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Copyrighted Published 2001 TNT, YTM . The most important thing in the Olympic games is not to win but to take part just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well." - Baron DeCoubertin. Founder of the modern Olympic Games . . I was reading an interesting news article on the little town of Jupiter Florida REQUIRING all parents of little league players to take a course in sportsmanship prior to their children being allowed to participate in the league. If they did not take it, then their child would not be allowed to practice or play in any game. It gives me pause to think has the good stewardship of our canine sport been considered properly? Should we require everyone who wants to participate in showing and breeding dogs to take a course on sportsmanship prior to allowing them to compete? Just think of what a change that would make in the ring, in communicating with each other, in all aspects of the "sport of purebred dogs! . Imagine a pastime in the 1700 and 1800 in which royalty, aristocrats and commoner, men and women, amateur and professional publicly compete on an equal basis. In an age defined by rigid class structures, the dog show concept represented a uniquely egalitarian British sporting event which soon spread around the world--and still exists today in surprisingly similar condition. However, gone from the event are many of the governing mores of the long ago time. Much like the Olympic Games, The Kennel Club remains the original registry and hosting for this now worldwide sport. . Having been around the dog show game for more than a couple of years now, <grinning, as suffice to say more then 35 years have passed in an instant>. I have come to realize that the dog show game, like almost all modern sporting or competitive activities, has people involved that cover the complete spectrum of human behavior. People react to wins and losses in entirely different ways. It seems their expectations coming into a dog show are far different from one another as well. Some have worked their way up to that star canine others have bought the brightest star of some breeder then poured lots of funding behind it to make it the greatest ever in that breed. . I went into showing dogs because I wanted to have pride in showing/owning a fine breed representative. This pride was more than doubled when I was associated with the breeding of it, dog or bitch. I have met many fine people as a result of my canine experiences that I enjoy calling friend, but on the other hand, I have also encountered some rather difficult people too. . In recent years, more so then in the 1960 and 1970s, I have found more and more of the ugly type of ringside rumors and now because the wide spread internet use, these rumors are as well spun to those who were not even at the ringside! By that I mean that at any given day at a show you will hear the ringside "judges" (on equal to the armchair quarterbacks) emphatically state "Ch. Jack Yorkie has this in the bag, we all could have sent in a photo for all the chances we have of winning" and so on. . This ringside rumoring is really setting up the mind and emotions for a loss by negating the wins of the animals being judged. If, Ch. Jack Yorkie wins, well by golly, then ringside was right and the officiating judge must not know what they are doing and everyone should NOT enter under that judge in the future and teach them! If, Ch. Jack Yorkie were to lose, it would only give credence to the "quality" of the other animals in the ring and that the officiating judge just did not have a good enough selection the last time they saw and rewarded "Jack" but today they did. Of course then everyone is encouraged to enter under this judge now and if Jack is again in the ring the cycle begins again. . Frankly, in my 35 plus years of competing, one thing and one thing only have I found to be a fact: On entering a show, there is a 50/50 chance I will win; there is also a 50/50 chance that I will lose. Even up odds usually, which is what keeps us coming back for more! If I stack the deck with my breeding I can in fact sway some of those odds to my favor. . As a degreed statistician I can tell you that a top dog should win 3 out of 5 times. That's a 60% chance that they will indeed win. I could go further on the statistics but you get the drift. It usually starts with one or more judges "getting behind" an animal and "discovering" it. . To increase your chances of winning, one of the first things you are taught in this sporting event is to "keep a book" on the judges. Keep and review these detailed records always as they are your records of your opinions, not someone who may not look at the competing animals and the quality of judging in the same light. This book should not be shared as it can cause grave ill feelings since your notes will be misinterpreted and misused by anyone other than you. . For example, remember when Judge John Hancock (a sporting dog breeder and former handler) put Jack Yorkie only 4th in a very weak toy group. This should lead you to the realization that Jack Yorkie was a bit long in the hock with lack of angulation expected by a sporting dog breeder or former handler from the sporting group. Therefore, Jack Yorkie's handler/owner should try to find out which Judges put great emphasis on that or came from the sporting breeds and might penalize the dog as a result. . If, Jack Yorkie then was not shown to those judges who came from the sporting background or handled sporting dogs in their former lives you would see his winning percentage increased by 15 to 20% on the average (found by taking the average number of shows in an area, the number of times a judge repeats in that same area, number of competitors in breed or group levels and so on). It's like any of the human sport managers looking at his players' statistics in making out his line-up. If, winning is everything to you then that is the way to go, as it will indeed increase your chances to win. . Over the past 35+ years I have come to realize another thing and that is winning doesn't come free; it always costs something! Operating by statistics alone you can win and win big! Just by traveling all over the country to judges that like what you have to show will greatly increase the rankings of Jack Yorkie's statistical rankings in both breed and all breed! Small, obscure out of the way show with the right line up of judges will reward Jack time and time again with the big win! The owners/handlers