THE BRITISH GSD SHOW SCENE - Page 2

Several GSD Clubs have unilaterally gave up their CC's over recent years, have these opportunities been maximised? Maybe there are other clubs willing and wanting to give up their CC's, perhaps all clubs could be asked, or is that too difficult. Geographical considerations are very important, and can be catered for, Kent GSD Club pulled out all stops for their last CH. Show and achieved an emtry of almost 200. How can we ensure that all other Clubs make similar efforts for their CH. Shows? We certainly cannot continue ignoring the collapse of entries and Clubs holding CH. Shows which routinely attract ridiculously low entries. Perhaps the problems lie in the leadership of our Clubs, and the GSD Breed Council, for without leadership any organisation is doomed to failure. Most GSD owners do NOT exhibit their GSD, and Perhaps most GSD Club committee members do NOT exhibit their GSD, perhaps many leaders of GSD Breed Clubs and the GSD Breed Council do NOT exhibit their GSD, and perhaps most anonymous entities on this board do NOT exhibit their GSD, and perhaps ALL OF THAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM.

Some clubs, for whatever reason/s are financially better off than others.  There are many committee members that no longer show (some never have) but still have an avid interest... thank God for them, for there are bloody few out there willing to do the job!

It's money, it's handlers, it's distance, for some... it's feeling that without the right handler, their dog's not going to make it, no matter how good it is, it's lack of training facilities... venues and trainers, yeah there's a dollop of apathy too.

Stop bitching about anonymous entities David, it doesn't lend itself to good relations!

David, It would be useful if all the clubs would let us know how many committee members they actually have, and what should their clubs full compliment be. But they may not want to print their actual number, due to club rules. Once again how can a club run a show with a few committee members. I think you're right, If clubs dont have a strong leadership they will end up disbanding, and letting their clubs go to the wall. Maybe a recruitment drive by clubs to increase commitee members. Any one have any ideas!!

I do not seek good relations with anonymous entities. period!

OK, heard you loud and clear... you'll hear no more from me!

The part that was missing from my last post was about the 5 General champ shows with the lowest entries.

W&PB of Scotland

SKC 2 shows

Border Union

Belfast

I stated the last time this was proposed the the KC will not give those CC's to breed clubs, they would however go along the route that the Border Union took this year by getting an English type judge or they would give the CC to another breed at those General champ shows.

I don't think anyone disagrees that something needs to be done but i personally believe that this proposal isn't favourable to anyone other than those that show in England. It also poses the problem that if there were 1 Championship show each month that some breed club open shows may suffer even more as most people would have to save for the upcoming  champ show as they may have to make a weekend of it just for that 1 show due the distance and expense of doing this every month.

It is great that someone is willing to propose these ideas but there many more factors as to why these proposals aren't the best for everyone. Instead of being so narrow minded and only seeing it from 1 point of view why not take on board some of the ideas other people put forward and actually work together.

Would it not be better to organise something along the lines of a back to back champ shows or a back to back open/champ shows  in the same area thus enticing people to come to the open show the day before the champ show. You also have to remember that some clubs have no access to wet weather accomodation, so having champ shows from Nov - Mar may not be suitable for the weather ie. travelling to or showing in.

In reply to the questions raised on this thread. Bolton GSD Club can boast a committee of 11 a yearly membership of approx 150 plus. In 2007 we cancelled an Open show due to lack of entries. The whispers started - guess what? We got more money that day from our training than if we had held the show.

In 2009 we will be holding our next Championship show. Unfortunately we lost our original venue and we have always been known to have the 1st Champ show of the year. We have managed to find a new venue BUT this has enforced us to change our time of year. We will now be in April - unless the KC changes the rules about having to offer accommodation for dog shows in January! It is far to expensive to hire a marquee. Our entry for this Champ show is £10.00 per dog Trophy’s 1st to 4th place, medals 5th& 6th, Prize cards to 8th place - Junior handling is £2.00 per dog Trophy’s 1st -4th, a gift bag to all entrants rosettes & prize cards to all- the kids will go away with goods worth a lot more than what is paid. The schedule has got 4 maps in it – apart from putting a piece of string from each exhibitor’s doors to the venue what else can we do? We have not got any major sponsorship only with the Dog food, all of this is coming from the club itself and the kind people who sponsor the classes who think something of our club. Plus our Judge for Bitches is first time in this country from Croatia.  We thank god for the exhibitors from Scotland Wales & Ireland without you we would have no show.  Plus no one on our committee exhibits at out shows nor do we make up the numbers if the entry is poor.

By changing our time of year it may work! There will be the usual remarks on this board about having a large gap between Crewe & Nths Staffs in December then Bolton In April.  I have seen when we have handed out schedules in December for our Champ show in January the remarks have been made ‘It is too far too travel’ ‘The weather will be bad’ etc. Too far to travel our show then was only another 30mins up the road so to speak and not so far off the motorway.

Heather Macdonald is right about the Partisanship. You go to any show these days and nobody claps or cheers when a dog has won. Nobody has a laugh anymore. In fact the whole thing appears to be a life and death act. If their dog doesn’t win then we are nobody. So what you take the best dog home no matter what. The problem is it has cost a lot of money to get there in the first place and nothing to show for it now makes it matter.

I totally agree with what Bill Owen has written and yes Bill I am sitting here have a slight panic for next year if more people loose their jobs and fuel prices continue to rise where will that leave the show scene? People will worry about the mortgage and putting food on the table before they think about showing their dogs.

