Kathy -
Whether or not the dogs being shown are "pets" or "champions" is
not the issue in my opinion. You know I have shown AKC for 37+ years but
when I got my first cavalier, it was a revelation to me. EVERY show was
like a specialty show because people traveled all over the country. When I
was showing Katie, I was in California, Kansas, Las Vegas,
Missouri, Philadelphia, Atlanta, you name it. WHY? Because that is the
only way you could get a championship. There simply weren't many shows.
There were four regional clubs, Cavaliers of the Northeast, Midwest, South,
and West and THAT WAS IT. I can't remember if they each held one or two
shows a year but whichever it was, it could not compare to the AKC in which
you can go to three or four all breed shows a week all year round and in
almost every locale if you so desire. The AKC makes it much more affordable
to show dogs because there doesn't have to be any expensive traveling
unless you want to travel. There is one National Specialty a year though
eventually I'm sure there will be regional specialties but because most of
the shows attract local exhibitors, it is true for now that instead of
seeing 120+ cavaliers, you may see 5 or 10. That will change but for now,
it is the one thing the CKCSC USA can still offer I my opinion, the
opportunity to see LOTS of cavaliers at a show. Let's not get involved with
whether they are quality cavaliers or not because of the 5 at an AKC show,
it is possible there won't even be 1 you'd like to take home.
My first breed, Labrador Retrievers, also had one specialty a year
when I started in 1964. There were no regional clubs, it took 6 dogs for a
major, and that one specialty attracted maybe 48 dogs. Now there are so
many regional specialties you can go to one a month and in many months you
can go to more than one. The entries are huge. The LRC of the Potomac
regularly has an entry of over a thousand and a four point major requires
50+ dogs. Things have changed and they are changing with cavaliers but for
now, except for our May National specialty, it is sadly true that we don't
get to see a whole lot of good cavaliers assembled anywhere except possibly
at CKCSC USA shows where you and I don't go.
Anyway. there is usually a trade-off in every situation and in
this one, we sacrifice numbers for a while until the breed gets bigger but
we gain a lot of freedom. Anyone can own, breed, or show a cavalier without
having to be a member of a club at all and I think that is well worth
whatever we may have given up.
Julie
At 10:46 AM 9/5/01 -0400, you wrote:
>Okay Laura...I truly dislike doing this...this banner of 100-300 dogs keep
>being thrown around by the CKCSC-USA. How many of those CKCS are truly
>pets? I have already heard in detail regarding this off the list from well
>qualified inside sources...
>
>I want your honest take on this NOT the public relation machine generated by
>some very vocal pet owners.
>
>There are EXCELLENT champions in the old club who are also showing
>AKC...those are breeders of quality... that would be the case in any arenda.
>
>BUT I have also seen some of these pets showing up at shows...AND the AKC
>has some pets being shown at local shows. This is problematic for the breed
>in both arendas... but generally...those pets are not shown at AKC specialty
>shows, since pet owners are not allowed to be members. These AKC Specialties
>are a serious sanctioned event...but they do serve refreshments...
>
>YES the ACKCSC needs to run more breed seminars for breeders and
>newbies...have you ever attended an AKC sanctioned breed seminar? if you did
>by whom? Have you been to an AKC specialty event??? if so when?
>
>Yes...it is harder seeing all dogs at once...but IF you network well this is
>not a problem...but YES...this has been the down fall for both sides since
>the division.
>
>Truly I am not trying to make this personal...I just want the cards laid out
>by people QUALIFIED to do so...not "rude mouth pieces"...
>
>And Laura...you are not one of the "rude mouth pieces"...
>
>Respectfully,
>Kathy Yonkers
>
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