August
1998 Newsletter - Volume
2. Issue 11
©1998 MB-F, Inc. You may use this
paragraph as permission to reprint any article in the MB-F
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©1998 MB-F, Inc.
You may use this paragraph as permission to reprint any article in
the MB-F Newsletter providing articles are printed in their
entirety, proper credit is given to the author and to the MB-F
Newsletter, and a copy of the publication in which it was
reprinted is sent to the MB-F Newsletter, P.O. Box 22107,
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Ask the Vet
Discussion forum Unveiled at
Infodog
by Bobby Christiansen
Infodog has now gone above in the
quest to be the ultimate dog show information web site. Every dog
owner will have questions about health and nutrition. While we
cannot replace the quality care and advice you can get from your
veterinarian, the “Ask the Vet” discussion forum can answer
some of your questions particularly about nutrition and a pet’s
diet. This forum is divided into seven main categories -
Nutrition, Feeding, Puppy Care, Breeding and Whelping, Disease
Prevention, Behavior, and Miscellaneous. The questions asked in
this forum will be reviewed and answered by Dr. James H.
Sokolowski, DVM, Professional Communication Manager for WALTHAM,
USA and an expert on pet health and nutrition. In addition to his
DVM, “Dr. Jim” has a Masters & Ph D in animal nutrition
with more than 15 years of experience in dog and cat nutrition. He
is also a past chairperson of the nutrition sub committee of the
pet food institute.
We should also mention the Infodog
discussion forum has grown tremendously over the past few months.
Growth has been so rapid that we have added new categories to help
facilitate those who are looking for a particular area of
interest. You can access the Discussion Forum through the Infodog
web site http://www.infodog.com by clicking on the discussion
option.
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The Show Must Go On!
(Well, no, not ALL the
time!)
by
Dorie Crowe
As much as we want to think we are
hearty and invincible “dog people” there are times that
absolute common sense must prevail. There are times when the Show
Chairman, the Show Committee and the Show Superintendent must be
“Daddy” and make some hard decisions affecting whether there
will be a judging delay, suspension or the cancellation of a show.
Some of these decisions are
difficult for a club to make; after all, this is what the club has
worked toward for a year. These decisions are not made lightly,
but with a great deal of consideration and deliberation. These
decisions are always made with the care, safety and well-being of
exhibitors and their dogs at the top of the list.
Let’s get real, folks. How will
you feel if your prized Special slips under severe conditions and
ruins his shoulder? (Even though you elected to show him, it will
be the club that gets the blame.) How will you feel standing
underneath the tent and the person next to you holding their
little dog gets struck by lightning? How will you feel if your
motor home slides down the incline and crashes into other motor
homes and injures or kills someone? What if it’s your motor home
that gets struck? Just because we’re dog people and will brave
anything so the show will go on, doesn’t mean that bad things
don’t happen. It absolutely doesn’t mean we must encourage bad
things to happen.
DELAY JUDGING: This is a decision
made by the Show Chairman with input from the Show Superintendent.
Sometimes traffic or weather concerns may prompt the club to want
to discuss the delay of judging.
There are some determinations to
make. Look around. Does it appear that most of the people with
opening hour judging are on the grounds? If so, there’s no
reason to delay judging. Are there large numbers of people running
breathlessly up to the desk desiring to make move-ups because the
traffic is backed up for miles? Look at the grooming tent, is it
empty-looking? Are there numbers of folks making their way to the
rings? Is the problem an accident that has tied up a major road to
your site? Is the road into your site backed up for miles? Then
perhaps judging should be delayed for a time. You as Show Chairman
will have to make this determination with input from your
Superintendent. Usually ½ hour is enough of a delay. DO NOT delay
the judging the rest of the day for ½ hour; have the judges play
catch-up. In most cases, the judges will be able to catch up by
lunch time and the schedule will hold true for the afternoon, so
there will not be big problems when it gets to be Group time.
If the problem is weather-related,
remember this: it’s usually better NOT to delay judging.
Usually, when weather is bad, most folks have had the sense to
leave earlier in the morning (or the night before) to get there.
Also remember this: the weather may be bad in the morning, but it
could be a heck of a lot worse later in the day. You are better
off to go ahead, start judging, go forward with the show and get
the folks out of there in good time so they can journey home. It
is going to depend upon what the actual conditions are that you
face at that time.
Suppose judging has begun but some
condition presents that would make it unsafe to continue judging.