 Continued......

From a club Secretary's point of view to run a Champ show is a total pain in the bum. I will have the KC Field Officer present at our next Champ show. As the venue is not known to the KC. He will scrutinize every dam thing. From miss spelt words in the schedule to First Aid facilities BUT he will not say one word to any exhibitor who miss behaves. No that will be left to us AND if we jump on you this board will be plastered with all the usual comments. The problem these days with running a show is it is all about Health & Safety and people forget that part. You hear it being said 'If you touch me I will sue' this is when somebody is being stopped from running around like a whirling dervish. From the KC point of view they are concerned that some one running around could cause an accident and leave a person very badly injured. Then the club and its guarantors will loose everything and strangely enough the KC does not want this to happen. In April this year the Corporate Manslaughter act was brought in to force where if somebody is hurt then everyone in that chain of events from the top down will be sued. So on that thought why would you want to run a show? When we have certain elements are so very arrogant they can only think about themselves and to hell with everyone else.

I would raise a question to David Payne. You suggest that we have a Breed Championship show every month of the year. Great but what happens when you have a case as ours. Where we through no fault of our own we have lost a venue and the only one we are able to hire within our own area we are unable to use at the time we require. So are forced into changing our date.  The KC rule is that a club has a name and should stay within the area that name serves i.e. Bolton & District GSD Club stays within Bolton. The League is lucky because it is the GSD League of Great Britain and can hold shows anywhere in the UK.

Carol Morrison - Sec Bolton GSD.

Carol, thank you for an interesting and enlightening post. I also thank Watcher and others for their posts. My proposals were never intended to be "THE" answer, to this tragic collapse of our GSD Show scene, they were intended to look at the facts over 11 years, as the KC had them recorded, and to make radical and fundamental proposals which challenge the current apathy and therefore stimulate debate witha view to making changes, small and large, and appropriate for various needs and situations. Some changes have been made, Kent is a tremendous example, other clubs have introduced "entry packages" for those exhibitors entering many dogs, eg £30 for 3 entries or above. Advertising and online schedules and entry forms are becoming the norm. We must not take our eyes off the ball, because as Bill Owen & Carol have written things are going to get tougher, especially next year and possibly the next few years. Maybe the time is exactly right to ask all GSD Clubs with CC's if they wish to hold onto them, and if any do not, formualate a plan of action for their re-allocation to best effect and benefit to our show scene. We must look for all opportunities, and very definitely create more comraderie amongst the British exibitors and British spectators. We need to help each other in so many ways to maximise our sports enjoyment. Rhoda and I have enjoyed help from many people over the many years we have been involved with GSD, and we in turn have helped others. This needs to increase and become more widespread, and only WE can do it. There should be much less ME, and much more WE. The Italians at the 2008 Sieger Show gave us all an example and a lesson which we should not squander by our failure to learn from it.
Carol aiming for 1 GSD Breed Club CH.Show each and every month is a TARGET, there will be problems occassionally and we may end up covering only 9 or 10 months of the year with a show, many of us would be delighted with that. It may be that one day we have our Top four or five GSD Breed Club CH. Shows held annually, rather than our Top 10, many would be delighted with that prospect. In other words, many exhibitors want more hope for our sports future, and they do not expect it all at once, and they do not expect it can be done easily. They do realise that Breed Clubs, their committeees, and the Breed Council are KEY to making progress and giving them hope, they simply want more done to stem the slide towards oblivion which is currently occuring.

As someone who has shown a GSD three times this year at CH shows, despite going to about  9 with my C Corgi.  Also I also have no access to GSD ring craft or experienced handlers I probably see shows slightly differently.  I applaud all the people who organise the shows and I have great appreciation of all the work that goes into them.  I dont show very often as I find the shows expensive (especially the time I paid a handler) and I have to make sure that my husband can come along as he is fitter than me :-)

I do find the whole process of double handling noisy, excessive and often quite dangerous, especially if I have my kids with me.  I know the double handling has a place, but Im not sure it belongs at every show, especially the mixed breed ones.  I also feel that it over encourages the dogs to push too hard into their collars and in fact this is detrimental to the way that some then move.  I have heard judges ask for quiet so that the dogs are able to move without all the goings on and personally I think that many dogs moved in a more natural way at that time.

If some shows had no double handling it would be interesting to see how the dogs do and the results.  Im sure if I stay away due to the issues that it brings, that others do too.  I also want to bring my kids to an environment that is safe, but I cant say that the outside of a ring where double handling takes place is safe for children.

I have a limited budget and I cannot afford to do one weekend at a show and then another doing something specifically for my children and to honest I enjoy combining the two, but if the shows continue to have such expensive days out for little return and an environment which I cannot safely take my children its going to be that I just dont go.  Not going to shows would be a complete shame as I am enjoying showing my Cardi Corgi and as I've just bred my first GSDs Im looking forward to bringing one out to the shows, but it will be one where the environment is right along with the costs.  Its funny the Cardi Corgi world has no more than about 50 entries and with people travelling all over the country, but the atmosphere is usually better than at the GSDs shows and I find the people to be more accepting of a newbie as well as encouraging us to attend more often, only this week I received a schedule for a show that I hadnt requested.

Maybe its time to look at the differences between the shows 10 - 20 years ago and those of today and working out what is different and what changes can and should be done.  I loved the shows I attended about 12 years ago and much preferred them to those today.