Potential Judge Change at 2009 USA SS - Page 5

Still having issues with the economic impact of a CA venue??  Hurt USA last year thats for sure.  Love CA, just damen hard to afford to get there with dogs.

I have still not heard back from either Mary or Tim Burke.  Does not matter, I guess athough I was advised by the USCA to call Tim because the USCA office could not give any info.  So much for trying to get to the quick of things and clarifying what is going on without including the www.  I really don't care except that slowly the reputation of our breed in this country with the self-interest groups will decline and will continue to decline.  I wish just for once someone would put on a professional show.  Not this guessing game.  I don't mind competing on equal ground but one always has the question of mind who has taken the winners card.

I look at Dux and am very neutral in feeling.  Judged the females in 2006 at NASS.  Find out later he was the owner of Bazi's Sire. . .

See him judging from North to South in NA.  LOL.  Now he is the alternate.

I just question the reasoning behind not having judging assignments.  As a member I question in the meantime what is happening in the background.  I question a judge that has judged extensively her in NA at the major kennels to now judge another Siegershow.  I just question.

I would not question if one of the venerable members who I have contacted in the past week would have had the civility to return a call.  So I question more.  I have reached out. 

They will do what they want to do and don't care for any input is my interpretation of this.  I in turn, feel very strongly that my dogs will not be shown on a National level on this basis.  So, I interpret this posture as turning the back on the hobby breeder and passionate sport person.  And in this sense I see failure all around.

I concur with sunshine's concerns. All that she is asking for is a level playing field and more effective communication. 
This request has nothing to do with "judge shopping".

Based on my observations of the past judging of the "alternate", he is not consistently impartial--particularly not in judging the performance tests. JMHO.

Because of Ravi Iyer's videos of the male bitework at the 2008 USA SS and the many signatures on Dee Clark's petition, the conformation judges are now to be in the ring with our DOJ and assisting him in making impartial evaluations. Without impartiality, partisan decisions may result in passing the very dogs that bombed in San Jose and possibly result in awarding them the trophies donated by Ravi for the top bitework of both dogs and bitches.

Would that not be a cruel irony?

Holy crap, what enormous headache reading this whole thing has been.  Reminds me why I haven't put a dog in conformation in several years, and probably won't show our current young bitch until she's working class and the first thing people see is her work.  Good thing I go to the Sieger show to evaluate dogs by their performance and progeny first and second, actual placing in the conformation ring comes in a very, very far 3rd.

Anyone care to enlighten a clueless, anti-political nobody on why there may not be a NASS? I've always felt like the WDA has tried to open up the GSDCA, and thus in a roundabout way the AKC to the concept of working dogs as we know them. Never understood the animosity between the two organizations.

KC:
I totally agree with your comments and philosophy!  If we call could see that a judges opinion is just that, an opinion and not be kennel blind/dog blind to what we currently own, our opinions, those of the hobby breeder and buyer, will vote in the long run, will have value.

Ravi and Dee did an excellent job bringing the issues to the forefront,  I am hoping to see some excellent bitework and hope that the philosphy behind the awarding of the trophies brings honor to the Sieger Show.   At least, lets hope there are better perfromances.
 
I have no idea what is going on with the NASS.  I am sure though, there are naysayers about a lot of things just like on this board.  As GSD owners, I think we are much like our dogs, everyone wants to be the leader!

I do not mean to hijack this thread. I have received a number of emails from people regarding comments made on this board and hope to set a few things straight.


Yes, there was a tremendous happening  in Las Vegas at the GSDCA-WDA Board meeting. The GSDCA hosted a reception so that the two boards could put names with faces. It was a wonderful evening. This does somewhat fly in the face of the rumormongers. 


NASS 2009 is set, the venue has been contracted, the hotel contracted and we are moving forward. Not sure why there would be any doubt about NASS. I suppose rumors draw more posts than truth.  We have a very large group of volunteers working on the event and it will be stellar.

Nationals and NASS (2010) will be decided at our April Board meeting. Several very nice venues are being researched.  Judging assignments will also be announced for 2010.

If you need any futher details please feel free to email me. 

Danny

Thanks Danny. I never had any doubts about any WDA events being held, can't figure how/why anybody else would.
I was surprised to note that the particulars for what is now called the USA Working Dog Championship were posted  rather late compared to previous years, when the locations and judges were decided at the November General Meeting, but they are up now so we can make our arrangments.

Good point about the difference in national-level working trial events and show events. We who participate in the trials don't have the luxury of judge shopping. The judges the host club suggests are almost always approved by the national organization and that's that. Don't like them? Stay home. Miss an opportunity to participate in a National event. I don't remember anybody ever asking the general membership's opinions about judge selection in a trial event after the fact. LOL We enter. We compete. We hope the judging is consistent and fair. We do not complain that this judge bred that dog or is in bed with that competitor. We take our scores in a sportsmanlike fashion and go home to get started on training for next time. There are towels in the hotel for crying in the privacy of one's room should one's training have come back to bite them in the ass in front of all those people. LOL

My question... How come USA changed the name from North American Championship to Working Dog Championship?

Instead of worrying about who is judging which classes in Chicago I think I'll worry about the weather... a much more serious concern in April in the Midwest! Remember the '99 Ohio Mudfest? I wonder who eventually found my shoes still stuck in the mud on that hill after the young dog class?
SS

The location for the USA Working dog championships were decided awhile back in June 2008.  Slate of Judges was at the beginning of this month (1/2) unless someone can find an earlier vote on judges.  Just changed due to conflict of schedules.  All this was posted on the USA web-site when it occured.

E-Ballot #22-08 (2009 USA Working Dog Championships Host)

Selection of host club(s) for 2009 USA Working Dog Championships from two bids submitted by the

National Events Committee (National Event Bid Forms attached):

Iowa Hundesport Club

Twin Beech SchH Club/Cumberland Valley SchH and Police Club

Vote: Iowa Hundesport–5

Cumberland Valley–15

Blackwell, Steve Cobb, Arthur Collins, Gordon Esselmann, Pedro Jimenez, Michelle Kutelis, Willie Pope, Mark Scarberry, David

Witmer),

(Randall Hoadley, Bill Plumb, Al Govednik, Terry Macias, Scott Hedger), Twin Beech/(Sara Wallick, Mark Przybylski, Tim Burke, Frank Phillips, Howie Rodriguez, Nathaniel Roque, PiaABS–1 (Lyle Roetemeyer). Twin Beech/Cumberland Valley selected 6/27/08.

Any word on host hotel in Nashville? Shelley likes to make her reservations early.
I'm planning to enter T (Carol)  in the FH Championship. 'Bought time I entered something bigger than club and regional trials and a bunch of dog shows. LOL Hopefully its beens so long I can claim to be a first-time novice again. ;-D
Think?
T knows something's up.
SS

Danny,

Can expand on the below quote from the agenda of the recent Las Vegas WDA Board Meeting?
 
Rumor has it that the WDA and USA are "merging"--furthermore, that WDA may be dissolving and has dissociated itself from the GSDCA. IOW, the WDA will cease existence and will be absorbed (including its treasury, membership, and judges) by USA.

Sounds somewhat far fetched to me. Without a "parent club" and the AKC breed registry, how will there be FCI recognition? OTH. I'm sure that the SV would prefer (1) that there not be a shared World Team and (2) that the GSD breed standard in the United States conform to the international standard.

 a. Approve the formation of the North American Alliance with the United Schutzhund Club of America. Our purpose:

i. "Our mission is to protect and preserve the heritage of the German shepherd dog in the United States with respect to the SV breed standard through the formation and maintenance of an alliance between USA and WDA."