If there is a sudden thunderstorm that is accompanied by lightning
and/or high winds there is no question the safety of the
exhibitors and the animals is the priority. Lightning kills. If
the show is outside and there is lightning you must get people out
from under the tents. They need to go into an available building
or back into their vehicles. If there are high winds people should
be out from under the tents. High, gusting winds can come under
the tent, lift it up, loosen tent poles and collapse the tent, all
of which can cause injuries.
If these conditions exist, the Show
Chairman and Superintendent need to discuss SUSPENDING JUDGING
until the storm passes. You will need enough personnel to remove
people from under the tents. You will need to make many
announcements. If you have access to weather reports or are able
to call for weather information, this can help with your decision.
If it is late in the day, and conditions permit, the Chairman and
Committee may need to entertain the possibility of having two,
three or more Groups at a time if space and completion of breeds
and judge availability permits. You should also involve your AKC
Rep in these discussions; however, this is the club’s decision.
Remember, the Rep is there to back you up, as well as offer input.
If your weather information
indicates worsening conditions, or, if inspection of the site
indicates it will be hazardous to continue on the site, it may be
necessary to discuss SUSPENDING THE SHOW (an action that takes
place after the show has started). The Show Chairman and the
Committee need to make this decision. Your Superintendent, as part
of his/her duty to your club and to the show, may bring up this
possibility for your consideration. Remember, your Superintendent
is looking at this from the standpoint of the best action for
everyone concerned. The site must be looked at with ONLY the
safety and well-being of the exhibitor and the animals uppermost
in mind. Is the possibility high an exhibitor or dog could be
seriously hurt because of the conditions? Have you already
witnessed an exhibitor or dog fall/slip due to the ground
conditions? Is the possibility high conditions will not improve,
or, if they will, the grounds are in such condition they will
continue to be hazardous even if you wait it out?
If tenting is involved, are
conditions such that the collapse of the tenting is a real
possibility? Is the ground too soft to hold the tent poles? Are
you able to erect the tents? Are the tent poles unable to be
secured? Are they flying out at exhibitors/dogs? What about
conditions in the parking/grooming areas? Will vehicles be able to
leave safely? If there are possibilities vehicles could be stuck,
has the club made arrangements for towing? What will be the impact
on the grounds?
If the Show Chairman and the Show
Committee are entertaining the decision to suspend the show, the
determination must be made whether the show is at a point where
all breed judging can be completed and then not have Groups/BIS.
If the show has obedience, the determination must be made whether
those classes with jumps (Open and Utility) can proceed, or if
only Novice may be held. Whatever is decided IT MUST BE ANNOUNCED
MANY, MANY TIMES.
CANCELLING A SHOW (an action that
takes place prior to the opening of the show) is another serious
matter decided by the Show Chairman and Committee. This is another
serious decision for a club that must be made with the safety of
the exhibitors and their dogs uppermost in mind. There is usually
some indication prior to the day of the show that conditions may
be dire enough to prompt consideration of this action. For
example, heavy snowfall, serious ice storm, torrential rains,
flooding, hurricane warnings, prolonged period of high heat, state
closures of roads, state warnings for residents to stay in their
homes, closures of airports (may mean judges cannot get to the
show), serious problems with the show site as a consequence of one
of the above-mentioned items, etc. In such cases COMMUNICATION is
the key.
If the Superintendent’s truck has
not left for the show it is very important to keep close
communications between the Superintendent and your Club. It is
important to let the set-up crew know these conditions exist
before they leave and they should keep in close touch with the
office in case a decision should be made to cancel. If the truck
is on site and the Chairman and Committee is making this decision,
it is very important the Superintendent KEEP IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH
THEIR OFFICE. Remember, exhibitors will call the
Superintendent’s office for any information on whether the show
is going forward. The Show Chairman and Show Committee will need
to consider all the items noted above regarding suspending, in
addition to the breaking weather information (snow and ice are not
the only weather concerns), state closures, warnings, etc., that
may be serious enough to warrant cancelling the show.
If the decision is made to cancel
the show it is extremely important your club produce enough
signage to cover any possible entrance to the show site. If
possible, you should have personnel there in shifts to advise
anyone who does show up (yes, some will still show up) the show
has been cancelled. In addition, your club should notify all local
radio stations and television stations of the cancellation. Once
the Superintendent is advised the show has been cancelled we can
advise any callers and we can also post a notice on the web site.
If any show is delayed, suspended
or cancelled there are no refunds to exhibitors and a statement in
your premium list should cover this. Many people do not understand
that even if you cancel the show, your club still has expenses.
