The decline in show entries in the UK - Page 1

I was looking through my old GSD weekly mags and decided to look at show entrys the year 1981 15th nov the show crew and north staffs the entry 431 now that was just one show and i picked that one because it was an average entry not the most but not the least when was the last time we had an average of over 400 shepherds at a show especially in november
so what does that tell you i know that it scares me some what because their is a massive difference between then and now
the biggest class that day was yearling bitch with  44 entrys their are some champ shows that do not get that amount in total   SO what has happened between then and now. answers on a postcard.
jim h

If you have read the above post then please leave an answer even if its a dont know because if you have logged on to read it that is because like me you are worried about the decline in our show entries so any suggestions would be welcome regardless of what it is it could make a difference
jim h

Jim, unfortunately, you could not find 431 people to send a schedule to nowdays, but i agree, we should at least be trying.

 

Regards Paul.

I THINK THE BREED COUNCIL SHOULD TAKE A MORE PRO-ACTIVE PART IN PROMOTING THE BREED,
QUESTION : WHO OUT SIDE THE BREED KNOWS OF THE BREED COUNCIL AND WHAT THEY STAND FOR. IE;  THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
I WILL BE HONEST I SHOWED MY GSD FOR 6 YEARS IN ALL BREED OPEN SHOWS BEFOR I FOUND OUT THERE WAS A BREED COUNCIL !!!
MAYBE ADVERTISE YOUR CLUB SHOWS IN THE LOCAL PAPER AND INVITE THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND AND WATCH FREE OF CHARGE.

THEN WE MAY GET MORE PEOPLE TAKING UP THE SPORT OF SHOWING.
 

HI Paulie according to the KC their are 30,000 GSD breeders here in the UK in 2007 their was 66,608 registered puppies with the KC so they are out there we all need to do some thing to get them back tothe showring

missbeeb yes you are correct the blatant dis honest judging the costs etc all play apart  the costs we can do nothing about re petrol etc but the dis honest judging handler fee's excesive double handling etc we can do something about

but that is up to all of us ot just a few as with every thing you have got to be in it to win it.
jim h

1983  nov 19th Leicestershire  GSD champ show bitch entry 219
1983 nov Working breeds scotland GSD bitch entry 222
 ok i know we wont see these kind of numbers again but surely if our shows became more attractive then a lot of breeders would come back and we would get new faces joining who buy pups from breeders who are showing how we do this i dont know i am not the cleverest of people but i know there are very clever and astute people in this breed who could come up with the right answer with a little help from all of us
jim h

I have shown GSD's since the early 70's, from the late 80's I used to show 3 of my own dogs and this has continued untill a few years ago, I had purchased 3 bitches from top kennels to show and unfortunately none of them could, only 1 of these kennels offered my money back. So I retired from showing in the UK, I went to Germany and brought a bitch there which is now in the UK but do I want to show again in the UK, I dont think so, I have chased CC's up and down this country, spent hundreds of pounds on entry fees and handler fees. When I went to a show last year I felt an outsider no one really acknowledged I was there, so I left after a few hours as I am not a person to interrupt a group of people already talking, I am not a group I am a single person. I am not part of a team, to find a handler now for my new bitch will be nearly impossible, the atmosphere around the rings is nothing to what it was, I have no wish to show under a system with so many holes in it with so much back biting, I cant do anyone any favours so I am of no interest to the majority of people, and with so few breed clubs around ring training is very difficult, and I must admit I prefer showing abroad, not only are the shows nicer but you get lovely trophy's, food etc.

There was a time when we had clubs where we all worked together, but that I think has gone.

Ann, i can empathize with you, and i am sure your sentiments will be echoed by others reading this thread, as for the solution, i can only hazard a guess, all the previous posters have raised pertinent points.... and their idea's for solving them, i just hope we can all eventually get together sometime soon, and try to solve these problems together.

 If you would like to attend the Tony Howson memorial show this weekend, i will endevour to make you more than welcome, as will i'm sure, the majority of people there.

  Regards Paul Rattigan.

Hi ann you are not alone i also have nothing to offer anyone in regards to them winning any thing but we should all be the same in that sence if the judging is honest so if we only promote honest judges would you consider a return, as far as handling is concerned i am sure you could find someone to assist you, ann you must remember that it takes two to tango and i am sure if you started speaking to people they will talk to you it is all about us coming together no back scratching or favour judging just a fun happy day out with our dogs and remember no matter where your dog is placed you always take the best one home
jim h