Critique: 
The Blue Ridge Specialty at the Hagers Town Country Club
Sunday April 7th, 1968 Judge: Margaret M. Megahan
Total entry of 126 Shepherds, 4 points in dogs (12% absent) & bitches (30% absent), but absenteeism cut it to 3 points in each sex. Serious rioting in Washington and Baltimore (USA) are thought to have contributed to this.

Two dogs contended seriously for winners dog, Erich von der Sandboden ( Owned by Warner & Ethel Kidwell) & Asslan of Robinsway (Owned by John & Doris Golden).

They were winners of the American and Open Classes respectively. Erich at 4.5 years of age and Asslan at 20 months old. I had seen Asslan first when he made his tremendous win at the GSDCA National Specialty Show in 1967 from the novice class to Reserve Winners. He seemed to need a larger ring and better footing than Hagerstown provided to show his tremendous gait. Erich, with the complete development and hardness of full maturity is also gaiting extremely well finally went over to him on that maturity and long easy stride in that ring on that day. It was a hard close descition to make between the two outstanding dogs. Erich took Winners Dog and eventually Best of Winners while Asslan took Reserve Winners Dog.