For example, you still have the show site rental. If you were
outside and tents were erected, they did their job. You will get
an invoice. If your judges flew in or drove in the night before,
you have expenses. You have invoices from the Trophy company.
Premium lists have been printed and mailed, ID’s have been
printed and mailed, prize ribbons and rosettes have been made, ads
have been typeset, catalogs have been printed. You have lost the
additional revenue important to your club – concession fees,
catalog sales, gate (this is revenue that sometimes makes the
difference in whether your club has turned a profit on the show).
If there was prize money to be awarded and you have been unable to
complete or start the show, the prize money would be handed over
to your club along with the settlement and check. When was the
last time prize money paid your bills?
The decision to cancel a show is
stressful and traumatic for a club. You have serious
considerations and it may seem you are “damned if you do, damned
if you don’t.” You will have people who stayed at home who
will agree with you. You will have people in attendance at your
show who will agree with you. You also will have exhibitors,
agents, concessionaires and spectators who are rude,
unsympathetic, uncaring about anything other than their own
situation. These are precisely the folks who will be first to
berate you and your club if something happens to them. You truly
will have to be the “Daddy” and make the best informed
decision based upon what’s best for all the people at your show.
You should be proud you acted responsibly and kept the fools safe
to show another day. They should thank you, but the majority
won’t. Sometimes it won’t be the popular decision, but it will
be the right one.
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Too
Many Shows ~ Cheap Champions etc.
By
Tom Crowe
They’re at it again; the purists
that refuse to live in the real world. They remind me of the fairy
tale of “The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg”. You all know
what happened to that poor creature. The idiot owner ate the
goose. All of you purists out there stop and really think about
too many shows. Do you really believe what you preach? Do you
really think having fewer shows will purify our shows and our
system? The success of our sport depends upon more people being
introduced to the “Wonderful World of Dogs”. Do you realize we
have a turnover in exhibitors of 40% per year? There’s more to
it than just finishing a dog to it’s championship. The “Roar
of the Greasepaint and the Smell of the Crowd”, is a very large
factor to be addressed. People use their dogs to satisfy an ego
that was never possible before they were introduced to dog shows.
Handlers and Judges as well as exhibitors are actors on a stage
and in the spotlight each time they take a dog into the ring or
fulfill an assignment. Do you want to deprive them of that
glorious feeling of being on stage or winning? Do you want to
deprive them of their bragging rights in their neighborhood? How
did you do today? I went winners. How did your dog do?
What about the social side of dog
shows, the dinners, the cocktail parties and the new and lasting
friendships? Will you decide which shows should be eliminated? Try
starting the eliminating process within your own club. Suggest to
your club members at your next meeting that there are too many dog
shows and that you are making a motion to discontinue your show.
They’ll kick you out of the club.
What’s the point of registering a
dog, aside from pride of ownership and the possibility it could be
shown? What’s a pedigree with no champions, even if it is as
long as your arm? Why bother at all? There are many great
companions in the city dog pound. “Dog Shows,” that’s why.
To make all of our dreams come true, to smell the crowds, to bask
in the glory of winning our first blue ribbon and thirsting for
more and bigger wins. Being a stranger in a crowded grooming area
and being accepted by everyone around you as a friend and fellow
exhibitor. Never mind your looks, your race, your dress or
anything except you are one of us, a dog lover. To have all of
this we must make dog shows available to the public. They must be
convenient for the novice and first timer. Traveling long
distances is for the judge chasers and the old timers looking to
establish records and reputations. The novice needs to be coddled
and welcomed to keep us alive as a sport.
Cheap Champions; there’s no such
animal. There are point makers. Occasionally one may win but not
in a crowd. Too many dog shows don’t make cheap champions. Too
many chicken-hearted judges make cheap champions. Not awarding
ribbons is the answer to that problem. The judge that fails to
withhold a ribbon for lack of quality is either not knowledgeable
enough to stand by his decision or afraid to displease an
exhibitor. In either case it’s not fair to the exhibitor nor to
the purpose of dog shows. An explanation to the exhibitor of the
reason for withholding can and should be given in an instructive
manner and a service is performed. A simple request to the
exhibitor to return to the ring later between breeds so an
explanation can be discussed is an easy way to handle this
situation but somehow it never seems to happen.
The feeling is that the point
system will suffer with more shows and poorer specimens will be
winning in less competition. Well, I have been in the business of
dog shows for more than 50 years and there are more and more dog
shows every year and that hasn’t happened yet and never will.