of Jack have to wonder do they really have the best of the best? Or is it their intent to only win the point race statistically as recorded by the dog magazines and make up excuses as to why the dog can't be shown to all or win against all comers. But the ringside "judges" then begin to say that Jack Yorkie can't beat all competition under all conditions and judges and therefore he can't be a real Champion of Champions, can he? Good sportsmanship on the part of all? . For some unfortunate people learning how to lose always eludes them. It is as important as learning how to win. It's the other side of the coin. . I was aghast to hear of a competitor in the Yorkie ring who went rushing over to a well respected judge, after losing the breed to another, to tell them that every animal (but theirs of course) that day was dyed. Even when the judge stated they did not want to discuss this, the exhibitor continued. Who knows if the animals in question was or not, the judge had made their decision. "Good sportsmanship" says that you accept gracefully your defeats as well as your wins! . Let's be honest, no loser can be termed "happy" by any stretch of the imagination. Turn to the person standing next to you and remark about the poor job of judging and chances are that another soul mate will be found. What's hard about that? . However, praise the judge for his ability in placing the best dogs (even if they are not your style within the breed or are owned/bred by someone who has been "clubbed" in the breed) and odds are you will be greeted by cold stares, dirty looks, nasty remarks and what have you. . For the majority exhibition in these elimination contests are, by necessity, losers and the winners are few. The further you progress in the climb towards Best In Show the farther the drop is when you are eliminated from further competition. And if you are highly statistically ranked that fall becomes harder each time you are thanked but dismissed. . For some reason or another it seems to be a characteristic of human nature to elevate one's self (in the dog show arena via one's animals) by denigrating those belonging to others, or bred by others. Everyone, at one time or another, has been guilty of this to some degree. It might have been due to a slip of the tongue or, in other cases quite deliberately intended. It is usually those on the threshold of success, perhaps who have bred a champion or two or they have their first top ranked animal, who are the worst offenders. They are striving so desperately to attain their goals that they not only give little heed to the consideration of others but also deliberately attempt to undermine the accomplishments of others. The very same accomplishments that have eluded them in breeding or exhibiting, in most instances. . Another offender in many cases is the mentor being surpassed by the student. It is human nature to not want to allow the perceived child to grow up and to have ones feelings "hurt" if the child begins to surpass you, more so after all you did for them. . It's hard to be a winner by any standard and by anyone. To be a winner is the goal of all in these dog events. However, when that goal is reached it often becomes nothing more than a hollow victory. Your dog has won, you're thrilled, elated, on "cloud nine" and you want to shout about it from the rooftops and let the world in on your joy. But you don't - or you have learned not to because, let's face it, YOU are happy but most of the other exhibitors are not! How many of you hear sincere congratulations when you win the points, Best of Breed, Group 1 or Best In show? There is polite "congrats" stated but when you look around unless it is an entourage of your making, the crowd immediately dissipates with mutterings under the breath! . To have one's dogs' accomplishments greeted by indifference or snide remarks surely takes the joy out of those achievements, becoming just the opposite. So, after having come up against this rather standard treatment, the winner keeps his happiness to himself or shares with a few friends. If you share with more you are considered a braggart. And if you don't share the stories, the "rumors" are that you "know you should not of won which is why you did not say anything". It really is so much easier to mutter under your breath and grumble you were robbed or the judge was stupid because the majority sympathetically side with the losers. If you want to always have lots of friends in the game, just keep losing! If you want encouragement then keep making points for others and they will be happy to accommodate you! . To be a winner is not easy no matter how desired this position is by many. As a breeder to consistently come up with winning dogs year after year places you in the position of being a prime target for all the unsuccessful, jealous, petty breeders striving for success. Even those who mentored you to begin with are sometimes over taken by human nature, when student begins to surpass teacher. . What has been lost since the Victorian days? Now instead of wishing on our breed on in the ring, as they are representing your breeding and carrying the banner for the breed the majority walk away from the breed ring muttering as losers and quickly dispersing from the show. . We have all become so self absorbed that we choose to ignore animals that compete in anything but the beauty contests of conformation. What about the other sporting events for our breeds are they truly less important? When was the last time you applauded the High In Trial or the Agility Champion or the Top Junior? . In conformation rings we are all so busy finding the faults and talking about the animal, or its owner/breeder, that we lose sight of its virtues and the fact that it is representing your animal too on that day and time and deserves your support for the representation of the breed as far as it can make it in that days elimination contest. . Where is the sportsmanship? . The next time you attend a show, no matter your opinion, what about being a good sport and supporting the animal that wins all the way through the competition to Best In Show if possible. What about yahooing on the animal that wins in other than conformation. They are after all representing your breed to hundreds and in the officiating judges opinion was the best that day . Let's hear it for being sports again. Or if not let's see if the AKC will make the sportsmanship course mandatory to all who which to compete in the wonderful world of purebred dogs... |
