Well, for the second time in three years, the Kennel Club of Palm Springs was severely threatened by tumultuous weather conditions. In 2005, the rains were so torrential in nature, they caused a move from one polo field to the one they presently use. This year, those Santa Ana winds decided to cause havoc with the grounds and the tenting, forcing the cancellation of the Friday specialties. Believe me when I tell you, hearing those tent poles break, which were holding 400-square-feet of tentage each, sounded like a jet breaking the sound barrier. Furthermore, the wind whipped up a scene reminiscent of one from “Lawrence of Arabia.” Who could have blamed anyone for thinking that the two all-breeds would not be cancelled, too? The grounds were in total shambles. To the everlasting credit of the Grasso's, again, and Sergio Brown's The Crew, which worked al night, on early Saturday morning, albeit two hours late, judging did commence, and the show took place. True, there were no large tents—it was “California Shows” circa mid-'80s/early '90s. I'm sure other Club members were involved as well in working through the night, but with the Grasso's and The Crew, a miracle was truly carried out in the most adverse of situations. Sunday was back to perfect weather, and so what could have been a disastrous show scene turned into another weekend of comparatively easy show-going competition.
There was a mite over 4,000 dogs entered on Saturday, and a mite under 4,000 on Sunday. Absentees appeared to be minimal, notwithstanding the Friday scare. Unusually, a number of East Coast dogs showed up. Some did well, others not so well. Typical dog show scene. The first night, which ended late due to the lateness of judging (no catch-up played because of the two-hour wait), was won by the Standard Poodle bitch that won PCA, Ch. Brighton Minimoto. She was shown so beautifully by Chris Manelopoulos. The finale was cold and late, so I did not stay until the end. On the other hand, Sunday ended reasonably early—close to 6PM—in the cold but not as cold as the previous night. Winner was the English Setter, long a favorite of mine, Ch. Stagedoor Rock It Man, handled, as usual, to perfection by Jorge Oliver. This was a good, strong line-up for Best, which was extremely competitive.
I understand the Del Mar Racetrack Syndicate has purchased the ground of the Empire Polo Club, which is the venue for the show. Hopefully, this will have no ill effect upon the status of the venue for this show, which is definitely one of the best, if not the best, venue in America for a dog show. If you have never been to this show at this venue, you owe yourself a treat by attending it.
I must comment on the fact that AKC not only is suspending people now based on Internet chat room statements—when and if complaints are filed, which in itself may be a questionable, particularly when the statements are made by an exhibitor and not a judge—but AKC is refusing to tell the person who made these statements who the complainer is. I mean, really, if you are being complained about, don't you have the right to know who is doing the complaining? I would think so, for sure. •