There are also more and more dogs entered in shows every year. The
quality is not deteriorating, in fact it is becoming better. Go
back to the old photos of the top winners and you will find they
would have a hard time competing in today’s crop of dogs.
I base all of the above upon facts
not upon opinions. We have a huge base of records in our computer
systems between the AKC and the Superintendents. That data base
makes it possible for us to prove we need more shows; more
exhibitors who will stay in the sport; more valid registrations
with DNA testing to establish credibility; more and better public
relations and less defamatory press within our own ranks. Lincoln
in all his wisdom said, “A house divided against itself cannot
stand”. This applies to those of us within the framework of the
AKC and every one of us who love the fancy.
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World
Dog Show 1999 Mexico City, Mexico
By Fred
Lyman
Soon the eyes of the dog world will
be focused on Mexico City, Mexico for the 1999 World Dog Show, an
FCI event. Plans are underway for the Show to be held in early
June 1999. The event will be hosted by the Mexican Kennel Club
under the guidance of Senora Thelma Von Thaden and Dr. Jose Luis
Payro.
The Mexican Kennel Club has
contracted with MB-F, Inc. to assist in the production of this
world class event. As some of you will remember, MB-F, Inc. was
very involved in the production of the World Dog Show 1997 in San
Juan, Puerto Rico. Even though the 1997 show had only 1,000
entries each day, it was a quality event and gave MB-F, Inc. a
great deal of experience in producing an event of this type. The
1999 World Show will be much larger with 3,000 plus entries each
of four days.
Even though MB-F, Inc. has 98 years
of experience in producing AKC events, the production of an FCI
event is quite different and requires a lot of communication with
the host country’s Kennel Club. The judging procedure is quite
different from that at AKC shows. The classes are basically judged
the same and awards are first, second, third, and fourth. The big
difference is that each placement also receives a rating of
excellent, very good, good, or satisfactory. In order to continue
in competition, the first place winner must also receive a rating
of excellent. After all classes are judged, a Best Puppy is
selected, a Best Junior is selected as well as Winners and Reserve
Winners. At the winners level, the judge must award points toward
a championship or withhold the points. At the Best of Breed level,
the award of Reserve Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, and
Reserve Best of Opposite Sex is made. There is no award at FCI
shows for Best of Winners. If two or more champions compete in the
Best of Breed Competition the judge may also award grand
championship points.
You may be wondering how I have
become so familiar with the FCI judging procedures. A few weeks
ago, I traveled to Acapulco to work with the Mexican Kennel Club
on the preparation of a premium list for the World Show to be
distributed in the United States On my arrival, I was given the
usual very cordial welcome by Dr. Payro and his staff. Little did
I know that I was about to be asked to fill in for a judge that
was unable to officiate at the Acapulco Kennel Club shows held on
Saturday and Sunday of that weekend (my friend, Raphael DeSantiago,
organizer of the Puerto Rico World Show, was not able to attend).
Well, the adventurous side of me took over and of course I decided
to help out my friend, Dr. Payro. On Saturday, I judged 200 dogs,
six groups, and Best Junior In Show. On Sunday, I judged 200 dogs,
three groups, Best Puppy In Show, and Best In Show. What a treat!
After 27 years in the dog business, and some A-1 great teachers
and some previous judging experience, I felt, as did Dr. Payro,
that I had the experience to do the job. I had a ball. One of the
great times of my life. I felt even better when I watched Roberto
Velez-Pico judge the breeds on Sunday that I had judged on
Saturday and award a great deal of the same placements that I had
made.
So you see, sometimes if you step a
little bit out of your ordinary world, you may find some truly
great experiences waiting for you. My philosophy of life is that
when you quit learning and experiencing new things, the end has
come. We should always be willing to learn and accept new
challenges. This is why Bob Christiansen and I agreed to produce
the World Dog Show in 1997 as well as 1999. A great deal of work,
but wonderful new and great learning experiences have been the
results of this decision.
Needless to say, MB-F, Inc. is very
proud to have been involved in the production of the 1997 World
Show. By the way, that was the first time this event has been held
in the Western Hemisphere. We look forward to producing a great
and quality event for the Mexican Kennel Club in June 1999.
If you or your Club would like more
information about the 1999 World Dog Show, please feel free to
call so we can get the information into your club’s hands. Try
it, you might like it. This event will be held in one of the
World’s largest cities in a very spacious, modern facility with
very good hotel accommodations within a short distance of the show
site. Mexico City is a very beautiful city, rich in history and
culture.
