Oh, how I remember Jimmy Trullinger sitting with me during Best In Show at Westminster when a dog with a missing piece of this anatomy (the ear) was awarded the highest prize. Yikes! He was most upset and equally verbal in his dissatisfaction of that selection. The old guard was never timid when they felt strongly about something.
Truly gifted judges are few and far between. Decades later, their remarkable ability remains the benchmark of excellence for the sport of purebred dogs. They confidently, efficiently sort through large mediocre classes, discover a diamond-in-the-rough presented by an uncertain novice, and fearlessly reward the potential greatness of a puppy. Most importantly, they act on the courage of their convictions. To many fanciers, Bea Godsol was the greatest of them all. “She was a lovely lady and really knew dogs,”
Many seasoned showgoers have seen numerous hilarious “Oopses” in the ring; ladies who drop their underwear and deftly kick them out of the ring; gentlemen judges who are unzipped. I saw one judge at an indoor show on a warm day wearing a raincoat. “I split my pants” was his answer when I asked him why. I noticed another judge was wearing odd colored shoes. I pointed it out to him and he exclaimed, “I know, I have another pair at home just like them!”
Maxine Beam was judging at this show and it was great talking to her about old times when we were both handlers. Maxine is one of the really good dog judges that we have. She does not push herself and what you see is what you get. I love to watch her work because she is so methodical and knows what she is doing. People who have had that many good dogs through their hands and were successful are people that I tremendously respect in this sport. Maxine is one of the very few.
It’s believed Danish and Norwegian Vikings who organized marauding expeditions to the British Islands from the 8th till the 11th century took Mastiff-like dogs home with them to Scandinavia, as stolen goods. A dog skeleton found by archaeologists in an old Viking village on the Island of Fyn had the form and shape of the Broholmer dog of today. Because local dogs in that time were far smaller and of a Spitz type, the theory about the ‘Viking dogs’ is considered correct. Additional proof is the so-called ‘Dalbo dog’, also a Mastiff type. This type of dog lived in Sweden until the end of the 19th century – another reason the Broholmer is considered a distant descendant of the dogs the Vikings took home with them ages ago.
It’s 30 years and counting since a breeder/owner/handler worked that magic. According to Westminster spokesman David Frei… “Will it ever happen again? I believe it will …” We’ll find out on February 17th. See you there!
Can you name late and great judge pictured handling a Wire Fox Terrier circa 1957? Find out later this afternoon during Will Alexander’s new video, Will’s Time Capsule on The Canine Chronicle!
By Lee Canalizo To read the complete article click here 210 – September, 2012 From the archives of The Canine Chronicle, September, 2012 Sometimes I have a“plan for my next article and sometimes someone’s name just pops into my head and I say, “Where did he/she/that come from?” I seldom question the who, what or [...]
By Deborah Wood It’s the most famous story in the history of dog shows. It was Westminster in 1969. New York was in the grip of a horrific snowstorm. The streets had grown icy as the weather had gotten colder. Walter Goodman was stepping carefully through the ice and snow outside the brand new Madison [...]
