Page 170 - ShowSight - October 2019

Ed note: Readers: Years ago I asked my good friend, the late Frank Oberstar, the secret of his
IN A WORD...
success; Frank was Show Chair for the revered Western Reserve/Ravenna cluster for many years, and instrumental in many other events and clubs. He responded “I detail. Right down to
HOUSTON
the smallest item. If you detail, the big things come together by themselves.”
FROM THE EXECUTIVE EDITOR EMERITUS
The other say I started thinking of all the helpful information I’ve picked up from show chairs,
Joseph Neil McGinnis III
or through trial-and-error as a show chair myself; hence, ShowSight’s newest department:
WHO’S RUNNING THE SHOW?
SUCCESSFUL SHOW CHAIRS SHARE THEIR TIPS, TRICKS—AND HOPEFULLY—SECRETS
EPISODE ONE
Dr. Michael Knight, Show Chair (23 years!) for Texas Kennel Club
My journey to becoming the Texas Kennel Club Show Chairman started in 1977 when I bought my first show dog, a St. Bernard. A short time later, I started showing Afghan Hounds as a Junior. I showed and bred six Afghan Hounds before getting into Standard Poodles. I continue to show Standard Poodles under the Myarka Kennel name. We are in our sixth generation of our breeding program.
Starting out with Standard Poodles, we searched for a local breed club to help guide and mentor us in our new breed. We joined the Lone Star Poodle Club in Dallas, Texas. I held positions within the club as the Lone Star Poodle Club Show Chairman and President for many years. Being the Breed Club Show Chairman taught me so much about what is needed to put on a show, the process for getting the paperwork and premium list ready for the show, as well as attaining show approved by the American Kennel Club. I’m still very active in the Lone Star Poodle Club.
My dear friend, an incredible lady and mentor, Doris Cozart, introduced me to the Texas Kennel Club, an all-breed club in Dallas, Texas. I became Show Chairman after being a member for only two years. I have held this position for over 20 years now. We have put together Confirmation Shows, Obedience Trials and Agility Trials.
During my tenure with the Texas Kennel Club and again, with the guidance of Doris Cozart, I became a member of the Poodle Club of America. I have always maintained a job on one of the committees at the Poodle Club of America’s National Specialty, further expanding my knowledge of the many facets that go into putting on a show. Some of the jobs I have done at our seven day, Poodle Club of America National Show have been: selling catalogs, helping with decorations,
and later serving as decorations chairman. I managed the process of getting hotel reserva- tions for the exhibitors and run- ning the hospitality room for our foreign visitors and judges. I made—what seemed like—hun- dreds of sandwiches, for the Poodle Club of America Hunt Trials. When I found out that the ducks had to die for the hunt tri- als, I tried to buy them all and save them. (Doris asked me to step away from the “duck truck” at the trials.) I have since be- come the Poodle Club of Amer- ica Second Vice President in charge of all Affiliate Clubs across the country. Through all of these big and little jobs and serving on these various Com- mittees it has taught me some- thing additional about the “behind the scenes” work of put- ting on a successful Dog Show.>
168 • ShowSight Magazine, october 2019