I look forward to seeing you in
Mexico City, and in the months between now and then at shows
around the USA.
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Guy’s
Corner
By Guy Walton
As I write this we are just
completing our nine-day cluster in Florida. I think everything
went well and the exhibitors and dogs fared well. The
superintendents and field reps naturally had their share of
off-the-wall questions. People for some reason at these shows were
interested in what dogs counted for points. They were concerned
about disqualified and excused dogs.
Really, it’s quite simple.
Disqualified dogs never count even if the disqualification occurs
in the breed (Groups and Best In Show). An excused dog never
counts because it was not eligible at the time class placement
awards were made. Dogs which are declared ineligible by the
American Kennel Club after the fact (too young, too old, not
qualified for Bred By Exhibitor, etc.) do count towards the
points.
It used to be that dogs declared
ineligible after the fact did not count. I know, I had the
unfortunate experience of having to finish a bitch three times!
After I thought I finished the first time (under Virgil Johnson),
I bred her only to find out the American Kennel Club disqualified
a dog. It took me over a year to recondition her after the
puppies. Well, I took her back out, supposedly finished her again
(under Louis Murr). Figuring lightning could not strike twice, I
bred her again as she had trouble coming into season. Well, lo and
behold, I received another American Kennel Club missile that
points were reduced due to ineligibility. Well, it took me another
year to recondition her. I took her out and finished her again
(under Vincent Perry). This time I did not breed her and after
many months, finally received my championship certificate. Don’t
you know she never came into season again.
In keeping with our editor’s
request for dog stories, I am submitting another “Justin
Wilson” Cajun story. I am also attempting to reflect the
colloquial Cajun accent.
“Justin” tells of a rich oilman
who upon seeing Justin said, “Juice-ton” (that’s his front
name, his behind name is still Wilson and he can’t did anything
about that). I’ve got all kinds of dogs (Licking pot hounds and
others), but have you ever heard of a sporting dog?” Justin
replied, “Yah.” “Well, can you told me what that is, Huh?”
Justin replied that, “A sporting dog is a dog what you took with
you in the field and if you don’t find the birds, he will find
them for you.” The oilman said, “You don’t mean to told me.
I gotta get me one of them. Can you told me where I can get one,
huh?” Justin said, “They’re very expensive.” He replied,
“I don’t care, I make more money in a day then I can spend.
Just tell me where they is?” Justin gave him the address of a
friend of his who was a breeder of sporting dogs. The oilman went
to see the breeder and said, “I’m looking to buy a sporting
dog. You got some of them, huh?” The breeder replied, “Hell,
yes, I’ve got the very best. You see that dog over there
(pointing to a Pointer), he’s the best in the country.” The
oilman said, “He don’t look like much to me. I can count every
rib from here.” The Cajun said, “Hold on there. You can talk
about my wife or my children, but don’t you talk about my dawg.
You take him out and if you like him, he’s your dawg, but if you
don’t like him, he’s my dawg, but let’s not talk about him
like that.” So off went the oilman. After 5 or 4 hours he
returned and the breeder asked him how he liked the dawg. “Oh,
he’s a nice dawg, he’s good dawg, he’s a sweet dawg, he’s
a wondermous dawg, I’ve got to have him.” The breeder said,
“He’s your dawg.” The oilman said, “You know I only had
one small problem with him at first. Going through the field, he
would brought hisself to a dead stop just like he put on his
emergency broke on. His head would be pointed straight ahead. He
would raise one front paw and his tail would be straight as a
rail. I would yell and shout, but I could not get him to move, but
after I beat the devil out of him 4 or 3 times, I broke him of
that habit.”
I believe Justin Wilson is one of
the great story tellers of all time.
FLASH It was reported that a dog
blew up downtown. No one was injured, however, 20 people were
overcome by fur. It also was reported that 100 to 150 fleas were
killed in the accident. (George Carlin 1975).
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Special
Show Spotlight
By Anna Tiedemann
MB-F has three offices as most
exhibitors know. There is an office in Greensboro that does
“Greensboro” shows with “Greensboro” superintendents and
an office in Madison Heights, MI that does “Detroit” shows
with “Detroit” superintendents, and our office in California.
Once in a while a Greensboro superintendent works with a Detroit
superintendent. That is how this Greensboro superintendent got to
work with Scott Singleton of the Detroit group at the Echo Hills
Kennel Club shows in Troy, Ohio.
