
Similar Books
All or Nothing
Belladonna Bordeaux
Surgeon at Arms
Richard Gordon
A Change of Fortune
Sandra Heath
Melody (THE LOGAN FAMILY)
Stacy-Deanne
Witness to a Trial
John Grisham
The One Thing
Marci Lyn Curtis
Heartland Courtship
Lyn Cote
Y: A Novel
Marjorie Celona
Leap
Jodi Lundgren
Shark Girl
Kelly Bingham