2013 wk25

Since my last notes there have been three shows with FS classes – SKC with CCs, Bath and Southern Counties, the latter two without CCs. The entries were six, seven and nine respectively.

At SKC just four reached the ring, including the only male dog, Ch Kunniakas Look No Further for Whittimere, now owned by William Croxford, who took DCC and BOB. In bitches, one was absent (in season) and another was so spooked by the hall atmosphere and loud PA system she was rightly withdrawn.

The judge was Miss D Spavin who awarded BCC to Drew and Susan Littlejohn’s Puulatva Minnie The Minx Wae Arcuilean and RBCC to Thompson and Cavill’s Toveri Piku, who had won her third CC a few days earlier. I have been informed that all judging at SKC is now held in permanent buildings as a result of past experiences of ground conditions outside.

At Bath without absentees specialist Irene Slater awarded BD and BOB to Clare and Brian Masters’ Toveri Peni, who had also won his title a few days earlier, and RBD to Look No Further. BB was Ch T Neiti, daughter of the BOB and in the same ownership, and RBB Abigail Rolfe’s Enkelini Kesa.

At Southern Counties with one absentee, under Finnish judge Tapio Eerola BD and BOB was Terry Dalley’s T Markku, with RBD going to Peni. BB was Neiti and RBB T Maikki, owned by Tanja Mortimer and son Calen Taylor, and a litter sister of the BOB.

The judge, at his first appointment in the UK, adopted a slightly different method in writing his notes, doing so as he judged each dog. Judging was therefore completed very quickly.

All the puppies shown recently have now grown up a bit and, therefore, no puppies were entered at any of the three shows.

Many readers will be aware that the Kennel Club has been reviewing the allocation of CCs and has decided that a large number of the smaller breeds will lose some of their allocations of CCs from 2016. Unfortunately this means that in FS we are scheduled to lose three sets. In a limited consultation we have been invited to suggest the shows we would agree should lose the CCs.

This does not seem to recognise the effects this is likely to have on the shows and the breeds which will lose the CCs, in that even if the shows continue to schedule the breeds, entries are likely to fall further. One has only to see the small entries at Bath and Southern Counties, and this year’s recent loss of classes at Windsor, to know smaller entries, or none, will mean a loss of revenue for the shows, with a possible knock-on effect for entry fees for remaining breeds.

Surely, a possible course of action would be, as suggested by others, an allocation of CCs for all scheduled breeds, with a clear instruction to judges that they must withhold if there is insufficient quality in the exhibits presented.

I am sure no judge would ever agree they have awarded CCs to friends’ dogs, but many exhibitors are convinced this happens – and this can also have an effect on the numbers entered.

 

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