The first time we worked together
at these shows was in 1996. Scott had told me how nice the members
were and that he thought I would enjoy doing their show. I was
very surprised to see how many members were present for the setup
day. Everyone had a job to do and they didn’t waste time getting
it done.
On the days of the back-to-back
shows I observed the members carrying out their responsibilities.
They had their own walkie-talkies for communication with each
other and stayed in touch often. There were also a number of golf
carts to cover the different areas of the fairgrounds. Judges’
hospitality was located under a special tent and the hospitality
committee was always on the go to the rings (and the
superintendent’s table) with refreshments.
Does all of this sound like a
number of shows you have attended? I guess you really needed to be
there to experience the enthusiam. There is such a welcoming
atmosphere at these shows from the time you arrive on the grounds
until you leave. It is a pleasure to watch a club work together
with enthusiasm and comraderie.
I was asked to go to Echo Hills
once again this year. I did not arrive early enough for setup day
but did see the members in action during the two shows. Again
their members stayed focused on putting on a great show. Again
everyone seemed to be having a good time. This year they added a
cookout on the grounds on Saturday night. The food was good and
inexpensive. They also had a band for those that wanted to dance
or just sit and listen. It’s my understanding this activity was
so well received, they are planning to do it again next year.
I don’t know if I will be asked
to go back next year, but I hope so. It is my pleasure to work for
Echo Hills Kennel Club and with their hardworking, dedicated
members.
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The
21st Century
By Tom Crowe
As Will Rogers used
to say, “All I know is what I read in the papers. For those of
you who don’t know who Will Rogers was I’ll explain; he was
the top humorist of his time. He was a satirist that stood the
politicians in Washington on their ears and they loved him. He
died in a plane crash with Wiley Post, a top aviator at that time.
The world lost two great men in the wilds of Alaska on that
fateful day. I was a youngster but I remember the lasso twirling,
gum chewing cowboy with the completely relaxed approach to all of
the major problems in the world at that time. He was a breath of
fresh air during one of the worst depressions the world has ever
known. Too bad we haven’t got him around these days. I would be
delighted to hear his thoughts concerning the Sport of Dog
Showing.
I guess this is a
subtle way of telling you some of my thoughts. I’ll begin with a
subtle quote of my own. “All I know is what I read in Dog
News.” For about the last two years most of what I have read is
how the AKC should wake up and make a lot of drastic changes to
prepare for the coming of the 21st Century. Now I have to admit I
had the same thoughts. I felt the giant was asleep, as did many
others. It was loudly acclaimed by the News that heads should roll
and the AKC was going to the Dogs. Make that, “Hell in a
handcart”. Skip the pun. Well, times change and so too the
editorials. Now the AKC has taken up the cudgel and they have in
the last year begun a marathon race into the Millennium. (Notice
the change from the 21st century to the new Millennium.) Witness
their Website. They have made more progress in one year than they
have in the last 20 years.
The News now must
take a different tack. Such as the horrendous mistakes being made
in almost every effort the AKC plans or tries. The aim is strictly
at the president and his new staff. The main critics claim is
“They are not dog persons”. My answer is, maybe we should have
turned the whole shebang over to business oriented personnel years
ago and gotten rid of all the politicians at the same time. There
are plenty of Doggy people on staff to act as advisors but the
real emphasis needs to be on the business rather than the
politics. From what I see the AKC will be well positioned for the
new millennium if the politicians and the News get behind the
effort now under way to reorganize and depoliticize the present
conditions.
Give our leaders
and staff a break. They know where they are going and it’s in
the right direction. At the recent meeting I attended in Raleigh
with some very knowledgeable “DOG PERSONS” it was quite
evident the leaders knew what they were talking about. They may
not be able to tell a Lakeland from a Welsh but they certainly
know their pixels from their MHz’s. They also know what their
problems are and how to solve them. It is very easy to criticize
after the fact but more is accomplished when everyone joins the
team and suggests and plans for the future. “ The Millennium”
-- It will be here the day after tomorrow no matter what.
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The
American Kennel Club
ROBERT P. RIO
Phone: (919) 854-0173
Assistant Vice President Fax: (919) 854-0151
Show Events Email: RPR@AKC.ORG
Memorandum
July 17, 1998
To: All AKC
Show-Giving Clubs All AKC Annually Licensed Superintendents
Subject:
Videotaping/Televising Guidelines
Policy adopted by
the AKC Board of Directors on July 13,1998:
A dog show or
obedience trial is a team effort. AKC establishes the rules and
guidelines; the show-giving club fulfills these requirements and
provides overall management and presentation through the Show
Committee, the judges, superintendents or show secretary.
