Page 62 - ShowSight - December 2019

Angles, Withers, Shoulders
CONFORMATION DOG SHOW JUDGES
BY DR. ANDREA BRADFORD
AND MORE...
O WE GET WHAT WE WANT?
PART 3 — HOW DF
Michelle Scott
My granddaughter joined me in bed yesterday
irst of all, • There are too many shows and that has required too many
given that the judges to be approved to cover the shows;
mt h i n o g s r w n e i w n a n g t a n d • Ww e a a r n e a t p e p r d o v i t n o g t h w e w a r t o c n g h p e c o p a l e r t t o o j u o d g n e , s a n . d T m h a k e i n g t h e
show she wanted to watch had cartoon animal
are sometimes process to become approved so difficult that the right people
contradictory, we
a l w a y s g e t f wr h i a e t n w e d w s a n t t h a t w a a j u nd g t e ; e d t o w i n a t r i v i a c o n t e s t
(apologies to
the Roll- •
varying education and •
We need a different venue for “new judges” to learn by doing;
can’t are not willing or able to go through what it takes to become
and they nominated their friend, an owl, to
We are approving breeds too rapidly and no one can ade-
ing Stones). We know quately learn so many breeds adequately in the time frames
compete. The owl apparently knows every-
that we have judges with between application and approval;
thing but during practice gets a
training, and a wide vari- • We need a way to provide feedback that is meaningful to the ation in hands on experi- judges and actionable by AKC.
question wrong, has a meltdown, becomes
ence in the ring. We do Are there too many shows? If there were fewer shows and fewer
paranoid, overly anxious, has a panic at-
not want all judges to judges, would that improve the quality of judging? Would it mean
tack and locks herself in her house. I as-
have the same opinion that judges would have better entries, better experience, and more
about everything, but we exposure to low entry breeds? Entries seem to have decreased in
do want thseuir ompineiodns two hshaotwswacorosus lthde ccouontmry, eincnludeinxgtthwoseoaurealsdthabt ehave fewer
be based in the Breed Standards with attention to type, structure shows. We have, in some areas more than others, deserted our com-
teaching the owl how to deal with mistakes, become more resilient,
and function. We all have opinions about what has happened in the munities for venues in the area of another club, and for four and ring and what needs to happen. It seems rare that we work together five day clusters of shows. Exhibitors are now able to choose where
and learn how to handle bumps in the road - what a great teaching
to try to come to some definition of what the problem is and how they exhibit and who they exhibit to in a way that was not possible
moment! I couldn't have been more wrong.
to make it better. in the past. Would they go back to entering at shows with larger What, then, is the problem that we seem to have? The things entries where there would consistently be more losing than win-
Instead, they made it about the other competitor cheating and chang-
heard consistently include: ning? Has winning become more important than comparing your
ing an answer so that the owl's answer was actually correct and they all felt vindicated. Hooray?!? Really? This is what
we're teaching the next generation?
“WE DO NOT WANT ALL JUDGES TO HAVE THE SAME OPINION ABOUT EVERYTHING, BUT WE DO WANT THEIR OPINIONS TO BE BASED IN THE BREED STANDARDS WITH ATTENTION TO TYPE, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION.
WE ALL HAVE OPINIONS ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE RING AND WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. IT SEEMS RARE THAT WE WORK TOGETHER TO TRY TO COME TO SOME
DEFINITION OF WHAT THE PROBLEM IS
others ask questions. I
tm
me
mor
w
rear—
th through the sti-
AND HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER.”
I tend to ask a lot of questions so I really appreciate when straight in hock and stifle. The second picture is a properly
akes
e aw
know, what I need to learn, and what others may need to learn.
I was asked what I meant by "rear angles" so I found some pictures to illustrate. The first picture is a straight rear—
60 • ShowSight Magazine, DeceMber 2019
fle and hock. The third picture is an overangulated rear— with excessive bend and width through the stifle and hock. Ideally you want to draw a plumb line from the pinbone to the ground. The front of the toes should touch the line. >
are of
hat I
ang
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ted
with
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od
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