Sat, 04/02/2022 - 12:24am

Time For a Revolution?

Or do we just have to accept a lot of changes happening in the world?

Or do we just have to accept a lot of changes happening in the world we are all – or seemingly a lot of us – virtually obsessed with?

It is amazing how these last two years have led to so many changes in our ways of life and what is considered acceptable behavior in relation to our friends, family and folks in general.

It is also very obvious that taking the place of our reality is all that virtual stuff – and with so many events cancelled during this period, a lot of time has been spent by so many looking into how the rest of the world runs their lives and anything involving purebred dogs and dog shows. And some of it might even affect our own lives.

One of the subject coming back and being promoted in some circles is of course the retirement issue! At what age should there be a “cut-off,” mandatory for all conformation judges. I have heard through the grapevine that there will be a suggestion that at the age of 75 all judging privileges should be removed – and “Judge Emeritus Status” automatically installed.

I have also heard rumors that an age limit for adding new breeds to your CV should be introduced – at the age of 60. Which to me in many ways makes sense. As years go by realize that the learning process is no longer  as easy as it once was. And seriously, if you by that age haven’t been able to achieve your goals in life …

There will be, according to the rumors, an exception for so called “breeder judges,” but even in this category new definitions could be introduced. If what has fizzled down to my ears – in the future  to qualify for that category you will have to bred at least 15 champions, which are all bred on your own premises – and then in addition they will have to be prepared and handled by yourself!

I think there is a great concern among the owner-handlers, as well as a number of professionals, mainly in breeds which require extensive grooming, that a large number of new judges approved under the current rules and regulations are not up to par with knowledge of coats, from acceptable texture and length to even at times color. As well as what amount of grooming is OK.

I have previously mentioned that in 1979 at the famous Stockholm International, three of the most prominent Swedish all-rounders were retired due to a new age limit of 70.

I think the authorities realized very soon that a huge mistake had been made. I thought they were all reinstated a couple of years later. But according to the very reliable Moa Persson, that never happened.

As many of you know already: In some countries it is very easy to obtain all-breed status.

I will never forget when I judged at a Swedish Terrier Derby many years ago alongside Ronnie Irving and a few other British Terrier specialists, they had just introduced a rule saying that to judge the group (called Best in Show at this show) you had to be an approved judge for every breed in that group.

So the choice had to be a 25-year-old all-rounder from an Eastern European country who had been involved in the sport for all of five years, according to his CV!

Judges education is of course at times a very controversial subject. The American version with the open-book test is of course ridiculed by some, but the new suggestion to adopt an entirely new method, generally accepted for lawyers, that you don’t need to know all details in the breed standards – only where to find the answer you need whenever you have a question.

The European system for judges approval in which you have to write critiques on a number of dogs (actually varying, based on the average entry of each breed) is of course something which has been promoted for decades in this country and might actually become a reality.

The only issue is of course the problem of finding qualified breed experts within each breed who are actually judges themselves …

Then the recommendation of a mentality and suitability test for aspiring judges is something that surely should be discussed. Whether or not you have the mental strength to stand up for your beliefs and are not easily influenced by comments or pressure from outside sources.

Even an IQ test has been mentioned, which I sadly think many of us would fail if the limit was set to above a score of 80!

I remember so well when my wife returned home crying, completely exhausted and in tears after a week at the Swedish Kennel Club’s week-long seminar for aspiring judges. She passed with flying colors (I think), but the number of candidates who crashed and failed was amazing.

And I think that the “toughness” of the entire process was to eliminate those not fit for office.

The irony on that occasion was that the one person who stood out as simply outstanding according to fellow “students” was a highly educated lady with very limited background within the sport! Who just vanished and was never heard of again, as far as I know.

Another issue which in my opinion has less significance for the sport itself, but maybe more for how the outside world perceives us, is all this talk about a new dress code for judges.

I have heard from so many ladies that it is so easy for men to know how to dress – jacket and tie under normal circumstances. And in some countries I have heard that there is a recommendation even for ladies to wear a suit (trousers) to avoid some rather embarrassing incidents, as when a too-short skirt forces you to look in a different direction. They will, however, not have to wear a tie. For female handlers the skirt should be below the knee, not to be a distraction for the judge. The same apply to the modern too-tight pants for their male counterparts. Definitely a subject for attention by our “local” authorities.

It's all about making this sports image respectable to the inside and outside world – and any effort in that respect is something we should appreciate and be grateful for.

And probably the most important ingredient for anybody involved in this sport is of course a sense of humor!

Happy April Fool’s Day!

 

 

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