Impressions that are taken home from the show by exhibitors and
spectators are a direct reflection upon the efforts of the
show-giving club, the AKC and the sport in general.
To assist clubs in
planning these media events, the following AKC Guidelines are
provided:
l A notice of the
videotaping/televising must be printed in the Club’s premium
list.
l A letter will be
required from the Club Secretary to AKC’s Event Plans and the
judging panel notifying of their intention to participate in a
media event.
l The Club has the
responsibility to correct all situations that might interfere with
the normal operation of the event.
l No camera person
or equipment will be allowed to be in a position to block the ring
entrance or the aisles leading to the ring.
l No lights or
other equipment that are distracting or would affect the
performance, health or welfare of the dogs, exhibitors and/or the
judge will be allowed.
l Any equipment
placed inside, above or around the ring must not interfere with
the normal judging procedures.
l Published judging
schedules may not be delayed to accommodate the videotaping.
l Judges are
required to exclude from the rings in which they are judging all
persons except the steward or stewards and the show attendants
assigned to the ring and those actually engaged in exhibiting.
(Chapter 7, Section 16 of Rules Applying to Dog Shows)
5580 CENTERVIEW
DRIVE, SUITE 200 l RALEIGH, NC 27606-3390
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In this issue of our Newsletter
we would like to introduce our Chairman of the Board
and our newest trainees in the MB-F Superintending family.
LARRY & DARLENE NICHOLS
Larry and Darlene have both been
involved in pure bred dogs for about 22 years. Darlene has bred
and shown Basenji’s while Larry bred and showed Labrador
Retrievers and Clumber Spaniels. They have also owned and shown a
variety of other breeds including Flat-Coated Retrievers, Norwich
Terriers, Beagles, American Staffordshire Terriers, and a French
Bulldog.
For the past 12 years, they have
been professional handlers, handling mostly Sporting, Working, and
Herding breeds. Both are members of the Professional Handlers’
Association and are Certified Professional Handlers. Larry is
currently serving on the Board of Governors of the PHA.
Prior to being a professional
handler, Darlene worked as a handler’s assistant for five years.
Larry has been the show chairman of all-breed and local as well as
national breed specialties and has been a show secretary for a
national specialty. He has served as an officer and/or director of
all-breed kennel clubs and national and local specialty clubs.
Larry was also a working member of the Eastern Pennsylvania
Stewards Association for eight years. Both have judged a number of
matches and sweepstakes.
For the past 14 years, Darlene has
worked for a printing and advertising specialties company in
Gaithersburg. She is currently in sales, promoting business forms,
ad specialties and other printed material.
Larry had a 25-year career in
Information Technology, starting as a computer programmer in 1968.
He held a variety of management and analyst positions in
government and the private sector and was most recently the
Network Manager at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He left that career in
1992 to become a full-time professional handler.
Darlene is a Maryland native and
has lived there all her life. Larry was born and raised in Ohio,
lived in Virginia for 12 years and has lived in Maryland for the
past 23 years. They met at dog shows, of all things, and were
married in 1986.
Larry has two sons, David and
Daniel, and they now have five grandchildren, all living in
Virginia Beach.
Larry and Darlene started with MB-F
in May of this year, in training as Superintendents.
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Tom
Crowe, MB-F Chairman of the Board
Tom Crowe, a native of Monessen,
PA., was with the former Bow Dog Show Organization in 1963 as
Treasurer & Vice President. He has more than 50 years
experience in the sport of pure bred dogs as an exhibitor, as a
professional handler for 15 years, and as a licensed
superintendent for over 35 years.
He was a regular columinst for two
years with Popular Dogs magazine, a member of the Board of
Governors of the Professional Handlers Association, and the Editor
of PHA Bulletin.
In 1961 he was the recipient of the
Ken-L-Ration Award as handler of the top winning dog in the
Eastern Division of the U.S. In July of 1963 he was the organizer
and chairman of the First Educational Conference of the
Professional Handlers’ Association. He is presently active on
the Professional Handlers Certification Board and a Director on
the AKC Canine Health Foundation Board.
He served in World War II as a
pilot and navigator and for several years following the war was
employed by the U.S. Army. He held a license as a Commercial
Instrument Rated Pilot until recently. He studied at Case School
of Applied Science and the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in
Metallurgical Engineering and General Medicine. He holds a
doctorate in Medicine, but his interests in dogs and dog shows
have kept him too active to even consider another way of life.
