Sorry for lumping these altogether but I am trying to catch up on my mail.
Novices. As a judge I would have no problem putting up a "novice" with a good dog over a "seasoned" exhibitor with a mediocre one. Even if the good one was being difficult while the mediocre one was well schooled. Having said that at the end of the day when comparing 2 dogs of equal merits then handling can play a big part. You only have a short time to impress and if your dog can be persuaded to show itself in a good light it helps! But novices can go on to be experts. We have all been there! Sadly there are judges who cannot recognise a dog's qualities and rely on the expert handler whose dog is well trained. Naturals. I have owned dogs who have taken to showing like a duck to water. It is almost as if they have been here before. You don't need to teach them they know it all. These are the naturals who look as if they have undergone intensive training when in fact they haven't. They have a vibrancy that they are born with and do most things with a flourish. A "look at me" attitude that no amount of schooling can bring out. So yes, I do think certain dogs are born to show while others have to be gently pushed and the others....well they show like lumps of lard, are hard work to animate and are better off at home having babies! I have had allsorts but love the naturals with a zest for life. They make showing fun. Cashmere was one of those and I have a youngster at the moment Violet Elizabeth who has great ring presence. Kneeling. Although I didn't witness the Cavaliers being shown at Westminster I would like to comment on what has been described. Plus the fact that I have judged the winning combination of Taffe and Andreas so have seen them in action. Well done to all involved in the achievement of winning Westminster 3 times in a row. Jenny, Dale, Kim, Taffe and the star "Andy". Like most I show my dogs free-standing. Probably because that's what I saw my peers do when I first started. Nothing is nicer than a Cavalier standing gently wagging it's tail looking up adoringly at it's owner. There for all to see is the beauty of our breed. The happy, funloving, mild natured being who just want's to please. But sometimes I wonder why we don't get closer to the dogs we love so much when we show. Why do we remain almost aloof standing over them? Why don't we kneel down to them? The reason I suspect is because they would take full advantage of the situation and smother you with affection and kisses and forget the showing. I don't want to see Cavaliers "top and tailed" and held as if in a vice by their owners/handlers. You can certainly see their outline but it camouflages their true "joie de vivre". But I feel as if the Westminster thing has gone a little too far. Question. Was the dog happy? Was he inhibited by the handler and not allowed to show his true Cavalier attitude? Did he do the breed proud? >From what has been described I can see no harm has been done. No wooden Cavalier, no over zealous handler. Gently kneeling by the dog does not constitute a cardinal sin in my book. Are you worried that handlers will follow suite? From what I hear it would be preferable to the stacked Cavaliers that seem to adorn the AKC rings. These are the ones who do our breed an injustice. Lets not lose sight of what is important. A good dog won who was shown by a sympathetic handler who brings credit to a much maligned profession. I know it's not my country, not my show scene but sometimes a less sensitive, less involved take on things can help put things in perspective. And I have been "guilty" on the odd occasion of bending down if the situation called for it. Norma (Craigowl) UK ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author.