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Club
Spotlights
Share with our readers your club
and what makes it special. Give us some club history, number of
members, what you do in your community, charitable acivities,
special things you do during your show to make it the best day
possible. If you have photos to illustrate ~ GREAT! (Be sure to
clearly identify and provide a name and address for their return).
Send your article to: Club
Spotlights MB-F Newsletter P.O. Box 22107 Greensboro, NC 27420
Ask
the Superintendent
(Some of the
most frequently asked questions answered by our superintendents)
Q: I am curious why your staff will
not tell you when you phone if an entry for a show was received.
If you know your entry has not been received, you at least have
the option of entering via fax before the closing deadline.
A: Our staff is following AKC
policy. AKC does not permit checking of entries prior to closing.
If someone does, they are in violation of this policy. The reason
this policy is in effect is essentially to protect you and the
integrity of the competition. When you call there is no way to
identify you. Suppose you have stiff competition and you are
trying to avoid going to a show where that dog is entered. You can
look in a catalog where that dog was shown, get the dog’s name
and registration number, call to see if it was entered and then
enter a different show, thereby changing the competition and
avoiding competing against that dog. You do have the option of
resubmitting entries using any of the various methods. As long as
the entry is an exact duplicate the system would kick it out as a
duplicate and your entry fee would be returned or your credit card
would not be charged.
Q: When my dog is finished I want
to do obedience with him, eventually hoping to attain at least his
CD title. After that my long term goal is for him to be a therapy
dog. First, does he have to be in his show coat (which is a
natural coat) for obedience trials, or can I have his coat
trimmed? Second, are there additional professional courses that I
have to take with him to train him for therapy, or is just being a
very loving, very well-behaved dog satisfactory?
A: Good for you and your dog!
First, your dog can be clipped down to show in obedience. Second,
in order to do therapy work most places, due to working around
wheel chairs, etc., require the AKC’s CGC and/or the TDI
(Therapy Dog Int). TDI info can be obtained from them at 6 Hilltop
Rd., Mendham, NJ 07945.
Q: Don’t all clubs now offer the
12-18 class? How do I know?
A: No, they don’t. The 12-18
class is optional and it is up to the individual club whether to
offer it. All classes offered at a show are listed in the Breed
Classification pages of the club’s premium list. (As an
interesting side note: Do you realize Winners Class is only
allowed at shows where American-bred and Open Classes are given?)
Q: I sent entries for several shows
at one time. One entry did not have a class on it and it was
returned. Why couldn’t you take the class from my other entries?
A: Believe us when we say we would
rather take your entry than return it. However, AKC does not
permit us to assume that just because you wanted to be in a
certain class at other shows that you would want to be in the same
class on that day. We process more than 750,000 entries a year,
many of which are for circuits or clusters. You would be amazed at
the frequency with which exhibitors change classes within a
circuit or a cluster - sometimes it’s a different class each
day! There are days when the classes are divided (and we must have
that division in order for the entry to be valid). And, there are
days when exhibitors add juniors or obedience OR remove. If you
had a daytime phone number or email address noted on your entry
form we do attempt to contact you at least once, if there is
sufficient time for you to get an answer to us. We are not
required to contact you, but we do try as a courtesy.
We would like to hear from you!
Do you have a question to Ask the
Superintendent? Just jot it down or email it to:
ASK THE SUPERINTENDENT MB-F
Newsletter PO Box 22107 Greensboro, NC 27420 E-mail: mbf@infodog.com
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MB-F
Video Available
A video depicting the MB-F Dog Show
Organization and the work they do as superintendents was debuted
at the 1998 Westminster show.
The newly released video was mailed
to all Licensed, Member and Sanctioned All-Breed Clubs and to all
National Parent Clubs during the month of March. A copy of the
video was sent to each Club Secretary along with a letter
explaining a bit about the Video and noting it was a good
possibility for a club program (it runs approximately 19 1/2
minutes). For your convenience, it is a regular size VHS cassette.
If you have not seen this video,
please inquire of your Club Secretary. If, for some reason, your
Secretary did not receive the video and you would like your club
to view it, please get in touch with the MB-F office in
Greensboro, NC. You may call on our toll-free club business line
800-334-0813, or drop us a note at P.O. Box 22107, Greensboro, NC
27410 requesting the video and giving us your name, title, your
club’s name and complete mailing address.
We believe you and your club
members will find the video interesting and informative and would
like to hear your comments after viewing it.
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